Beach XP Kicks Off Year Two: Enhancing First-Year Experiences
Dear Campus Partners,
I am delighted to kick off the second year of the Beach Experience (Beach XP), a learning community and program designed for our students to forge lasting peer connections and achieve academic success. This fall, Beach XP will broaden its reach, serving around 1,300 students enrolled in 55 college-specific cohorts – a testament to our institution’s commitment to expanding access and support.
A true interdisciplinary program, Beach XP was created through a collaboration between the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, on a mission to increase retention and persistence among first-year college students. With a wrap-around approach that cultivates connections and directly provides important opportunities and resources, Beach XP leverages the best of all CSULB has to offer. Through this program, we aim to inspire a culture of learning and belonging among our first-time, first-year students.
Initial qualitative assessment of Beach XP has unveiled a significant positive impact on our students’ first-year experiences. And while further data in the coming years will tell us more about the program’s effects on student persistence and retention, early trends are promising. A recent report from the Chancellor’s Office shows that the fall 2023 cohort at CSULB has an 86.3% one-year retention rate, which is 1 percentage greater than fall 2022 and the second highest in the CSU system.
In year two, Beach XP is taking strides to better serve our students, faculty, and campus community by further aligning with Beach 2030 priorities. The program will continue to evolve as we work to enhance community building, promote engagement efforts among both students and faculty, and foster resilience with new innovations.
As we work toward strengthening retention and persistence among first-year students, know that your enthusiasm and support are essential to the transformative potential of the program.
Thank you for joining us as we continue to enhance the Beach Experience for incoming students!
Go Beach!
Jane Close Conoley
President
California State University, Long Beach
As a robust web-based platform for managing digital learning and extra-curricular engagement, Canvas is Beach XP's one-stop shop for centralized communications and support. In year two, we are leveraging Canvas to develop new course shells tailored to the unique needs and strengths of our diverse communities: students, faculty, campus partners, and coordinators. As our internal hub, Canvas allows us to synergize our efforts and cultivate further engagement in online and in-person spaces.
Canvas: Each week, we'll release new modules on Canvas packed with valuable resources and discussion opportunities to help Beach XP students and faculty engage with one another throughout the semester.
College-Specific Cohorts: Each college manages their unique learning community, ensuring Beach XP students find connection with peers from their major from the moment they start classes at CSULB. Beach XP college coordinators also provide personalized support for students navigating their first year.
Activity Hour: Embedded in the learning community is the activity hour, a dedicated time for students to engage in various social, skill-building, and academic activities, both inside and outside the classroom. The activity hours are designed to bring resources directly to students. The recent integration of Microsoft Bookings 365 has not only simplified the scheduling process but strengthened our campus community by making resources more accessible.
Beach XP Lifeguard Stations & Flex Room: During the first week of class, Beach XP students can get to know their peers, ask questions, and connect with Beach XP Peer Mentors at the Beach XP Lifeguard Station in the CPaCE building. During all other times throughout the semester, a dedicated flex room, located in CPaCE Room 205, offers a space for students to get support from Beach XP mentors. Beach XP students can also log on to our Beach XP Student Hours via Zoom every Friday starting on August 16th, before classes begin.
