Page 12 - CSLA_AnnualPublication

STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER NURTURES ACHIEVEMENTPart of Candi Marsh’s job as an ECST student advisor is to nurture students’ academic, professional, leadership, and social development.When students first enter college, they face a variety of challenges. Are they academically prepared to handle a rigorous course load? Do they have a clear picture of their strengths, weaknesses, and future career goals? And how do they form connections to their campus community and establish new social relationships?Enter the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology (ECST) Student Success Center at California State University, Los Angeles. Established in 2007 to provide empowering educational opportunities to nurture student academic, professional, leadership, and social development, the Center facilitates collaborative relationships with academic departments, campus resources, and community partners to strengthen students’ learning experiences.“Our programs are strategically designed to address factors that have been proven to hinder student success, and they incorporate key elements to help students evolve and become more effective in their academic and personal lives,” says Frances Hidalgo, director of the ECST Student Success Center.The College has long understood the correlation between student retention, scholastic success,and academic readiness. To further enhance its learning environment, the College created the Student Success Center, which stimulates and supports undergraduate student achievement.Center programs include the Summer Transition to ECST Programs (STEP) for ECST incoming freshmen; ECST freshman and transfer orientation and registration programs; academic and personal advising through the ECST Advising Center; priority registration; academic support in mathematics and physics courses; professional and leadership development opportunities; community outreach; connections to student organizations, faculty, and industry through special events; and more.Taking the First STEP toward SuccessSTEP focuses on reinforcing the math skills necessary for lower division major requirements while helping students acclimate to the campus before the start of their first quarter. STEP has also helped students develop writing skills and make a confident transition into college.“Sometimes, inadequate preparation inhibits ECST students from pursuing and achieving their academicfffff10