Start your college adventure with a compass
Welcome to the Compass Program—your pathway to academic success at Fort Lewis College. This year-long program begins with the Summer Bridge experience, helping you start strong and stay on course. Through study sessions, faculty mentoring, workshops, and community events, you’ll build the skills and connections needed to thrive. Plus, students who complete the program become eligible for a scholarship for their next school year.
Conditional admission means you’ve been accepted to Fort Lewis College with specific requirements that must be met before full admission is granted at the end of your first year.
Compass students are admitted conditionally through a holistic review of high school coursework and overall GPA. To earn full admission, Compass students must:
Your admission counselor can share more details about Compass program requirements.
Throughout the year, you’ll have access to structured academic support, leadership opportunities, and campus resources that help you grow academically and personally. By the end of your first year, the Compass Program will help you:
Learn more about Orientation
Arrive early, earn 3-4 college credits, and connect with classmates and mentors.
Stay in residence halls with Compass peers and build your support system.
Meet with an Academic Success Coach and take a student success course.
Join study sessions and workshops to strengthen academic and life skills.
Complete Compass and earn a scholarship for the next school year.
By replying to your offer of admission and confirming your enrollment in your admission portal you are automatically registered for our Compass Program. Starting in March, students in our Compass Program will receive details about the program.
Confirm your enrollment and pay the $300 enrollment fee by July 2.
Contact Compass Program Coordinator Michelle Bonanno at bonanno_m@fortlewis.edu for more information.
During the 4-week Summer Bridge, you will take a course that contributes to your Liberal Arts Core. Advisors in Skyhawk Station will use information in your FLC application and your Advising Questionnaire to enroll you in the Summer Bridge course that best fits your FLC academic plan.
Monday – Friday: Breakfast, Class, Lunch, Dinner, Academic Support/Fun ActivitiesWednesday afternoons: Attend 5-6 skills-based workshops Saturday: Participate in engaging activities in and around DurangoSunday: Rest, catch up on homework, mandatory program meeting
8 am – 10 am | Breakfast in the San Juan Dining Hall10:10 am – 12:10 pm | Class12:15 pm– 1 pm | Lunch in the San Juan Dining Hall5:30 pm – 6:30 pm | Dinner in the San Juan Dining Hall7 pm – 8:30 pm | Supported Study Sessions (Sunday-Thursday), evening activities or time on your own
Check-in is at 10 a.m. on July 26 at the Skyhawk Station. During Check-in you will be welcomed by FLC staff and students into the Skyhawk Summer Bridge Program. You will get your keys to move in to your residence hall, your Skycard (campus ID), and complete any outstanding requirements. Once you are checked in, you will move into your residence hall. We will have an opening dinner, teambuilding activities, and Family Orientation that weekend.
You will be moving into your fall housing assignment when you move in for Summer Bridge. Bring all of the belongings you will need for the academic year.
We strongly recommend you bring the following items to Summer Bridge:
We strongly discourage participants from going home during the program because our courses are fast-paced and our schedule is packed with academic and community building programming—even on the weekends.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided during the entire program for FREE! Food will also be free for off-campus Compass activities.
All students participating in the Summer Bridge Program will live in Camp or Crofton Hall.
Communal bathrooms will be cleaned regularly.
We have laundry facilities in your residence hall.
Course readings and textbooks and will be provided for Summer Bridge. Students are required to obtain course materials themselves during the regular school year.
Bring your laptop. If you don’t have access to a laptop, FLC has a TechPack that you can rent.
Contact the Accessibility Resource Center for support in creating and maintaining equal access and opportunity on campus. We can support you with academic, housing, and other accommodations to remove some of the obstacles that might otherwise inhibit your experience of campus life.
If a Service Animal will accompany you on campus, we recommend you contact the Accessibility Resource Center to assist in your animal’s transition. If you are living in campus housing, you will need to register your service animal with our office.
If you are interested in applying for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) while attending FLC, you will need documentation from a licensed mental health provider.
Yes, you will need to complete your new student check list before arriving to campus. You will also need to upload a photo for your Skycard before the start of the program. Find your checklist items in your admission portal.
Yes, Orientation is mandatory for all first-year students. You'll meet new friends, participate in engaging programs, and connect with campus resources. Orientation for Compass students is the weekend of July 25, and you will be automatically registered.Find more Orientation details
Do I need to participate in all the year-long Compass programming?
Yes, students are required to complete all the required Compass programming to be considered for full admission to Fort Lewis College the following year.
What happens if I don’t finish the Compass Program?
Each student’s situation is handled case by case, and if a student fails to meet the requirements of the Compass Program, their enrollment may be revoked based on a review with a committee and the student.
Fort Lewis College1000 Rim DriveDurango, CO 81301
Phone: 877-352-2656 or 970-247-7184Fax: 970-247-7179Email: admission@fortlewis.edu
Michelle BonannoPeer Education DirectorPhone: 970-247-7183Email: bonanno_m@fortlewis.edu