As super seniors are being pushed out of Cal State Long Beach, other students are being told to make up their minds — and quickly.
CSULB students with more than 140 units were notified last week that by today, they must file for either spring or summer 2010 graduation, according to an e-mail sent to faculty by Lynn Mahoney, associate vice president for undergraduate studies.
Students in high-unit majors — such as fine arts and engineering, which fall near 132 units — were contacted if they surpassed 150 units.
The numbers exclude credit from advanced placement exams but include up to 70 transfer units. She also said the university’s goal is to lighten student enrollment, allowing new students to attend CSULB.
If students do not file for graduation, a hold will be placed on their student accounts, preventing them from registering for the spring semester.
Mahoney said exceptions will be made in “very compelling circumstances.” Super seniors expecting to graduate in fall 2010 must get approval from an adviser through a “request to graduate” form stating their reason for the delay, while those planning for a later graduation date must fill out the graduation form in addition to a longer appeal. That form is reviewed by a committee.
One student whose circumstance has been accepted, for example, is unable to meet any of their major’s requirements by fall 2010, Mahoney said. Another is studying abroad, while others are only studying part time.
“I expect to see a wider variety of compelling circumstances as we move forward,” Mahoney said via e-mail.
Fourth-year seniors with more than 120 units are not required to graduate but are encouraged to meet with their adviser to make sure they are on the right track to a timely graduation.
There are 1,420 super seniors who have completed more than 140 units, according to Mahoney. She said about half of those students filed for graduation by last week. A typical CSULB student earns 145 units during their academic career.
The undeclared and the undecided may also need to choose or change their majors wisely.
“Students will increasingly find their opportunities to add majors late in their careers limited,” Mahoney said.
She also said the university hopes students with a minor or more than one major will be able to obtain their degree within about 20 units of their primary major’s unit requirements.
“While some will want to start a second major as they near completion of the first,” Mahoney said, “we will have to limit that to allow space for another qualified student to gain admission to CSULB and start their first degree.”
Mahoney said the policy is still being drafted and issues are being discussed. According to a previous Daily 49er article, a proposal considered locking in a student’s major once they reach 90 units, which is when students typically start their senior year.
“The goal is to avoid having students start second majors when they are already far along in one major,” Mahoney said.
In addition, she said she is unsure how long the graduation policy will last but “I imagine as long as the CSU continues to experience unprecedented budget and enrollment changes.”
Earlier this year, the California State University trustees gave CSU presidents the green light to stop students who have met their degree requirements from enrolling in additional courses, Mahoney said in the e-mail to faculty.
Mahoney said that although few students will be affected by the new policy, “there will be a few who will wish that we had allowed them to pursue a second major or another milestone.”
Yeghisabet Avedisian, a senior sociology major, does not agree with the new unit cap. She thinks some people don’t want to be forced to graduate because of the economy.
“I think that’s horrible,” Avedisian said. “They shouldn’t be pressured to leave.”
Daisy Lezama, a sophomore criminal justice major, she does not think the new policy is fair to students.
“We are paying for it,” she said, “We have to take our time.”
Zeiba Qidwai, a super senior biology major, thinks the unit cap is a good thing.
“I think it’s fair,” she said. “It’s an added push to figure out what they want to do and it helps to get them out into the real world.”
Senior photography major Eric Herbranson said, “It’s necessary to push people, but to put holds and force them out is bad because they might not be ready to graduate.”
Marisol Aguilar contributed to this article.