Join colleagues for the CSU Graduation Initiative 2025 Symposium. We will be livestreaming the breakout sessions with amazing speakers. It is a great opportunity for conversation with colleagues and light refreshments.
These are two identical breakout sessions with six presentations offered at 9:00 am and 10:15 am:
"Actually Achieving Equity"
Frank Harris, Professor, Postsecondary Education in the College of Education, San Diego State University
J. Luke Wood, Dean's Distinguished Professor of Education in the College of Education, San Diego State University
The CSU established a goal to completely eliminate equity gaps in student outcomes. Doing so will require intentional action and a heightened awareness of the cultural and operational factors that often impede student progress. Professors Harris and Wood, nationally recognized thought leaders and practitioners, will cover six domains of institutional equity that campuses must address to eliminate gaps. Using the results of national studies, they will offer a framework for engaging faculty and staff in equity-minded professional development and institutional responses to common barriers that thwart equity efforts.
"21st-Century Advising for Student Success"
Elisha Jarrett, Associate Director, University Advisement Center, Georgia State University
Crystal Mitchell, Director, University Advisement Center, Georgia State University, Perimeter College
High quality advising is considered a critical component for college success. However, few campuses have the resources to provide intensive one-on-one advising for every student. Institutions that have invested in additional advisors are asking them to rethink their role and the structures in which they are working. College and universities are now inundated with new digital platforms to enhance “e-advising”, yet the lessons from the field are clear—no matter the tool, campuses must reconsider advising structures and the overall coordination of care. New tools must be accompanied by better cross-campus coordination and the removal of structural barriers that represent obstacles for students. This session focuses on the combination of organizational change and the use of advising tools that give rise to more efficient and effective student advising.
"Mining and Maximizing CSU NSSE Data to Advance Student Success"
Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Center for Postsecondary Research, Indiana University School of Education, National Survey of Student Engagement Institute
For nearly 20 years, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about first-year and senior participation in campus programs. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and surveys their level of engagement in empirically confirmed "good practices" that reflect behaviors associated with college success. Eighteen of the 23 CSU campus regularly administer the NSSE survey. Of the 725 campuses that participate nationally, many struggle to fully leverage their data to inform student success-related policies or practices. With the Graduation Initiative 2025 goals in mind, this session will mine CSU data to explore how it can complement other data sources to inform campus degree completion efforts.
"Five Things Students Want Faculty and Administrators to Know About Student Success"
Panelists:
Farhonda Alizada, California State University San Marcos
Kaira Bradley, California State University, Sacramento
Jacob Howard, Student of Civil Engineering and African American Studies, California State University Fullerton
Erick Macias-Chavez, San Jose State University
Moderator:
C. Rob Shorette II, Executive Director, Cal State Student Association (CSSA)
In too many discussions about how to improve degree completion the voice of students is missing. This session will feature ideas and insights from CSU students concerning how campuses might better serve them. This student panel representing a number of backgrounds, experiences and CSU campuses that will address critical areas associated with the quality of student experiences and persistence and provide “Five Things” on what students want faculty and administrators to know about student success.
"Rethinking the Future of Math and Quantitative Reasoning Instruction"
Panelists:
Ayşe Şahin, Professor and Chair, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Wright State University
German Vargas, Assistant Vice President for Academic Student Engagement / Associate Professor of Math, College of Coastal Georgia
Moderator:
Fred Uy, Co-Director, Center for the Advancement of Instruction in Quantitative Reasoning, CSU Office of the Chancellor
All 17 major mathematical associations have endorsed alternatives to stand-alone developmental education courses and the development of differentiated math pathways for students. Without question, the nation is rethinking instructional approaches to college-level mathematics and quantitative reasoning courses. For the last 50 years, colleges and universities have upheld the conventions of math instruction. For many students, college math courses represent a hurdle or serve as the determinant for particular majors. In the last several years, higher education has experienced a revolution in college-level math instruction. This session features math faculty who are transforming the approach to math instruction, especially for students who may arrive in need of additional support. This session will cover the results from recent reform efforts and discuss what's required to achieve equitable outcomes in college math courses and major selection.
"The Power of Artificial Intelligence to Improve Student Engagement and Success"
Panelists:
Elizabeth Adams, Associate Vice President Student Success, California State University, Northridge
Amir Dabirian, Vice President for Information Technology/CIO, California State University, Fullerton
Andrew Magliozzi, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, AdmitHub
Moderator:
Michael Berman, Chief Technology Innovation Officer, CSU Office of the Chancellor
The combination of behavioral science and technology is now being used to improve how universities engage students to provide critical information required to successfully navigate complex postsecondary systems. Chatbots and other technologies are being developed to fill critical information gaps, influence proactive student behavior, and to extend the accessibility of student services in new ways. When provided targeted, timely and accessible information, college students across the nation are demonstrating an increased ability to act affirmatively to overcome hurdles in the admission process and barriers once on campus. California can arguably be considered the technological epicenter of the world. Yet, postsecondary institutions are just at the beginning stages of exploring the promise of artificial intelligence and other technologies to advance student success. This session will feature CSU Fullerton’s award-winning chatbot iTuffy and Northridge’s CSUNny. The session will also explores the possibilities and challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence technology to support student success.