University of Michigan School of Information
Community college students see themselves at U-M through CCSI program
Thursday, 08/08/2024
By Abigail McFeeSunlight streams into a large, open room at the University of Michigan School of Information, where 32 community college students are gathered around tables, discussing their strengths.
This is the Community College Summer Institute, a free on-campus program hosted by UMSI every summer since 2017. Over the course of three days, participants gain exposure to information science through sessions led by UMSI faculty and staff.
Near the front of the room, Marco Britton raises his hand. “I’m a futuristic relator,” he shares with the group, combining two of his strengths. “I think toward the future and I relate to the individuals that I form relationships with, in order to build that future.”
Britton lives in Detroit, where he is majoring in cybersecurity at Wayne County Community College. He has always been good at building computers, but in college he has gone beyond the circuit board to develop an interest in coding and data security.
He applied to CCSI because it seemed to mesh with his interests. And it was an opportunity to experience U-M as more than a visitor — to stay in the residence halls, hear from faculty and meet current students.
“I fully joined in, and I enjoyed the entire experience,” he says. “It gave me a greater focus on what I want to achieve.”
Britton is set on getting a bachelor’s degree, a goal he shares with 80% of community college students nationwide. But only a third of community college students end up transferring to a four-year institution, according to a recent study. When UMSI launched CCSI in 2017, one of the goals was to increase that number.
“CCSI is a platform that allows community college students to explore the field of information science and experience student life at the University of Michigan,” says Sandra Lopez, DEI educational outreach program manager at UMSI. “We want to provide community college students with the time and space to determine if the field of information and U-M are a good fit for them.”
All CCSI fellows receive on-campus housing, meals and a stipend during the program. They have the opportunity to seek guidance not only from Lopez, but from program assistants who are current UMSI students — some of whom transferred from community colleges. If they decide to apply to UMSI, fellows are given priority consideration for the Bachelor of Science in Information program.
This year, CCSI fellows represented 11 institutions and a range of ages, from 18 to 46. They came from across Michigan and as far away as Los Angeles. While some, like Britton, already had an interest in data or technology, others came with an open mind — to learn what information science is and how it could speak to their interests.
They were welcomed to campus by Andrea Forte, dean of UMSI, who shared her own path to information science and U-M.
“Anyone who tells you that they got to where they are because they followed a straight line is kidding you,” she said. “That doesn’t happen. There are no straight paths in life. They wind. They go this way and that way. I think that disciplines like information attract people who want to wander and explore the world.”
Courtnee Pruitt has this urge to explore. A student at Henry Ford College, she spent her high school years performing with the Detroit Youth Choir, traveling across stages as famed as Carnegie Hall and “America’s Got Talent.” At Henry Ford, she is majoring in theater with a focus on stage management.
Pruitt learned about CCSI through a Facebook post. At first, she didn’t know if it was the right fit for her, or what “information science” meant.
“But I looked up the School of Information and the CCSI program, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is really fun,’” she recalls. Reading about UMSI’s focus on data and technology, she was reminded of a computer science workshop she took in middle school. This seemed like an opportunity to reconnect with that interest while exploring U-M.
During CCSI, Pruitt quickly bonded with other fellows. “Being around other community college kids, it made my heart happy,” she says.
On the second day, she found her program highlight: a session led by Colleen van Lent, teaching professor at UMSI, which introduced students to programming with Python.
“It was so much fun to be around another woman that's doing science because we need more women in STEM,” Pruitt says. After the session, she went up to ask van Lent questions one-on-one. “She was just so down-to-earth, and she introduced me to another program called Girls Encoded. I'm very excited to do it, hopefully — I now say hopefully — when I’m at U-M.”
Pruitt plans to transfer to a four-year institution after finishing her associate’s degree, but before participating in CCSI, she had all but ruled out U-M. “I thought about it, and I was like, that’s a bit out there,” she says. “To me, U-M is like the Harvard of Michigan.”
Now, over Zoom, she holds up a certificate from UMSI, which signifies her readiness to transfer to a four-institution.
“I got a frame for my certificate, because I didn't want to just put it in a folder,” she says. “I want to put this on display. I am transfer-ready to go to U-M.”
For Lopez, this is the ultimate goal of the program — to make U-M into a tangible reality that students can see and hold.
“As they engage in CCSI, community college students learn that there is a space for them at this institution,” Lopez says. “And that their interests and life experiences will add to the richness of the field of information and campus culture.”
Since finishing CCSI, Pruitt and other fellows have talked about going on a tour of each other’s hometowns in Michigan. Her friends want to come and see her perform at Henry Ford.
“On social media, we keep posting, 'Fall 2025, that's going to be us,'" she says. “‘See you soon.’”
The Community College Summer Institute is supported by the John, Karen and Casey Cameron Community College Fund, with additional support from David Choi (MSI ’06).
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