How have the retention programs changed over time?
One recent development is that we are leading several new regional partnerships to increase participation in engineering and computing. We have more than 20 years of success, so we’re sharing what we’ve learned with our colleagues in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, and with our partners at community colleges and the Cal State universities. We have received an NSF STEP UP grant to support our work with community colleges and the CSUs, and we’re working together on best practices for intervention, academic development programs, and undergraduate retention strategies. Approximately 272,000 are enrolled in the 15 community colleges in the greater Los Angeles area, and more than 51 percent of those students are from underrepresented populations and communities. But only a fraction of those students are transferring into UCs – that is a major disconnection that needs to be addressed. Many are smart, knowledgeable, capable students who can make a real impact as middle-upper management in
