Improving Support and Academic Success for Latino and Low-Income Students

Over the past five years, the institution has developed a comprehensive evidenced-based strategic planning process. This planning process has identified the following academic, management and fiscal weaknesses: 1. Low proficiency levels in English and math among incoming freshmen students 2. Low successful pass rates in gateway courses 3. Inadequate tutoring programs and tutor training throughout the university 4. Faculty development activities curtailed by massive budget cuts 5. Inadequate career planning, networking, and development of professional skills 6. Limited opportunity for freshmen student to engage and interact with their peers and faculty from their discipline 7. Outreach to area high schools is limited 8. Increased class size 9. Decline in state financial support. These weaknesses have contributed to unacceptably low freshmen retention rate and graduation rate, particularly among undergraduate Latina/o students. To address these problems, as well as to meet Graduation Rate Improvement Target recently issued by the California State University?s Board of Trustees, the purpose and goals of this Title V Project are: 1. To improve the six-year graduation rates of all students at the University. 2. To close the graduation rate gap for Latino students. 3. To increase fall to fall retention of Latino freshmen students. 4. To increase CSUN?s endowment. To meet these goals, CSUN will implement a three-prong Activity. Under the first Component of the Activity, CSUN will strengthen student academic support by (a) expanding the Discipline-Based Freshmen Connection Program; (b) offering the Peer Learning Facilitators Program; (c) expanding the Latino Community Service-Learning Program; and (d) expanding the Math Pre-Remediation Program. Under the second component of the project, CSUN will strengthen student support services by: (a) expanding the Peer Mentorship Program; (b) expanding the Faculty Mentorship Program; (c) launching the Career Pathways Program; and (d) conducting outreach to local high schools that serve predominantly Latino student population. Finally, under the third component of the project, CSUN will enhance faculty development through the Faculty Learning Community Program and implementation of the Faculty-to Faculty Mentorship Program. Through this grant, CSUN will be able to substantially change the way it educates thousands of its students. The effort, focused on improving retention and graduation rates, will affect all areas of the university. By the end of the grant period, this project will have affected 21,582 university students, 300 staff and faculty, and 4,200 high school students.