EOP History
The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at California State University Long Beach was founded in 1967 by associate professor Dr. Joseph White to provide promising minority and low-income students with admissions support, financial aid counseling, and mentorship. Dr. White's legacy continues to be vibrant across all 23 CSU campuses 50 years later. EOP at CSULB is proud to be the first program in the CSU system and will continue to support the legacy inherited to us by Dr. White.
1962 - Dr. Joseph White begins his tenure as a CSULB professor for the Psychology department. He was the second African-American professor at CSULB.
1967 - Dr. White acquires funding from the Dean of Students along with 75 special admissions slots to outreach to minority students. Dr. Joseph White became the first EOP director in the entire CSU System.
1967 - First EOP cohort 200 students
May 1968 - Dr. Joseph White was appointed to lead a statewide committee to study minority group concerns in the California state colleges.
October 1968 - Ernest Clark becomes the second EOP Director at CSULB and Ruben Pardo the Associate Director. Program grows to 438 students.
June 1969 - First EOP Summer program.
July 1969 - Senate Bill 1072, also known as the Harmer Bill, is passed and establishes EOP as a line item in the California State budget which allowed for creation of Educational Opportunity Programs at all CSU campuses.
September 1979 - EOP hires their first in-house Financial Aid Counselor to provide one-on-one counseling for EOP students.
August 1980 - First EOP Book Grants were provided to EOP students.
April 1997 - First CSULB EOP Golf tournament to raise funds for EOP scholarships.
April 2004 - CSULB EOP students, staff and educators across California mobilize in downtown Los Angeles at the Governor's office to protest proposed cuts to EOP budget. Over 2,000 people were present and advocated for EOP Programs in California.
September 2004 - EOP begins to provide in-house tutorial services to EOP students for mathematics, English, and science courses.
September 2012 - EOP Foster Youth Network established to support EOP Foster Youth students.
2019 - EOP at CSULB provides academic support, financial aid, tutoring, free printing, and mentoring to approximately 2,300 students. Our fight for access, social justice, and inclusion in higher education continues to be the core of our program.
We would like to thank the Black Student Union Elders Association for their assistance in compiling this information.
