Cal State Long Beach senior nutrition major Valerie Djaja may have two more years left until she can walk at graduation.
“I would be able to take more than 16 units if I could take winter or summer,” Djaja said.
Fifty-four percent of first-time freshmen who entered Cal State Long Beach in fall 2004 graduated in six years, according to the Cal State University website. The 6-year graduation rate at CSULB is 2 percent higher than the CSU system-wide rate.
“The [CSU] does believe that graduation rates can improve, and doing so is the major focus of the CSU Graduation Initiative,” CSU Spokesman Erik Fallis said. “Each campus has its own target and plan to meet that target.”
The CSU Graduation Initiative’s is a system-wide effort to raise the 6-year graduation rate by eight percentage points by 2015.
“The statewide goal of the graduation initiative is to bring rates into the top quartile of national averages of similar institutions,” Fallis said.
However, with budget cuts, unit caps and overpopulation at CSULB, some students find it hard to graduate on time, or in four to five years.
“I needed 14 units when the cap was 13 units,” Kia Octaviano, a junior nutrition major said.
“By the time I could sign up for additional units, I couldn’t get the needed unit since it was already taken.”
Lynn Mahoney, associate vice president for undergraduate studies, said CSULB is working on requirements and policies to help students stay on track.
“I don’t think the unit cap will affect [on-time graduation], as students can add additional classes and graduating seniors can petition for excess units,” Mahoney said. “Class availability can be a problem, and we are working hard to fix this in the few areas that have problems.”
Mahoney said changing or adding majors can also delay graduation and that the university is working on different initiatives, especially advising, to help students identify majors in which they will be successful.
For some students, like junior chemical engineering major David Salazar, unit caps are interfering with graduation rates.
“I was capped with 3 classes and couldn’t even take my major classes,” Salazar said. “I’ll probably end up taking them during summer session.”
Alex Rosales, a junior biology major, said he sees a major advisor once a year.
“They make sure I’m on track and make sure I have a backup option,” Rosales said.
Many students use either the winter or summer session to stack up units in order to graduate sooner or because they could not take classes during fall or spring semesters. However, not all major courses are available during winter and summer sessions.
“Campuses are also looking at various efforts, including expanded access to academic advising, financial advising, peer support, digital resources, tutoring and high-impact educational opportunities,” Fallis said.
Fallis said that major statewide steps have already been taken to help students get ahead.
“These efforts go far beyond administrative initiatives,” Fallis said. “Faculty, staff and students themselves are key to helping drive academic success for all.”