By Jazmin Jett |Staff Writer|
Students are preparing to attend CSUSB to receive improved assistance with their English and math courses preceding their enrollment as high school freshmen.
Since the end of 2011, the Early Start program has aimed to provide incoming students with remedial courses during the summer to ensure they graduate in a timely manner.
It is documented that 57 percent of students entering the Cal State system in Fall 2010 are below proficiency.
Quoted from a CSU press release, “About 60 percent of first-time freshmen enrolling at the CSU each year do not show entry-level proficiency in these assessments, even though they have earned at least a B average in the required college preparatory curriculum. As a result, many students must attend remedial classes, which do not count for college credit and add cost and time to earning a degree.”
Those involved with the program expect the experience to either contribute towards remedial credit or partially fulfill the credits required and still receive eligibility to enroll in the fall quarter or the unfortunate fate of non-eligibility.
Those failing to successfully pass the assessment tests administered will be required to enroll in the summer course.
The course is expected to cost $5 million dollars comprised of a $182 per unit expense.
“The premise is to help students complete their remediation before they start university. Early Start, philosophically, doesn’t jive with our first-year writing program,” says Sunny Hyon, chairwoman of CSUSB’s English department.
Due to the university’s lack of English remedial courses, it is feared students’ courses will be set back, delaying their expected graduation.
Students have the option to complete the requirements of the Early Start program at the university with whom they’ve confirmed attendance or at a community college/CSU campus.
Aid for the program can be obtained from either the school they intend to go to or a local campus; the option of financial aid is available for students demonstrating need.
Some universities find that the outcome of the program won’t be as successful as assumed
CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp maintains the doubts arising from other campuses.
“Any time you try to initiate a system wide program, you’re going to get feedback from campuses that have done it a certain way. There is unfortunately a need to do these programs [. . .] and it helps everyone if we can begin this as early as possible.”
The only students unable to participate in the program are international/out-of-state students, those admitted after the deadline and students participating in the summer bridge program.
“Nearly 2,000 students will participate in the inaugural program. The classes will begin in late June or early July and run through August at both Cal State San Bernardino and Riverside Community College District’s Norco College,” said J.
Milton Clark, dean of undergraduate studies at CSUSB.
It is expected that all schools will begin taking advantage of the Early Start program summer 2014.
Information regarding registration and placement test schedules can be located at www.ets.org/csu/about.
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