Provost’s Newsletter Spring 2026

Meet the Administrator: Spotlight on Joy Borah, Vice Provost

Student retention is a big deal. It’s a big deal at CSUN, and a big deal throughout the Cal State University system. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Joy Borah works with Provost Meera Komarraju to increase retention and ensure student success throughout CSUN. After a couple of years of being flat/down, the CSUN first-year student retention rate for 2024-2025 went up 1.3% to 75.1%, compared to 73.8% for the 2023-2024 academic year. Our interview with Dr. Borah introduces her and details how this was achieved.

Dr. Borah, how long have you been at CSUN? And where were you before?
I started here in July 2024, and before that I was the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at University of North Alabama, where I spent 25 years, 10 years in the Provost’s Office. I started there as a faculty member, teaching social work, served as department chair for eight years and continued to teach until I came here to CSUN.

OK, let’s talk about the importance of student retention.
Enrollment management is one of the core functions of a university, of academic life. And when we talk about enrollment management, two “Rs” are key: Recruitment and retention. To me, they are two sides of the same coin. It’s easier to keep a student than to go out and recruit a brand-new student. Therefore, it’s important that once we enroll a student, we do everything we can to help that student progress toward graduating with a credential or degree. To me, that’s student success, making sure the student feels supported along the way. By moving the needle on retention — even slightly — we can directly boost graduation numbers and better meet evolving workforce demands. These outcomes are fundamentally connected.

Retention has been a priority for President Beck and Provost Komarraju. In alignment with CSUN’s Road Map to the Future, the university implemented initiatives to improve first-time freshman retention, close equity gaps and support holistic student success. A data-driven approach guides the tracking and assessment of Fall-to-Fall (FTF) retention outcomes to ensure progress toward institutional goals. We set a goal to increase first-time freshman retention for Fall 2024-2025 over 2023-2024 by 5%. It was aspirational, but we believe in aiming high. And in Fall 2024 the first-time freshman rate increased by 1.3% to 75.1% compared to 73.8% in Fall 2023 cohort.

A crucial step — taken long before I got to CSUN — was hiring graduation retention specialists in 2017 who are assigned to each of the Colleges. In Spring 2024, CSUN established the Retention Workgroup, expanding the GRS model into a cross-campus community of practice focused on FTF retention, and now we have 43 members in that workgroup, including GRSs, Associate Deans, directors of college advising, and representatives from the Office of Student Success, admissions, the registrar's office, financial aid and cash services. We meet once a month and look at what is working and what are the barriers to success, sharing and collaborating on best practices.

What were the steps taken to produce that success?
The data told us that there is a very high association between failure in gateway courses and attrition after year one. So, we focused on gateway courses that have the highest DFW rates, basically in which students get a D, F, or withdrawal. And we found that the courses students tend to fail are category three and four Math and English courses. This became our focus for Fall 2025. We also instituted an early alert system, realizing that if a student is not doing well in the first few weeks of the semester, we need to reach out to them and see what we can do to help.
Some students are not academically prepared for these classes, which can stem from gaps in middle and high school. The pandemic only intensified those challenges Some students have other challenges, including financial, family, housing and transportation. So, we contact the students and see what they need. CSUN does an excellent job of providing wraparound services to support students. What works is to be proactive, and maintain a high touch approach, so students feel they have someone to reach out to and can make meaningful connections with their professors, advisors, GRSs, peer coaches and other students.

How important is that connection?
Fostering a sense of belonging is essential; from the start we strive to send the message that every student belongs here, and this is where they are meant to be. Our responsibility is to recognize all of the challenges students may be facing, approach them with empathy, and do everything we can to help them earn a college degree and successfully enter the workforce. What impresses me most at CSUN is our shared commitment to student success. Every student concern is taken seriously and resolved collectively.
We also recognize that outreach alone is not enough. Students need meaningful services and strong support systems to succeed – a clear commitment championed by President Beck and Provost Komarraju, where every student counts.

Retention Roundtable: The Working Group that Helps Boost the Numbers

Vice Provost Joy Borah described the steps CSUN and the Provost’s Office continue to make to improve student retention, and it was obvious that the work of the Graduation Retention Specialists is key to the recent gains. We wanted to hear from the GRSs directly about the art and science of student retention. Here’s an excerpt from the Zoom held on January 26, 2026.

Attending were:

Jessica Trujillo, Andrew J. Anagnost College of Engineering and Computer Science
Briseña Castañeda, College of Science and Mathematics
Miguel Hernandez, College of Health and Human Development
Vanessa Martinez, College of Humanities
Roberto Roa, David Nazarian College of Business and Economics
Virginia Avila, Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communications
Marina Valadez, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Tell us the ways in which student retention is important to the university and to the students.
“Like all of my colleagues,” said Jessica Trujillo, “my role is to analyze data and find solutions for students who are experiencing issues, either with enrollment or in their classes, to help them with their journey toward graduation. In our college, we also have a peer coaching program, 10 students who work with our in-house students.”

“If students don’t survive that first year, or even the first semester, they are not coming back to any institution,” explained Miguel Hernandez. “So many of them are first-generation, low-income and trying to create social mobility. CSUN is one of the largest social mobility campuses in the country, and our job is to push them to stay enrolled and to see in themselves why they are here.”

Briseña Castañeda added: “My top three priorities are giving students a sense of belonging, proactive and early intervention, and enhancing engagement, so they can understand what’s expected of them. Really understand what it takes to be a college student and how to successfully use the tools available without getting overwhelmed.”

The group acknowledged that strategies were impacted during COVID, and that the shifting emphasis on retention has been positive. They also share the appreciation that CSUN students have a lot going on in their lives. “So many are not in a position where they can just focus on school; they have work and family and are responsible for so many different things,” said Trujillo. “So how can we look at that and do a better job at accommodating those students?”

Transportation is also an issue, and in a way, they agreed, COVID closures shed light on one positive, Vanessa Martinez pointed out. “Even more online options would be a great option for many of them, and that means asking professors to be a bit more flexible and create a more welcoming environment for their students.”

The high-touch factor seems to be key, according to the group. “That expression, ‘You’ve got to meet them where they are…’ is so true,” said Roberto Roa. “Sometimes you send an email, and it takes a while for the student to get back to you. So when they do, I’ll try to schedule an appointment on the spot. You just have to be adaptable. I worked with advisement this past summer and noticed that some students were not enrolled for Fall, so we called them. And some thought it was too late to enroll, so they were happy to be reminded and walked through the process.”

Hernandez noticed that there was a difference after the COVID lockdowns, “some students didn’t have a normal high school experience, and they were cautious, distressed, about coming back. It seemed to take two or three years to start seeing a transition back to comfort in-person and one-on-one.”

The GRS group acknowledged that funding is always an issue but discussed what they would like to see in the future. “I have noticed that some colleges have sought funding for peer programs,” said Martinez, “and I would love to see that across the board. Miguel agreed and added that an academic coaching center would also benefit students with time management and study skills, especially for the science-heavy majors.

Roa shared a success story: “I had a student during COVID who I had only seen on Zoom appointments and classes. He stopped going to CSUN for a while but returned and finished his degree. Then we ran into each other on campus, and he told me he had not only came back and graduated with a Spanish degree, but he also returned to pursue a masters in Spanish. That was so wonderful to hear.”

All agreed that every single student, every single tick of increase is a positive, and recognize the dedication of faculty, administration and advisement, Dr. Borah included.