Applicants with a high school GPA and/or ACT score lower than enrollment criteria may be eligible for this program. Applicants will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
The ICE program was designed to provide a supportive and structured program in order to guide students through their first year in college. Students are chosen for the ICE program based on their ACT scores, their high school GPA, and their need for transition courses. Students accepted in to the ICE program will be assigned an academic coach. The Academic coach, for the student's first year, will also serve as the ICE student’s academic advisor.
In order to provide a smooth transition to college, classes will be carefully chosen for each student. By doing so, students will have a year to focus on learning skills, assimilate to college living, take advantage of academic coaching and tutoring support, and interact with other ICE students in a learning community setting.
Students in the ICE program are required to:
- Sign the ICE agreement and complete its requirements
- Limit their class load to a maximum of 15 hours
- Pay an additional fee for ICE
- Complete TLCM 100 (Bridge: Building Connections) in the fall, and TLCM 101 in the spring.
- This one hour credit course is designed to help ICE students transition into their college experience, meet other first-year students, and learn college academic skills.
- Meet with an academic coach each week
- Have a specialized advisor
ICE Frequently Asked Questions
Why was I chosen to be in the ICE program?
Most colleges, especially four year colleges and universities, have admissions criteria. Union College admissions criteria requires students to have a high school GPA of 2.5 and an ACT score of 18 or an SAT score of 1290. Along with admissions standards most colleges have course placement requirements. Union College requires students to have an English ACT score of 17 and a Math ACT score of 17 in order to be placed in College English and College Math. An applicant to Union College who has scores lower than the admissions criteria and lower than the placement standards is reviewed by an admissions committee. Your application was reviewed and the committee agreed that you would be a great Union College student starting through the ICE program.
How long do I have to be in the ICE program?
You will be in the ICE program for two semesters—your first year at Union.
What will the ICE program do for me as a student?
The ICE program will provide you with an academic coach, tools to assess your learning strengths, tutoring, and course selection for your first year. This will help make your first year in college a smooth transition.
What is an academic coach?
An academic coach is a person who will meet with you once a week. This meeting will be a regularly scheduled appointment. You will be working with your coach on several academic and learning tools. However, the most important piece of academic coaching is you. This is your time, so make it all about you. One point that you must be aware of is just because you have an academic coach doesn’t guarantee you will pass your classess. It is just like having car insurance; insurance doesn’t guarantee you will never be in an accident. As a student you must be the driver of your education; your coach is the passenger helping to guide you.
How do I make my appointment all about me?
Bring anything and everything to your academic coach. “How do I find time to fit everything in to 24 hours?” Ask your coach to help. “My backpack is a mess.” Ask your coach to help. Not sure how to start a paper? Ask your coach to help. Not sure if you should join certain clubs? Ask your coach. Trying to figure out how to approach your professor? Ask your coach to help. Your coach is here to support you for your first year of college.
When do I first meet my coach?
When you get to Union in August for orientation, you will need to stop by the TLC to complete your registration. We are located in the student center lobby. When you first meet your coach you will set your weekly appointment. We take into consideration your class and work schedule and then you and your coach will set the appointment time that works best for you.
Since I’m a part of the ICE program, what classes should I take?
You will be required to take
- CORE 108,
- ENGL 100 and MATH 017 or 100 along with
- TLCM 100
After that there are several classes you can choose from, mostly 100 level courses. This is the part of your academic experience that your advisor will be a great help with. Your advisor will help you pick out the rest of your classes according to your long-term academic and life goals. You can take up to 15 credit hours; this is a great way to start your first year.
What is an Advisor and how are they different than my Academic Coach?
An Advisor is a faculty/teacher from your major. For example if you are majoring in Business Administration you will have an advisor from the Business department. This person will help guide you through picking out classes in order to graduate with a Business Administration degree.
Your Academic coach may also guide you in picking out classess and preparing to talk to your advisor. Think of your academic coach like a basketball , gymnastic or voice coach. Only instead of coaching you in basketball, gymnastics or voice, your academic coach will coach you through college.
I heard that there is a fee of $680.00 per semester to be part of the ICE program. This is an extra fee. Why?
It is true. Just like the fee to take music lessons or belong to the gymnastic program, there is a fee to be part of the ICE program, and that fee is $680.00. This fee covers weekly meetings with your academic coach, Campus Toolkit, and the cost of meeting with tutors.
Beyond my Academic Coach and the TLC, what other resources are available to me?
While your Academic Coach and the TLC staff are happy to support your academic needs and goals, there are other resources on campus which you might benefit from, including:
CAMPUS MINISTRIES (Spiritual Life)
Pastor Rich Carlson, Dick Building 1st floor
402.486.2508
www.ucollege.edu/campusm
CAREER CENTER (Testing, Career Planning, Counseling, Internships)
Don Love Building
402.486.2540
www.ucollege.edu/career-center
RECORDS OFFICE (Transcipts, Registration, Grades)
Dick Building, 5th floor
402.486.2529
www.ucollege.edu/records
STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES (Loans, Financial Planning) Dick Building, 6th floor
402.486.2505
www.ucollege.edu/financial
THE STUDIO FOR WRITING AND SPEAKING
Don Love Building, Library 1st floor
www.ucollege.edu/humanities/thestudio
STUDENT HOUSING
http://www.ucollege.edu/student-life/student-housing
402.486.2535 LeAnn Merth, Dean of Women
402.486.2534 Doug Tallman, Dean of Men
402.486.2502 Salli Jenks, Off-campus Housing
STUDENT LIFE (ASB, Student Health, Safety, Campus Policies)
Dick Building 1st floor
402.486.2507
http://www.ucollege.edu/student-life