Bridge to Success

The Public Speaking course introduces students to the art of public speaking, focusing on style, memory, and delivery. Participants will engage in interactive sessions, practical workshops, and community excursions, all aimed at enhancing their public speaking skills. By the end of the course, students will have developed the confidence and competence to excel in public speaking, preparing them for academic, social, and professional success.

This course explores the evolution of the American presidency from the Washington Administration — at the outset of the new republic — to the modern presidency of the twenty-first century. It places a special emphasis on the role of historical precedent in transforming the executive office. We will examine the evolution of the executive branch by exploring pivotal American presidencies, including the administrations of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. We will consider the presidency within the context of its times, considering how presidents acted both inside and outside their proscribed constitutional duties, often responding to extraordinary times with unprecedented measures both in domestic affairs and foreign affairs. We will consistently discuss the importance of historical precedents set by earlier presidential administrations and ask how the study of past presidential behavior might help us better understand the American presidency of our modern age.

An introduction to the art of acting. Students will learn the basic acting process, which includes ensemble work, script and character analysis, and the exploration and development of the student’s inner and external resources for performance. Development of basic acting skills through exercises, monologue, and scene work.

• Successfully complete a one-unit course in a Field of Study General Education course.
• Attend all class sessions.
• Participate in all program study sessions, workshops, events, and field trips.
• Work closely with Bridge to Success staff.
• Check University email address throughout the day for communications from professors, the Bridge to Success Program Director (Dr. Courtney Hughes), and University staff.
• Follow all University of Richmond policies and all applicable laws.

**Students must receive written permission from the director to miss any of the required sessions.

For access to important information about course registration, lesson planning, and remote class participation, please take some time to become familiar with three important sources: Bannerweb, Blackboard, and Zoom.

Bannerweb is an online system where you will register for class, check final grades, track your progress to graduation, and be able to see your schedule. You will need your NetID to log in and the first time you use it you will set a PIN, and you will need to install Duo on a second device for two-point authentication. Please log into bannerweb.richmond.edu.

Your high school may have used a website for hosting course content and Blackboard is the University’s main platform for this. When you log in to blackboard.richmond.edu, you will see page for each course in which you are enrolled. This summer, you will use two pages: one for your Field of Study course and one for the Bridge to Success Program. These pages will contain downloadable syllabi, course readings, and assignment prompts. You may also be asked to participate in asynchronous (not all at the same time) discussions using the Discussion fora on Blackboard.

If any program events need to be held virtually for any reason, we will use Zoom, an online synchronous video conferencing platform, for classes, workshops, and program events. This will enable face-to-face interaction with peers, professors, writing consultants, staff, and invited experts. See the University’s page on Zoom here to download the application and create a Basic (free) account using your University email address.

Students will enroll in one of three available courses meeting a requirement for graduation. The program theme for the summer of 2025 is "Discovering the Power of Your Voice" and students will be asked to rank their course preferences. We will do the best we can to place everyone in their first choice, but we also need to balance the number of students in each section so we cannot guarantee that you will receive your first choice. However, all three of the courses are interesting and each of them satisfies one unit of coursework towards graduation.

• History 199: “Presidents and Precedents: A History of the American Presidency,” taught by Dr. Graeme Mack

• Rhetoric & Communication Studies 100: “Introduction to Public Speaking” taught by Dr. Faith Wilkerson

• Theatre 212: “Basics of Acting,” taught by Professor Chuck Mike

• A computer. You will need to be able to access email, BannerWeb, Blackboard, Zoom, and the University library Written assignments will typically be completed either in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and submitted electronically to professors. If you require a computer or help accessing high speed internet, please see this link.
• A university email account.
• All course books will be handed to you during move-in on June 22.
• Successful completion of the Bridge to Success Program will require approximately 30-40 hours of work per week reading, taking notes, participating in class discussions, and completing all assignments. Be prepared with a willingness to learn, think, and grow together.

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, students will move into their assigned University residence hall, between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Dr. Hughes will be on hand to distribute OneCards and answer questions.

Following move-in, a welcome reception will be held in the Queally Athletic Center (Spider Hall) at 4:30 p.m. During this program, staff and University leaders will welcome new Spiders and their families to The University of Richmond.

After the welcome reception, families will depart and new Spiders will gather to discuss program logistics and expectations for the summer at 5:45 p.m.

Lastly, new Spiders will be led on a tour of campus, ending at Heilman Dining Center where they will enjoy dinner together on campus for the first time.