C A L I F O R N I A
S T A T E
U N I V E R S I T Y ,
F U L L E R T O N
INSIDE OPINION: NBC Olympic coverage 3 nquestioned as un-American
Women’s soccer to play tonight against Idaho State in Titan Stadium
NEWS: Try your luck with this week’s 4 nDaily Titan Crossword Puzzle
—see Sports page 5 F R I D AY
Vo l u m e 7 1 , I s s u e 1 0
S e p t e m ber 22, 2000
New report finds an increase in graduation rates
Morning accident disrupts traffic
nCAMPUS: Officials attribute the rise in graduations to several new programs instituted in recent years By Marlayna Slaughterbeck Daily Titan Staff Writer
RAUL Mora/Daily Titan
A three-car collision on Nutwood Avenue Thursday caused one victim to be hospitalized with facial injuries from the air bag .
New master’s program in nursing nEDUCATION: The nursing program allows for two school concentrations for graduate students By Magda Liszewska
Daily Titan Staff Writer Cal State Fullerton’s nursing program expanded this semester with the addition of a two-year master’s degree in nursing. The program has two concentrations, administration and nurse anesthesia. It was started in response to the community’s needs for nurse managers and anesthetists, and student interest. Christine L. Latham, nursing department head, conducted a survey of 3,500 prospective students to determine the need and interest in the program. She also analyzed the data from the Healthcare Association of Southern California and found that there is a regional need for nurse administrators. “A lot of the nurse managers administrators are older and they’re beginning to retire; it has left a big void,”
Latham said. “The need for nurse administrators is expected to grow exponentially in the next 10 years.” The administration concentration focuses on strategic management of organizations, health care economics and human resource management. Students study ethical and legal aspects of decision making, formulation and implementation of health care policy, interdisciplinary psychological issues and vulnerable population issues. Classes are offered one day per week. Approximately 11 students are enrolled in this section this semester. The anesthesia concentration covers anatomy/physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, chemistry, biochemistry and physics. The content of the courses includes induction, maintenance and emergence from anesthesia, airway management, anesthesia equipment and anesthesia for specialty populations such as obstetrics, pediatrics and geriatrics. Academic classes are accompanied by clinical experience at regional Keiser Permanente. Latham said the anesthesia concentration is particularly popular. Out of 100 applicants who apply each year, 30 are interviewed in February and 25 are accepted. Twenty-two transfer and 22 new students are enrolled in anes-
thesia courses this semester. Tuition is $628.50 for up to six units and $943.50 for seven or more units. Eligible students qualify for general financial aid as well as a scholarship from the Maria Dolores Hernandez fund. Aside from that, the university applies for a government grant to be passed on as Financial Aid to eligible students. “They [nursing students] are meeting a societal need so the government gives them some assistance in financial aid,” said Toni Sullivan, professor and director of the graduate program in nursing. Latham said cooperation with Keiser makes the program a revenue-generating partnership, therefore the university cost is almost negligible. Keiser provides facilities as well as most of the faculty for specialty courses. Three instructors have been hired to teach in the master’s program at CSUF. Sullivan sees cooperation with Keiser as one of the reasons why the master’s program was started. “It was ceasing of the opportunity to work with Keiser on the nurse anesthesia program so we got started with a lot of students right at the beginning,” she said. Some of the students transferred to CSUF from Cal State Long Beach,
where the degree was offered before Keiser decided to work with CSUF. They have classes on campus once a week and have their clinical classes at Keiser in Pasadena. Students have not yet offered feedback about the program. Anesthesia student Bobby Smith received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cal State Long Beach and came to CSUF to pursue his master’s degree. He said that because he is on campus only one day a week and it is still early, he does not have a specific opinion about the program yet. Anesthesia student Mark Hornsby said that satisfaction with the program depends on the openness of the faculty. “The only reason that we’re even affiliated with any university is the fact that the American Association of Nurse anesthetists mandated about two years ago that all nurse anesthesia programs be at a master level. What a lot of traditional schools of anesthesia have had to do throughout the country was to link up with universities,” he said “Our actual masters degree will come from CSUF but we’ll still get a certificate of completion from the Keiser Permanente School of Anesthesia.”
An internal assessment report released Monday found that Cal State Fullerton’s graduation rate has steadily increased in recent years. The report also found an increase in the number of students who pass entrance exams as well as those who remain in school. The first of its kind, the report is part of statewide effort to demonstrate public accountability to taxpayers by evaluating the level of educational quality throughout the CSU system. CSU officials based their measurements on nine criteria including student access, graduation and persistence rates, teacher credentials produced, and the number of freshman admitted who were fully prepared in math and English. “Trustees and leadership are anxious to show that we are doing a good job in spending the taxpayers’ money to educate so many students,” said Keith Boyum, the university’s vice president of academic affairs, “and we are quite pleased with the results.” The state’s efforts to show accountability reflect a nationwide trend to measure the performance of public colleges and universities. Additional CSUF findings include: •63 percent of entering freshmen in the fall of 1987 and 75 percent of juniors transferring from community colleges eventually graduated. •93 percent of recent graduates would recommend the campus to friends. •The percentage of freshman who returned the following year as sophomores increased from 78 percent in 1996-97 to 80 percent in 1998-99. •Students are still able to enroll easily at CSUF while other CSU campuses are unable to admit some qualified applicants. The campus is reaching capacity however, and there are plans to implement a yearround program and expand off-campus sites.
