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Strategic Analysis of Graduate Programs

Message from the Steering Committee

Welcome! These pages are dedicated to sharing the strategic analysis and program evaluation of graduate education at CSUSB and subsequent recomendations with the campus community. The analysis was completed to fulfill Goal 1, Objective 6 in the CSUSB Strategic Plan:

"To foster the success of graduate students, by June 2017, the campus will complete a program evaluation of graduate education at CSUSB. From 2017 through 2020, these recommendations will be implemented."

Strategy 3 of the Strategic Plan gives further direction:

  • Conduct a graduate studies needs assessment that includes feedback from graduate students and graduate programs.
  • Develop, implement and disseminate a graduate studies strategic plan.
  • Explore, develop and implement effective practices in graduate education (potentially to include HIPs at the graduate level) that promote retention, graduation and time to degree.

The needs assessment was conducted from spring 2015 through spring 2017.

What did the needs assessment entail? We saw this as the fact-finding stage: we compiled information to help us discover patterns, practices, and relationships, and identified our strengths and our challenges. We drew from a variety of sources: CSUSB and CSU data; faculty and administrators directly involved with graduate students and programs; graduate students and alumni; and the campus community. The results were compiled into the 

Strategic Analysis and Evaluation of Graduate Programs 

, and distributed to campus in fall 2017. (For details on the needs assessment process, please see our page on Data Collected.)

During the data analysis phase, certain needs emerged. Among them was the need to better inform our community about our outstanding graduate programs, a desire for a more cohesive graduate student community, and the need to better support our graduate coordinators in their role.

These needs are among those addressed in our strategic plan’s preliminary goals and strategies: 

 

GOAL 1: Enhance Recruitment, Enrollment, and Diversity

Strategies/Actions

  • Increase recruitment efforts.
  • Increase university support of graduate programs.
  • Collaborate with undergraduate studies to create pipeline (bridge) programs for CSUSB undergraduate students.
  • Advertise graduate programs to current undergraduate students.
     

GOAL 2: Identify Barriers to Retention and Graduation, and Improve Graduation and Retention Rates of Graduate Students

Strategies/Actions

  • Work with academic programs to establish a set of indicators for best practices in graduate programs and institutionalize these standards.
  • Develop formalized advising programs for graduate students, recognizing and better serving the needs of those from diverse backgrounds.
  • Increase financial support for graduate students.

 

GOAL 3: Support and Enrich Educational Experiences of Graduate Students and Build a Graduate Education Culture

Strategies/Actions

  • Implement activities and programs to build community for graduate students (Picnic, Graduate Education Week).
  • Provide space for graduate students (Commons, Housing).
  • Expand support service hours to evening hours.
  • Provide opportunities for distance learning and services.
  • Increase funding for graduate student professional development.

 

GOAL 4: Initiate Steps toward Creating a Graduate School that Provides Direction and Support for Faculty

Strategies/Actions

  • Support faculty mentoring and advising.
  • Expand resources for graduate coordinators.
  • Make existing resources for program coordinators visible.

 

GOAL 5: Increase Visibility of CSUSB Graduate Programs and Promote Graduate Culture Off Campus

Strategies/Actions

  • Partner with existing recruitment offices on campus.
  • Partner with local universities.
  • Target marketing to particular groups (teachers, veterans).
  • Advertise in local newspapers.

These goals are preliminary - we invite you to give them your careful consideration and share your feedback by emailing Graduate Studies. (Please specify in your email that you are writing about the strategic plan preliminary goals.)The goals we develop as a campus will shape our strategic plan for CSUSB graduate programs.

 

Sincerely,

The Strategic Analysis Steering Committee