May 2018 Newsletter

May 17, 2018

From the Dean's Desk

Thank you for the myriad ways you have supported students’ academic success this year.  As a committed community of faculty and staff, you can be certain that the thought, care, and expertise you have brought to your role has enriched our students—rigorous and engaging courses; classes enriched by high-impact practices; individualized and group advising; sponsorship of internships and service learning; mentorship of a student or organization; presence at a student performance or event; a just-in-time response to a student’s critical question; behind-the-scenes support that makes programming and courses possible; and more. Thanks to you and our students’ grit, persistence, and hard work, 2541 students will receive their bachelor’s degrees at the 2018 commencement ceremonies this week. As part of the 2018 graduation celebration, we highlight in this issue several of the graduating seniors who have deepened their own learning while supporting their peers through their work in the Centers for Learning and Academic Success’ six learning centers.

As the Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUGS) continues its work in partnership with you, I invite you to heed the from the Academic Success Center.  Join the inaugural Community of Inquiry, Practice, and Action as we work together to turn the tide on second year attrition.

Finally, once the pressures of the semester are behind you, I encourage you to review our most recent report

Best wishes for a restorative summer,
Dawn

Congratulations, Class of 2018!

Over 43 students who work in CLASS and OUGS will be graduating this May! As we reflect upon this last academic year, we would like to congratulate our promising and inspiring students walking the stage this weekend. We wish them luck and best wishes as they venture into their promising futures.

Graduation Initiative 2025

CSUSM Unit-load Study:

To date, our two-year study suggests that, in many cases, undergraduate students attempting 15 or more units perform the same or better on average than those attempting fewer units. To learn more, I encourage you to read the full report.

Executive Order 1110: 

Recently, we have reached out to the CSUSM campus community and our K-12 leaders regarding this executive order (EO). This EO eliminates remedial education in the CSU among several other things.  Those communications are avaliable online. Dr. Geoff Gilmore’s team in Student Affairs is actively working with currently enrolled students regarding their remedial course requirements.  His team is also working with incoming first-year students’ placement into math and writing courses for fall 2018. If you have questions about this new process, please contact CSUSM’s Office of Proficiency Services at 760-750-6060 or Readiness

Grant Submissions & Awards 

Awards

STEM Vista Grant: 

The OUGS team is excited to be awarded as a host site for a STEM VISTA volunteer for the second year.  Francine Singson is a graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in Biology, Pre-Dentistry and a minor in Spanish and Chemistry. She has a variety of work and volunteer experiences that will help inform her work, including having served as a Supplemental Instructor and creating a mentorship program from scratch! She will work primarily with Dr. Hizer in the STEM Student Success Center to design, implement, and evaluate projects aimed at helping students build strategies to reach their academic and career goals. She will also help to develop strategies to improve students' course-content mastery and success, increase their access to faculty advising, and conduct a student-driven needs assessment of support practices. 

Archived OUGS Newsletters:

• April 2018