Accelerated Summer College helps students get ahead, have more options

The Accelerated Summer College program (ASC) at Saint Michael’s College is an opportunity for both Saint Michael’s students and non-Saint-Michael’s students to earn credits over the summer.

The ASC program offers two six-week academic sessions over the course of the summer. The first session runs from May 22 to June 30, and the second session runs from July 3 to August 11. Courses are four credits and are delivered online and asynchronously.

Janel Roberge ’12

Over the two sessions, 31 courses will be offered. The ASC courses cover a wide range of topics, “We have everything from business to sociology, from biology to art, and everything in between,” Janel Roberge ’12, coordinator of online and nontraditional programs said. “Not kidding when we say there is something for everyone.”

This summer, four new never-before-offered courses through ASC will be available. These classes are in education, statistics, business, and a gender studies course that can also count as a political science credit.

ASC courses can be beneficial in many ways. “The reduced per-credit rate and the asynchronous delivery really make these courses a convenient option for anyone from student-athletes looking to make their traveling season load a bit lighter, to double majors who could use the additional courses, to students who are realizing they may be short credits wise for graduating on time,” Roberge said. “These courses can also be a great opportunity for students to explore other interests or topics they are curious about.”

Cambelle Nutting ’24, a business administration major from Vassalboro, ME, recommends the ASC program to other students based on her good personal experience in it.

Cambelle Nutting ’24

“I thoroughly enjoyed taking summer classes. Three classes a semester works better for my learning style, and thanks to the summer courses I am able to have a schedule that suits my needs,” Nutting said. Nutting is also a member of the Nordic ski team, so the asynchronous classes allowed for flexibility with summer training and her part-time job. Nutting plans to take an ASC course again this summer.

While the courses are offered online and asynchronously, students should expect to spend at least 20 hours per week on a course, Roberge said. Students can take up to two courses per session, up to four courses total. This past summer, 260 students enrolled in an ASC course, including a handful who were not Saint Michael’s students.

Learn more about Accelerated Summer College here