Provost Newsletter February 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff,
Since I came to CSUN only a few months ago, I have been busy listening to you and gathering your excellent input on what works well and even what can be improved in Academic Affairs.  I am pleased to say that now it is time for action and for leveraging CSUN's many strengths.

 
First, let me share some examples of things that we are doing in collaboration with campus partners and Enrollment Services to bring more students to CSUN.   
•    We are making plans to take full advantage of many of the wonderful things happening on campus.  For example, we will be showcasing our outstanding academic programs at the Explore CSUN event to encourage admitted students and families who attend to select CSUN as their final destination. 
•    We are also inviting local high school and community college students to  CSUNposium to hear our undergraduate and graduate students present on their research and creative activities.

Second, we are taking steps to enhance outreach to admitted students and impact our yield.  
•    We are developing a system for admitted students to receive communications from their departments and colleges, coordinated by Enrollment Management.
•    We have also made outreach to admitted transfer students a priority, encouraging them to come to CSUN.

Third, we are focusing on retaining students once they come here, not just for their first year, but through graduation and placement.  
•    We are investing in advisement, hiring 20 new advisors as well as a Director of Advisement for each college who will be responsible for advisement on a daily basis.  In the Provost’s Office, we will have a Director of University Advisement who will meet regularly and be at the table with our deans and AVPs to share what is being heard from students, what might be the issues and how we can resolve these.
•    Our Pathways to Excellence program (formerly Early Start) is another example of a terrific, already-established program at CSUN that has great potential for helping us retain students.  We will look at Pathways to Excellence through a lens of best practices, review the outcomes and invest in what works.
•    We also want to grow the U100 course, our CSUN orientation course for freshmen and transfer students.  Our data indicate that those who attend U100 have higher retention and better academic outcomes, so we are trying to encourage more students to participate.

Of course, faculty are central to everything at CSUN, so we are investing in faculty development.  As a part of my Provost’s Series, I held a “GI 2025: Road Ahead” presentation last month where faculty discussed approaches to reducing equity gaps within our courses.  Expanding on this, we will be giving faculty the option to look at the equity gap data for their courses and will provide support and clarification, if they have questions.     

Everyone at CSUN plays a part in attracting, retaining, and ensuring our students persist to graduation and placement.  Please remember that everything you do, big and small, from meeting with students after class to wearing your CSUN apparel to grocery shop, has an impact on our campus and student success.  As you enjoy our newsletter, keep in mind that we Matadors are all working together in different ways for the betterment of our students, our campus, and our community.

Sincerely,
Meera

Meera Komarraju, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

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