Tomás Morales - CSUSB Magazine - California State University ...

president’s observationsCreating a cultureof student successAlthough the university has experiencedunprecedented budget cutsover the past four years, cuts that haveimpacted vital programs and services,CSUSB remains committed to advancingstudent achievement. In fact, it’s anoverarching priority. To that end, justlast year the university introduced theStudent Success Initiative, designed toimprove retention, graduation and careerplacement rates. The initiative alsosupported the creation of a VeteransSuccess Center, as well as a GraduateWriting Center – two new additions thatexpand our capacity to serve students.In the area of retention, the universityhas excelled. Our overall first- tosecond-year retention rate for first-timefreshman is now close to ninety percent,up considerably since 2007. ForAfrican American and Latino freshmenstudents, many of whom come fromdisadvantaged backgrounds, the retentionrate is 86 percent and 89 percent,respectively. This is a significant achievement– testimony to the excellent workof our dedicated faculty and staff, whoconsistently go above and beyond toensure that all students succeed.We’re also working hard to increaseour graduation rates. To achieve that desiredoutcome, the campus has institutedpracticed-based assessment strategiesset forth in the California StateUniversity Graduation Initiative, whichseeks to raise the freshman six-yeargraduation rate by eight percentagepoints by 2015, as well as reduce the degreeattainment gap that exists amongunder-represented minority students.We can and will improve by focusingon creating clear pathways to graduation,from start to finish. We’ll also seekto employ the strategies outlined in theAmerican Association of State Collegesand Universities’ recent report titled“Serving America’s Future: IncreasingCollege Readiness.” Having served asco-chair of the study’s task force, I amstrongly committed to implementinga comprehensive, researched- and outcomes-basedapproach to improvingboth student retention and graduationrates—a commitment I know many colleaguesalso share.The CSU Graduation Initiative is comprehensivein scope, involving all membersof the university community, fromstaff to professors to the campus president.It identifies and tracks studentswho are struggling academically sothat intervention strategies can be employed,early on, before students fallbehind and, seeing few options, dropout—a decision that has life-long consequences,not only for students individuallybut also for society. The initiativeuses strategic indicators to assesswhat programs and services contributeto higher graduation rates and thosethat do not. Funding is then directedaccordingly, an approach that enhancesprogram success while promotingaccountability.Increasing career placement rates isalso a strategic university goal, whetherthat comes after earning a bachelor’sdegree or additional post-baccalaureateeducation. Through our rapidlygrowing Career Development Center,we match CSUSB graduates with businessesand organizations in the Inlandregion and beyond. We also offer weeklyworkshops on resume writing, interviewing,networking, etiquette, salarynegotiation and career development.These skills-enhancing workshops,conducted by successful professionals,play an essential role in helping graduatesto secure employment in an arrayof fields. Moreover, thanks to grantfunding, the Career Development Centerhas hired additional staff and alsoexpanded training programs and internshipopportunities. And it will soonoffer new tools and services to betterserve students. While we believe we’reon the right track, we’ll continue to lookfor new ways to place students into careersor graduate schools as swiftly aspossible after graduation.As always, thank you for your supportof CSUSB and our students. I hopeyou enjoy reading this edition of CSUSBmagazine.Tomás D. MoralesPresident2 | magazine.csusb.edu