This letter from Provost Donald Para, Vice-Provost David Dowell and AVP Lynn Mahoney was e-mailed to all faculty and staff on August 25, 2010 in appreciation of their contributions to student success.
CSULB’s graduation rates have doubled while our diversity has increased over the past decade. Our rates are well above CSU system averages (both overall and for underrepresented students) and we estimate that our rates place CSULB among the top 10 percent of similar institutions across the nation. Diverse Issues in Higher Education has ranked CSULB 6th Best University in the nation for conferring bachelor’s degrees to minority students.
How have we been so successful? CSULB faculty members, chairs and staff have worked hard on behalf of students.
A relationship with one caring person is critical to student success in college, according to both experience and national research. CSULB’s faculty members support students, one student at a time, by:
CSULB’s department chairs support students by modeling student-friendly attitudes, ensuring that students can get seats in needed classes, ensuring that students receive needed advising, supporting and encouraging department student groups, streamlining curriculum and simplifying requirements whenever possible, and in other ways.
CSULB’s staff members support students by making offices friendly and welcoming places, providing useful information, ensuring needed advising, ensuring timely availability for signatures and supports, and resolving problems, and in other ways.
The success of our students is central to our mission. Last year, thanks to commitment of faculty, chairs, and staff, we continued to support students despite furloughs and budget threats. On behalf of Academic Affairs, we want to say “THANK YOU” for your contributions to the success of CSULB’s students.