MASTER’S/ 4
Scholars reach record numbers nEDUCATION: Seventysix students are now enrolled in the program. By Emily Roberts
Daily Titan Staff Writer For Loralee Larios and Suzanne Sindi, Cal State Fullerton is more than a commuter campus. It’s a second home. Larios, a freshman business administration major, has only been attending the university for a month and said she already has made many friends. “We go, we play pool, we talk and just hang out during breaks,” Larios said. “I stay here a lot between classes.” Sindi, a senior math major works in President Milton Gordon’s office and is often at school from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. “I love getting involved with my university,” Sindi said.
Larios and Sindi are both President’s Scholars. Larios was one of the 26 students, a record number for CSUF, who accepted to the program this year. Sindi interviewed potential members as part of the screening committee. Sindi said the committee looks for allaround students who also have high grade-point averages. “We look for students exhibiting involvement and dedication beyond their typical course work,” Sindi said. “Students that volunteer their time in community service activities.” The 26 scholars chosen this year brings the number of President’s Scholars to 76 throughout the university. Perks of the program include a four-year scholarship covering all fees, $500 for books, a laptop computer for use during the four-year program, priority registration, complimentary parking permits and letters of recommendations from President Milton Gordon. For Sindi, she said the greatest benefits go beyond these. “The best part of the program is
not something they can put on paper,” Sindi said. “The best part is all the little side benefits that happen as a result of being a President’s Scholar. “For me, the biggest benefit has been the attention and support of my department and college,” Sindi added. James Mettler, assistant to the executive vice president, is one of the staff members who spends time giving support to the scholars. Mettler said he enjoys helping the students with any problems they are having and receiving feedback from the scholars. “My favorite part of the job is working with the President’s Scholars,” Mettler said. “They’re fun and they keep me young.” Fun is something both Larios and Sindi said they are having in the program. Despite their jam packed schedules, both speak excitedly about college life. Sindi is president of the President’s Scholars and edits Dimensions, which is the journal of undergraduate research in the College of Natural Science
Several factors are attributed to the positive findings. Among them is the remediation program for students who do not meet standard academic eligibility upon admission. The program is designed to bring students up to academic speed in math and English and satisfy GE requirements. In past years, there was no designated timeline for students to complete the remediation program. In the fall of 1998, however, an executive order from the chancellor’s office was implemented requiring students to complete the program in one year. President Milton Gordon said that the Fullerton First Year Program also deserves credit for helping incoming freshman by “giving them a sense of community and helping to acquaint them with the campus.” Gordon added that faculty in general is putting more focus and energy into improving the overall educational quality for students. Freshman Julie Watson, a softball player for CSUF, can attest to that. The child development major said that although she was not involved in the First Year Program, she was nonetheless quickly becoming acclimated to campus life. During these first few weeks on campus Watson has relied heavily on the athletic department for information and assistance. “They helped me register for classes and helped me decide which ones to take,” she said. Watson, who attends classes part time, said she plans to take a couple extra years to finish her degree. “I’ll go part time for four years while I’m playing softball and then full time for about two years to finish up,” she said. According to the report, CSU students generally take longer to finish their degrees than those at many other universities because they tend to be older and work more hours. Among CSUF students, for example, nearly 75 percent work 25 or more hours per week. Statewide, part-time students graduate at a far lower rate than do full-time students. A mere 2 percent graduate within six years and only 13 percent can expect to earn a degree. Officials said the report represents a step in the right direction and will be increasingly important in the coming years to track progress.
Titan
extras online n
Check out the Daily Titan online this year at http:// dailytitan.fullerton.edu. New features and sections will be available this year!
Lorraine Dominguez/Daily Titan
Senior Suzanne Sindi is among the 76 presidential scholars. and Mathematics. She also interns for NASA through the university’s Math Department. “I am busy, but I like it,” Sindi said. Larios worked two jobs as a senior at Los Amigos High School in Fountain Valley. She also took honors and AP classes, served on the Associated Student Body and as treasurer of her
http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu
school’s Key Club and worked for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County for three years. “It really wasn’t stressful to me,” Larios said. “I’m the type of person who loves to keep busy and I love interacting with people.” When Larios found out she was
SCHOLAR/ 2
u p co m i n g n
Find out the results of the upcoming men’s and women’s soccer games on Tuesday’s issue of the Daily Titan