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Closing the Equity Gap

The COVID-19 pandemic and the disparate impacts across communities of color and moderate-income families created a renewed urgency to close the gaps that exists between underserved students and their peers across all 23 CSU campuses. Not since the launch of Graduation Initiative 2025 in 2015 has the need to marshal the CSU’s collective resources been more critical to address differential patterns of student success.

Building on the Graduation Initiative 2025 Advisory Committee recommendations in summer 2021, the CSU identified five equity goals and priorities to address the gap. They are:

REENGAGE AND REENROLL UNDERSERVED STUDENTS

Reflecting a nationwide trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, student retention decreased disproportionately among historically underserved students. Efforts are focusing specifically on reengaging with students of color, Pell-grant recipients and first-generation students to support their re​enrollment to the CSU and meet their academic goals.

See Reengagement & Reenrollment Efforts

EXPAND CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES

Summer sessions and intersessions provide an opportunity to gain more academic credit. This is particularly important for students of color and first-generation students who may have had less opportunities to earn academic credits. Additional funding will support students falling behind in academic credits and help facilitate timely degree completion.

Explore The Opportunities


ACCESS TO a DIGITAL DEGREE PLANNER

Digital degree planners, or roadmaps, help students navigate the registration process, select core courses and keep them on track for timely graduation. The CSU is committed to making a digital degree planner available to all students.

Learn About the Roadmaps

ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO GRADUATION

Administrative barriers disproportionately impact​ underserved students who are often more susceptible to academic disruptions such as fee assessments, registration holds and cumbersome processes. Campuses are reviewing practices to eliminate barriers to timely ​graduation.

See Our Priorities


PROMOTE EQUITABLE LEARNING AND REDUCE DFW RATES

Earning a non-passing grade negatively impacts a student’s academic trajectory. Without compromising academic rigor, the CSU is addressing equitable learning practices for classes with persistent high failure rates (such as D, F or Withdrawal) and providing opportunities for additional learning when needed.

Learn About These Efforts

Updates & Milestones

  • February-April 2022: Equity Priority Task Forces meet with campuses
  • December 2021: Equity Priority Task Force formed around five equity goals
  • November 2021: CSU announces five equity goals and priorities
  • Summer 2021: GI 2025 Advisory Committee presents recommendations for addressing equity gaps

Timeline

  • Spring 2022-25: Reengagement and reenrollment campaigns in progress
  • June 30, 2022: Each CSU campus shall, with an equity-centered framework, revise drop for non-payment policies, re-evaluate registration hold policies and reform the graduation filing process
  • June 15, 2022: All CSU students will have access to and will be encouraged to use of a digital degree planner
  • Fall 2021: The Chancellor's Office will engage the Academic Senate of the CSU, campus presidents, provosts and deans to identify the top 10 high enrollment critical major pathway courses (by campus) with higher-than-average equity gaps as defined by DFW rates

Gi2​025 Advisory Committee

The CSU convened an advisory committee in 2021 to identify key strategies to help eliminate equity gaps on all CSU campuses. Their recommendations are provided in this report.

Read the Report

Equity Goals and Priorities Recommendations

Learn how the CSU equity goals were determined and what resources are in place to ensure that every student has a fair and equal opportunity to earn their degree, contribute to the California workforce and thrive in their community.

 Learn About Equity Goals

Equity Priorities Task Force

The Chancellor's Office has convened a task force to support campuses in their efforts to meet these equity priorities and ultimately eliminate equity gaps for all students. 

Learn about the Task Force