Minutes of the Student Affairs Committee
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO
5241 N. Maple Avenue, M/S TA 43
Fresno, California 93740-8027
Office of the Academic Senate Ext. 8-2743
October 27, 2010
Members Present: C. Edmondson (Chair), L. Burgos, A. Fiala, W. Skuban, A Stratemeyer, L. Weiser, C. Coon
Members Absent: N. Nisbett (excused), K. Fugelsang (excused).
Visitors: B. Covino, P. Oliaro, S. Butler, D. Pavlovich, F. Schrieber.
The meeting was called to order by Chair C. Edmondson at 10:00 a.m. in Thomas Bld. #117.
1. Minutes. MSC to approve the Minutes of 10/13/2010.
2. Agenda. MSC to approve the Agenda as distributed.
3. Communication and Announcements.
a. Red Balloon Meeting on 10/29/2010.
b. Student Success Task Force Meeting on 10/28/2010.
c. Strategic Planning Meeting on 11/4/2010.
d. Depression Screening Day was October 21, 2010.
i. There were 186 participants
ii. Traditionally about 30% are referred for follow-up treatment
iii. Some students referred for follow-up treatment were suicidal; while others were
at risk for academic failure because of mental illness. In addition, several students
had significant personal stressors that put them at risk of an episode of mental illness
and/or academic failure.
e. Fiala will attend a College Student Violence Prevention workshop at Virginia Tech
next spring.
4. Provost Covino and Vice President Oliaro Report on the Graduation Initiative
a. Background
i. Campus initiatives were initiated in 2002
ii. System-wide Task Force Report on Facilitating Graduation with “22 points of light
in 2005-2006
iii. Chancellor’s Graduation Initiative Announced in Fall 2009
b. Statement of the Graduation Problem
i. A 50% graduation rate is an, “Astounding Failure” for our national higher education
system.
ii. There is an “achievement gap” with students from underrepresented groups having
lower graduation and rentention rates compared to under-represented student groups.
iii. It is our ethical obligation to do better for students and taxpayers.
iv. Goal 1 – 6% improvement in Freshman graduation rate in 6 years
v. Goal 2 – cut the achievement gap by 50%
vi. Goal 3 - improve transfer student 3-year graduation rate by 50%
c. CSU System-Level work on the problem
i. Monitoring Progress
ii. Mid-November campus consultations
iii. System Level meetings with campus teams
iv. Monitor costs in year one to determine funding required
d. Fresno State Entities Guiding Policy and Implementation
i. The provost was charged by the Chancellor with the
responsibility for planning and implementing policies and
procedures to achieve Graduation Initiative goals.
ii. Campus team attending system-level consultations: Provost
Covino, Vice President Oliaro, Dennis Nef, Maxine
MacDonald, Michael Caldwell
iii. Graduation Initiative Team: Provost Covino, Vice President
Oliaro, Dennis Nef, Maxine MacDonald, Michael Caldwell,
and Colleen Torgensen
iv. The Student Success Task Force
e. Initiatives Since Fall 2009
i. Freshman Retention Initiative
ii. Freshman retention in Fall 2010 is up about 7%
f. New Initiatives
i. Deans are charged with college level planning for graduation
initiatives
ii. Chairs are charged with
a. Orienting students to the major
b. Engaging students in the major via undergraduate
research
c. Monitoring and engaging struggling students
iii. Continue Freshman Retention Initiative with Fall 2010 Freshmen
iv. Second Year Experience
v. Implement 3.2 million gratn to improve Hispanic student retention/graduation
vi. Red Balloon Project to move Fresno State from a “teaching institution” to a “learning
institution
g. Discussion
i. Administration is very enthusiastic about the initiative and want it to be successful
ii. Provost Covino is aware of the following faculty concerns
1. Students aren’t prepared
iii. Student Preparation
1. Our campus mission is to provide access to college education
2. The graduation rate issues are different from preparation issues; yet, preparation
is also important and initiatives do need to facilitate preparation
3. A learning institution will graduate underprepared students who have achieved learning
outcomes consistent with the requirements for graduation
iv. Increasing Enrollments
v. Academic Disqualification
1. A team evaluates disqualified students for readmission based on potential for success
2. Historically, disqualified students have re-entered the university and successfully
completed graduation requirements
vi. Adjunct faculty
1. Teach many larger, lower division courses. These are courses which need to function
to engage students in the university
2. Tenure track faculty concerns about their ability to provide necessary teaching
innovations and student support for the initiative
vii. Faculty concerns about resources required for this initiative at a time of limited
resources
1. Faculty concerns about the cost of engaging students
2. Faculty concerns about the cost of supporting student success
viii. Class Sizes
1. Provost’s focus is on engagement in any class size
2. Faculty concerns about giving personal attention to students in larger classes
3. Faculty need for teaching assistants and grader to provide learning experiences
that promote student development and success
4. Faculty concern about training initiatives during the semester when they are busy
with other activities
5. Faculty concern about the appropriateness of C factors in providing budget allocations
for larger courses
6. There are barriers to implementing discussion sections for large classes
ix. On-line/hybrid courses
1. Students find them engaging
x. Student experience with university engagement
1. Initial knowledge that there is a need to get involved, but lack of knowledge about
how to get involved
2. Intimidation about getting involved because there are no clear signals that new
student involvement is desired in established activity groups
3. Talking to professors provided the information needed to become engaged in coursework
and career development
4. Lack of confidence in approaching professors
xi. Faculty input desired by Administration
1. What are faculty saying about the initiative?
2. What are faculty perspectives about what is working and not working in this initiative?
3. What solutions do faculty have for the issues that affect graduation/retention
rates
xii. Provost Covino and Vice President Oliaro asked the Student Affairs Committee
to advocate for support of the graduation
intiative.
MSC to adjourn at 11:00 a.m.
The next scheduled meeting of the Student Affairs Committee will be
announced and a agenda will be distributed prior to the meeting.
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