The updated Global Engagement program allows more students to enroll full time right away.

For students whose second language is English, seeking a degree comes with the added challenges of academic reading and writing in an unfamiliar language and understanding cultural norms and expectations. To help ease that transition, Temple University’s Office of Global Engagement recently launched the Bridge Program in collaboration with the Division of Enrollment Management, an enhancement from the previous programming offered to ESL students. Under the new Bridge Program, students who already have a good grasp on the language receive support for their academic English, academic skills, self-efficacy and understanding of cultural expectations while enrolled as full-time students.  

In Bridge’s previous configuration, students were conditionally admitted and required to take separate, supplemental courses before being enrolled as full-time students. But under the new program, students with higher English skills can save money and start their futures sooner. For students who do not meet the Bridge program language requirement, conditional admission is still an option. 

“Our perspective on this is that these are multilingual learners,” said Director of the Center for American Language and Culture Jacqueline McCafferty. “They’re coming with assets that the typical domestic student doesn’t have as a monolingual, so we don’t see them as having an educational deficit.” With this philosophy, there was no reason to delay enrollment, and so Bridge was created. 

In addition to supporting these students’ academic journeys, Global Engagement is intentional about creating a holistically enriching environment for these students. For that reason, they are also dedicated to facilitating social and cultural development for them as well.  

“Our program supports students that are entering the university by connecting them to communities, connecting them to offices, connecting them to other students,” said Emily Clymer, an ESL specialist and Bridge Program advisor. “It’s the most enjoyable part of my job, to be able to help students feel at home here.” 

The new Bridge Program will launch in fall 2026. However, Sitora Rakhimova, a nursing student from Uzbekistan, has already benefitted from much of the support that Global Engagement has to offer.  

Rakhimova said that when she first applied to Temple, she didn’t know that the Bridge Program—or any of Temple’s Global Engagement programming—existed. So, when she received conditional admission, she was grateful for the support provided by Global Engagement. 

“When I researched the program, I found out I could improve my English, and at the same time, I could go directly into the nursing program without reapplying to the university,” she said. “I was able to take my Gen Ed classes, and I got into a position to improve my English. It was an extra year, but it was worth it.” 

The Bridge Program takes one step further and allows students to graduate on time. These benefits are not exclusive to international students, but also to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not native English speakers. 

“Philadelphia is a city of immigrants, and a significant portion of the city’s population is a non-native speaking population,” said Assistant Vice President of the Office of Global Engagement Martyn Miller. “In addition to international students who are non-native speakers, there are many, many other students whom this exciting new program will benefit.”