Eight CSU Campuses and Partners Receive $34.5 Million in Governor’s Innovation Awards
Eight CSU campuses—Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Humboldt, Long Beach, Monterey Bay, San Bernardino, San Marcos and San Francisco—have been awarded a total of $34.5 million by Governor Brown in recognition of each campus and their partners’ ambitious efforts to provide a high-quality, accessible education. The Awards for Innovation in Higher Education rewards campuses that are implementing innovative techniques to increase the number of degrees awarded and make the graduation process more timely and efficient.
“The CSU is committed to implementing best practices that are shown to enhance student success, advance new educational tools and ensure graduates have the necessary skills to become the state’s next generation of leaders,” said CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White. “We are honored that the collaborative efforts of CSU campuses received more than half of the available awards – supporting innovations that will contribute to the success of California’s economy and society.”
In the Budget Act of 2014, Governor Brown and the California Legislature allocated $50 million to reward institutions and partnerships that are working differently to achieve one or more of the following priorities: 1) significantly increase the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded; 2) allow students to complete bachelor’s degrees within four years after beginning higher education; and 3) ease transfer through the state’s education system by better recognizing learning that occurs across the state’s education segments and elsewhere.
Of the 58 public colleges and universities that applied for the awards, only 14 of the highest scoring candidates were selected to share the one-time $50 million grant. Chosen institutions were selected based on the ability of its innovative activities to be replicated by other institutions and have the potential to improve education outcomes for student populations underrepresented in higher education. Distribution of awards is pending final review by the committee of the proposed use of funds.
CSU campuses successful in obtaining the Awards for Innovation in Higher Education have obtained the following one-time funding:
- CSU Monterey Bay ($5 million): In partnership with Hartnell College, CSUMB has developed and implemented an innovative cohort-based, three-year Bachelor of Science degree program in Computer Science and Information Technology called CSIT-In-3.
- CSU San Bernardino ($5 million): In partnership with the UC Riverside, CSUSB formed a bi-county K-20 collaborative with the goals of systematically addressing college readiness and ultimately increasing baccalaureate degree attainment in the region.
- CSU Long Beach ($5 million): The Long Beach College Promise—a collaboration between CSU Long Beach, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College and the City of Long Beach—is the state’s most original educational effort working innovatively to increase the number of California students who transfer to a university and earn a BA within four years of enrollment.
- CSU Fullerton ($5 million): As part of the Santa Ana Partnership, CSUF has helped make system-level changes to the pre-college academic preparation and the college access/completion process to strengthen the quality of life and the economy in Santa Ana.
- CSU Dominguez Hills ($3 million): CSUDH’s “National Laboratory and Model for Student Academic Success” initiative has engaged in testing, expanding and implementing innovative and proven strategies for improving student retention and graduation rates.
- CSU Monterey Bay ($3 million): The Math@CSUMB program has increased the success of students who are required to take and complete developmental math in their first year of college.
- Humboldt State University ($3 million): The “Humboldt Post-Secondary Success Collaborative,” composed of representatives from K-12, College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State University, united to initiate, support and measure strategies county-wide aimed to increase the number of North Coast students pursuing and completing post-secondary education.
- San Francisco State University ($3 million): Created in partnership with City College of San Francisco, San Francisco State’s Metro College Success Program has had a consistent six-year track record of sharply boosting timely graduation and transfer for disadvantaged students.
- CSU San Marcos ($2.5 million): CSUSM’s “¡Si se puede!” has significantly increases the university’s graduation rates for educationally at-risk and non-at-risk students.
For more information on the Awards for Innovation in Higher Education, visithttp://www.dof.ca.gov/innovationawards.
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