This year, the freshman, six-year graduation rate reached 54 percent, setting a new record at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) and surpassing the university’s graduation rate goal.
CSULB had set goals to achieve six year freshman graduation rates of 50 percent for the 2002 cohort and 55 percent for the 2004 cohort.
“This increase will place CSULB’s graduation rate above the average for similar large, urban universities,” said David Dowell, Vice Provost.
The average time to degree for freshmen is about five years. About 10-12 percent of the freshman cohort will complete after the six year milestone, bringing the likely eventual freshman graduation rate to well over 60 percent.
“The campus can be proud of this improvement,” Dowell noted, “which is the result of hard work by many people across campus.” Academic Advising’s “Destination Graduation” program has assisted many students in timely completion of requirements. Freshman programs such as orientation, University 100, and mandatory advising help students get a good start. College and departments have developed important expertise at managing course offerings to meet student needs, guaranteeing a full schedule of appropriate classes for freshmen and eliminating most curriculum bottlenecks.
Several colleges have strengthened advising services and students and advisors are using technology such as the Degree Progress Summary. The Pre-Baccalaureate Office has assisted students in resolving remedial issues. Our new writing courses are assisting students in meeting writing proficiency requirements. The new Beach Learning project has developed resources for some of our most academically needy students, such as supplemental instruction provided by our Learning Assistance Center. Our Bickerstaff Center for Athlete Services has raised athlete graduation rates to the highest in the system, higher than for the campus as a whole. Newer programs include our Hispanic Serving Institutions grant and an African American retention initiative.
“We have more to do,” said Dowell, “before our graduation rates are ‘best in class,’ but we remain committed becoming a student success leader among comparable institutions in California and the nation.”