CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON

PRESENTED BY DR. KANDY MINK SALASASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS

Walmart Foundation AIHEC HACU NAFEO Student Success Collaborative

CAMPUS PROFILE

Cal State Fullerton is located in Southern California, approximately 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles and situated in northern Orange County. Neighboring communities include Anaheim, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Brea, La Habra, Buena Park, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana.

Cal State Fullerton is one of the 23 campuses in the California State University system, the largest system of senior higher education in the country, enrolling 412,000 annually.

Cal State Fullerton is ranked first in California and fifth in the nation in awarding degrees to Hispanic students.

CAL STATE FULLERTON CAMPUS DEMOGRAPHICS

35,590 students fall 2010 29,896 undergraduates 5694 graduate students

Hispanic student enrollment 10,735 fall 2010 9750 undergraduates 985 graduate students

Ethnicity of student body: F10 - API = 21.9%, African-American = 3.2%, Hispanic = 31.3%, Native American = .5%, White = 30.4%,

International = 3.6%, unknown/declined = 9.1%

CAL STATE FULLERTON CAMPUS DEMOGRAPHICS

Percentage of students receiving Pell grants: F06 – 26.3, F07 – 27.2, F08 – 26.9 For Hispanic students: F06 – 31.5; F07 – 32.9, F08 – 33

Percentage of first generation students: For F10, total student body = 24.7%, Hispanic students = 44.1%

RETENTION AND GRADUATION RATES 6-year graduation rates for all students,

across the 1999 to 2003 cohorts, range from 48% (F99) to 52% (F03)

6-year graduation rates for Hispanic students, across the 1999 to 2003 cohorts, range from 44% (F01) to 46% (F03)

CAMPUS WIDE INITIATIVE

Facilitating Time to Degree Task Force Focus on achieving the CSU goal of increasing 6-year

graduation rates by 6 points by 2015 and on cutting the “achievement gap” that exists in graduation rates for Latino and African-American students

Campus-wide committee utilizing a wide variety of strategies to address goal including analysis of retention and graduation rate data

Interventions include outreach program targeting freshmen who do not register for second semester in a timely manner. Resulted in a 4 point increase in persistence rate from semester 1 to semester 2

Also resulted in examination and change in policy on registration holds for developmental course registration

ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND INTERVENTIONS Supplemental Instruction – Upper division students are placed

in math, biology, chemistry and other general education courses, and serve as “master students”, providing tutoring and study group leadership. This peer-led model, adopted from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, has proven to be effective in helping students pass core courses, with SI participants doing significantly better than those who did not participate in the program.

Freshman Programs – Freshman learning communities model program serving approximately 500 incoming freshmen each year. Cohort model focuses on college transition and includes linked courses and community building activities. Program will add a residential component in 2011.

Project MISS – Mathematics Intensive Summer Session – Aims to provide college bound women with intensive training in math; 76% Latino.

McNair Scholars

ADVISING SUPPORT AND INTERVENTIONS Integrated Academic Advising – A major effort is underway to

integrate general education advising and major advising to allow for a smooth transition from first year to senior year with fewer advising lapses

Comprehensive New Student Orientation – Mandatory for first year students and transfer students (transfer students have the option to participate online). Focus on academic advising as well as campus services and programs.

Early Warning Systems – This system, currently used in Athletics, Educational Opportunity Program, and Guardian Scholars, includes mid-semester updates from faculty to dedicated advisors. Students in academic difficultly are identified and interventions implemented.

Faculty and Staff Development – Focus on advising best practices Titan Degree Audit – Automated self-service software program that

students can access to monitor their academic progress

BUILDING ON STUDENT SERVICES

Student Support Services (TRIO) – Provides grant aid and advising support to low income students

Educational Opportunity Program – Provides grant aid and mandatory advising for low income students

AB 540 Task Force – Campus-wide task force addressing needs (advising, financial, policy) of undocumented students on campus

University Learning Center – tutoring, supplemental instructions, study groups, success workshops

Future Scholars and HEEF Scholars (Hispanic Education Endowment Fund – Orange County based) – Scholarship programs

STRENGTHENING CAMPUS COMMUNITY Orientación Familiar – Spanish language

orientation for parents and families of first year students. Program is 4 years old, has served 632 families, and will be expanding to include parents of graduate students

Chicano/a Resource Center – Academic and student services focus

Student Leadership Institute Women’s Cultural Resource Center Veterans Services Guardian Scholars

STRENGTHENING THE PIPELINE

GEAR Up Upward Bound Talent Search Anaheim Collaborative Santa Ana ¡Adelante!

Both community based partnerships focus on bringing together a multi-agency group to focus on strengthening the educational pipeline and closing the achievement gap

CONTINUING CHALLENGES

Continue to work toward California State University system goals of 1) 6% increase in 6-year grad rates by August 2015 and 2) cutting in half the existing gap in degree attainment by under-represented minority students.

More in-depth, perhaps qualitative research on the reasons Latino students are leaving campus

Continued work with faculty development efforts on engaging pedagogy and accommodating various learning styles

CONTINUING CHALLENGES

Financial constraints continue to be a high concern for lower income, often first generation students. The pursuit of scholarships and grants continues to be a high priority for the University, as is advocacy on behalf of existing federal and state aid programs.

In light of budget reductions, collaboration across campus departments and divisions is critical, as is increased collaboration across educational sectors. This requires focused leadership at all levels of the organization.