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news
CSULB ranked
low in survey
By Candice Cole
On-line Forty-Niner
On Thursday, U.S.
News and World Report ranked Cal State Long Beach in the second
tier of the Western Masters Universities, since it is not
listed in the top 25 percent of its category. The U.S. News
has ranked CSULB about the same for the last three years.
Graduation retention
rate is one of the top two standards evaluated for rank, said
Richard Folkers of U.S. News media relations, said. Graduation
retention rate includes the freshmen that return to their
sophomore year averaged with the six-year graduation rate.
While CSULB has
a high percentage of returning freshmen, 80 percent, according
to Keith Polakoff, associate vice president of Academic Affairs,
the number of students who graduate within six years is low,
Polakoff said.
The administration
will concentrate on improving two weaknesses of the university
in order to raise its rank -- admission standards and the
six-year graduation rate, Polakoff said.
Currently, the
administration is working on raising freshman admission requirements
to combat the influx of new students. This fall semester included
4,500 entering freshmen, a number too large to accommodate,
Polakoff said.
One reason the
number of incoming freshmen is so high is because the eligibility
index is published in the University Catalog, practically
guaranteeing acceptance to eligible students. At the same
time, the index discourages ineligible students from bothering
to apply.
"It is a self-fulfilling
prophecy," Polakoff said.
Eligibility will
need to be scrutinized more harshly. The eligibility
index will still be published but the index will be raised.
The cut score for entering freshmen will be raised after the
performance of this year's freshmen is evaluated. The
number of freshmen that would be limited by the raised cut
score will also be examined, Polakoff said.
The six-year graduation
rate is another issue. The Writing Proficiency Exam has proven
to be an obstacle to graduation, especially if the student
speaks English as a second language.
Programs initiated
by the English department and the Learning Assistance Center
will focus on helping students to pass the WPE.
"The administration
will evaluate if artificial barriers may be the cause to a
delayed graduation rate," Polakoff said.
One barrier may
include the three-year sabbatical from CSULB taken by Justin
Knox, 24, when he said he felt he wasn't getting anywhere.
He said that too many general education requirements that
did not allow for him to take the courses that he was actually
interested in.
General education
classes should be no more than 60 units that can be finished
in the first two years, Knox said. Knox returned after switching
majors and guidance counseling. His graduation date is set
for spring 2002. While he has come to accept the red tape
involved with CSULB, it has resulted in a delayed graduation
date.
"College ranking
is far down at the bottom of considerations for college,"
Knox said.
Even so, while
Knox might not judge CSULB by its rank, the criteria for the
rank are judged.
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