Web version of five issues story

Graduation rate, general education curriculum among issues at Cal-State Long Beach

President Alexander offered his insight into these and other issues.

By Anthony Vasquez, Education reporter

LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 20, 2007) -- Ronald Treminio is a “super senior.” He has attended college since 1998, Cal-State Long Beach since 2003.

Graduation rate is one of five issues in higher education as identified by an academic database search at the Cal-State Long Beach Library. The others are tuition, grade inflation, Western history’s role in the university and professor pay. A settlement reached earlier this spring between the California State University (CSU) and the California Faculty Association (CFA) has made professor pay less of an issue.

GAINS MADE ON GRADUATION RATE

“Honestly, people don’t know what they want and you take classes because you know that you should take classes,” Treminio said.

Despite some students’ indecision about their majors and economic trends, the four-, five- and six-year graduation rates for Cal-State Long Beach have increased significantly over the past several years. Data compiled by the Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange shows that graduation rates have made steady gains.

“The six-year rate has increased dramatically and we’re very proud of that,” J Mike Hostetler, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students said.

Hostetler mentioned that the university’s focus was more on graduating students in five to six years rather than the more traditional four. The five- and six-year rates also have improved. For those that enrolled as freshmen in fall 2001, nearly a third graduated in five years, while out of those who entered as freshmen in fall 1995, only around one in five graduated in five years.

“Today, it’s never been more important to a student that they graduate,” university president F. King Alexander said.

Alexander said that since the Learning Assistance Center was moved last year to the Horn Center, the number of students using its services has doubled.

“It’s a little bit weird that everyone’s striving for five, six years,” said Virginia Ying, a freshmen Fashion and Merchandizing and Textiles and Clothing double major.

There are various factors that have caused the six-year rate to be used as a benchmark. Dean Hostetler noted that since around 1992 it became more difficult to obtain federal financial aid and students have had to attend college longer before graduating. He said he sees that future graduation rates will increase the better first-generation students perform. As a member of the Student Success Committee, which is comprised of campus faculty, he has seen improvement.

GENERAL EDUCATION AND THE OVERALL CURRICULUM

“Our general education requirements are complicated, lengthy and hard to understand,” Dean Hostetler said.

Others disagree, saying that current general education requirements are adequate.

“Today’s job market and career pathways require a person to know a lot more than their major because they’re not going to be in one job or in one career for the rest of their lives,” Genevieve M. Ramirez, Director of the Learning Assistance Center said.

President Alexander said that a new set of general education requirements that may take effect next year would make it easier for students by lowering the number of general education units from 51 to 48.

“Students are savvy about the courses they take,” he said.

The issue of general education ties into the issue of the role Western history plays in the university. James Sauceda, Director of the Multicultural Center agrees with the notion that the general education requirements are appropriate.

“It’s a good template for the term general education,” he said.

He said he does see how depending on requirements of specific major programs, certain students will have to take more courses before graduating. It is unknown how prevalent it is for students not to be exposed to U.S. history here in California universities. In a report titled “The Dissolution of General Education: A Review of Arizona’s Three State Universities’ Programs of Study and Degree Requirements” by Marianne M. Jennings of the Arizona Association of Scholars, she argues that students in some of Arizona’s public colleges could graduate without taking U.S. history or being exposed to European philosophy. The author urges reform.

“For 200 years, people have griped about the changing curriculum,” President Alexander said.

He used as an example the Yale Report of 1828 which urged that Greek and Latin continue to be taught as a required part of a liberal education. To continue otherwise, it said, would dilute the value of a college degree and give students a “superficial” education.

Director Sauceda sees the best approach to learning about this country is to do so by learning subject matter in a “ Euroconcentric” way. This way, Europe’s contributions would not be ignored. They would serve as a core while contributions from people from other world regions would be included.

“ As this world globalizes in so many ways, the more our students understand the world in which they live in, … the better prepared they are to excel and succeed in society,” President Alexander said.

TOO MANY A GRADES?

Another way to measure student achievement is by looking at grades. This brings about the issue of grade inflation. In 2004, Princeton University capped the number of “As” to 35 percent of all grades. President Alexander said he sees no evidence to show that grade inflation is happening here.

“Today it’s harder to get into our university than it has ever been,” he said.

He said that the university received more than 63,000 applications for the 2007-08 school year and so naturally, entering students’ performance level would be higher.

“A lot of our classes are weed-out classes,” Ronald Treminio, a senior biology major said. “So, if you can’t perform in those classes, you won’t be able to perform at any other classes.”

PAY DISPUTE SETTLED, TUITION INCREASE

Treminio and Yecenia Gomez, a fellow senior biology major, commented on other issues. The tuition for an in-state undergraduate taking more than six units for 2006-07 is $2864. Both said it is pricy enough. For 2007-08, it is expected to rise by $252--less than the $350 average increase nationwide. Both said they would have supported striking faculty had there been a strike.

The CSU and the CFA publicly settled March 25. The CFA requested that faculty be paid at comparable rates of similar institutions. Among its points, the new contract gives a 20.7 percent increase in base pay “over a four-year period.” Cal-State Long Beach CFA Chapter president Lydia Sondhi said she was “absolutely” happy with it.

Ronald Treminio, the senior biology major, said that his teachers should be well-compensated. This new contract does this. When he completes his general education requirements (if he has not already done so), he will be closer to graduating.

To contact Anthony Vasquez, email him at Anvas@aol.com or visit his web log, Education in the 21st Century, at: http://edu21.blogspot.com.

Published story

Hello all. Last Thursday I was published in the Daily 49er, Cal-State Long Beach's student paper. Here is a summary:

Graduation rates, general education and grade inflation are covered in this news story. Graduation rates at Cal-State Long Beach have been steadily increasing over the past several years. Nearly half of first-year students who entered in 2000 graduated in 2006. A proposed change in the general education requirements would make it easier for students for the number of required units would drop from 51 to 48. The issue of grade inflation is also discussed.

Entire story on the Daily 49er's Web Site.

Five issues story for class complete

Hello readers. Here we are. I know I should have posted a few times during the last two weeks, but I worked on other subjects and my story instead. Anyhow, the busiest part of the semester is just about finished.

I had a very pleasant time interviewing--in person--Cal State Long Beach's president F. King Alexander last Friday afternoon. His comments are found throughout my five issue story. I plan to post a version of it soon.

Today I will present my story and experiences of this semester to my journalism class. I did a good job during my presentation April 9. I hope to do so again.

Now, my next task is to be published. I have that taken care of.

That's all for right now. I will post soon--seriously.