Student Success

The College of Science and Mathematics is fully committed to the success of our students as well as students from across the campus.  Our majors provide students with exceptional instruction and direct hands-on experience in both classrooms and in faculty research labs.

Advising is Central to our Student Success Efforts:

All first-year Freshman in Science and Mathematics, except EOP students, are advised via the HUB; EOP students are advised by the College SSC/EOP satellite office.  College and Department advising for continuing students proactively advises all Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors annually.  In addition, the College seeks to provide additional help and guidance for certain student populations, for example:

• Undergraduate Studies sends end-of-term lists of Probation and Disqualified students to the College SSC/EOP satellite office for advising. The SSC/EOP office also provides free tutoring to all students, including non-majors. Annually, the office is visited by about 2,000 students; most visit multiple times.

• Using EAB, the SSC/EOP Director and the Graduation and Retention Specialist (GRS) target populations of students for Academic Success Campaign Holds; these are students who otherwise might not have holds and so would not be seeking advisement or support services. Examples of selected populations are students with low upper division major GPA’s, high units earned with low GPA’s, continuing students who haven’t re-enrolled or who have under enrolled, and students who have lost their financial aid.

• Biology’s Pre-Health Advisor monitors all Biology majors and provides advising for those not progressing.  Holds are placed in the fall semester on all third semester Biology freshmen and sophomores before their spring registration, and in the spring semester for all Biology Junior/Senior students before their fall registration. The other four departments have mandatory advising for their respective majors in both the fall and spring semesters.

• Undergraduate Degree Services sends lists of students who have applied to graduate but who are not enrolled in the needed courses or who did not meet graduation requirements; these lists are divided between the SSC/EOP Director, GRS, and Biology Pre-Health Advisor for follow up advising.   This helps ensure correct registration for ~50 to 100 students annually who otherwise would have had their graduation delayed by incorrect course enrollments.

• The GRS also receives individual referrals directly from faculty, department advisors, Special Assistants to the Dean, and the Biology Pre-Health Advisor.

Additional College of Science and Mathematics Strategies:

• CSM works with the Credential Office and College of Education to support students to become secondary STEM teachers.
• Freshman Welcome events centered on individual Departments/Majors.
• Transfer student orientation and welcome events.
• Curriculum: Reinvention of pre-GE, GE, and pre-calculus Math series.
• Pervasive Tutoring/Peer Learning Facilitators: All departments and SSC/EOP.
• Professional staff advisors in Mathematics, Biology, SSC/EOP, GRS; bi-monthly College advising meetings.
• Faculty Development (FLCs); Growth Mindset interventions.
• Because of generous donors, the College and its Departments provide numerous student scholarships and awards.
• Annual lunch for new faculty (years 1 – 3) with Dean and Associate Deans to discuss a variety of issues, including classroom management and active learning strategies for our students.
• Student engagement in research via high quality funded research programs.
• Extensive student involvement in hands-on field and laboratory courses.

Results to Date:

We have made progress towards the GI2025 Goals, but have more work to do.