Marking an important date in Cal State Long Beach history, the Educational Opportunity Program celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall semester.
The EOP, founded in 1967 by associate professor Joseph White, assists promising minority and low-income students with admissions support and financial aid.
Established with only 67 students of Mexican, Latino and African-American heritage, the EOP now provides aid to more than 2,000 CSULB students from an even greater range of backgrounds.
Armando Vazquez-Ramos, a lecturer in the CSULB Chicano/Latino studies department, was one of the first students recruited through EOP 40 years ago, and he highlighted the importance of the program within Californian history.
“Basically, the program reflected the benchmark of history and the beginning of diversity in Californian higher public education institutions,” he said.
For CSULB and the entire CSU system, the increase in minority students led to the establishment of the Chicano/Latino studies department and an EOP program at 22 of the 23 Cal-State campuses.
The spread of EOP throughout Californian public education has led to an estimated 400,000 students graduating through the help of the program over the past 40 years, providing education for students who might normally only dream of a college degree.
“The infusion of minority students into CSULB and the other campuses in the early years really became the force for opening the doors of opportunity even wider,” Vazquez-Ramos said. “What can be reflected upon is the tremendous impact the EOP has had in this past 40 years, seen now through the number of minority students in the Cal-State system.”
A number of celebrations have been planned to mark the 40th anniversary of the EOP, including a one-day policy issues symposium on the program’s success and legacy, along with suggested improvements for the future.
Founder Joseph White’s efforts are also set to be formally recognized, along with the leaders of the 1968 East L.A. High School walkouts, which led to a significant number of reforms throughout California and contributed to many students’ decision to apply for the EOP.
The celebrations are set to take place in March, to coincide with the date of the walkouts and the beginning of social change in California.
Although the anniversary is celebrated, there are a number of current concerns for the future of the EOP, mainly an increased concern for the program’s funding and the Executive Order 665, which requires certain mathematics and English skills tests to be passed.
Ultimately, the EOP must remain to play an integral role in CSULB and Cal-State education to pave the way for the future, according to Vazquez-Ramos.
“The true impact of the EOP is seen through the entrepreneurs, teachers, engineers, professors and doctors who have graduated from Cal-State universities … they’ve become role models within society,” he said. “Without the door of opportunity provided by the program, it would have been unimaginable.”
