By snoadmin
Cal State Long Beach will hold three public hearings regarding proposed changes to admissions guidelines, including major-specific criteria and admittance of local students, that would go into effect for the 2013-14 academic year.
The first hearing is Friday at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. The second hearing will be held on the CSULB campus on Wednesday and the third hearing will be at Long Beach City College on March 7.
“[The] hearings are being held to let the public know our plans and to solicit their comments into our planning process,” David Dowell, CSULB vice provost for planning and budget and director of strategic planning, said via e-mail.
One of the proposed changes involves phasing in major-specific admissions criteria in hopes of benefiting both high and low demand departments. It would mean that departments set their own standards for admission, such as a minimum GPA or additional preparatory coursework.
Another proposed change could affect students applying to CSULB from local high schools and community colleges.
Currently, all students graduating from high schools in the Long Beach Unified School District will be accepted to CSULB if they meet the minimum admissions criteria as part of the Long Beach College Promise.
CSULB also has partnerships with Long Beach City College and three Orange County colleges — Orange CoastCollege, Coastline College and Golden West College — that give priority to transfer students from those schools.
According to the proposed guidelines, CSULB remains committed to providing education to local students who demonstrate a reasonable likelihood for degree completion.
However, there may be a shift that would admit less local students and more from other areas.
The hearings will also address the proposed shift to more outreach to targeted communities based on low socioeconomic status and low college attendance rates. This means students in those areas who meet the minimum admission requirements would be encouraged to apply to CSULB and would be evaluated on a holistic basis.
Dowell said he hopes future CSULB students will have more clarity regarding necessary preparation.
Dowell also said the changes could lead to less unnecessary courses, improved course availability, and more students completing degrees in a shorter time.
