Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Vol. 95, Issue 88
THE
DAILY
w w w. T h e D a i l y A z t e c . c o m
AZTEC
Tw i t t e r : T h e D a i l y A z t e c
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1913
I N S I D E T O D AY FOOD & DRINK
Graduation report released
TEQUILA TASTING Test out the Tequila 101 course at El Vitral Restaurant twice a month. page 2
SPORTS
MADNESS BEGINS See what both SDSU basketball teams have ahead of them in this week’s MWC Tournament. page 4
TEMPO
DON’T BE LATE Tim Burton’s anticipated “Alice in Wonderland” hit theaters last Friday in IMAX 3-D. page 5 File Photo
While SDSU’s overall six-year graduation rate has significantly increased throughout the past decade, the report shows certain student groups are more likely to graduate than others.
SATURDAY @ SDSU Women’s Rights Symposium 6 p.m., Hardy Tower, room 140 Panelists from across the globe will address women’s roles in art, human rights, civil and military aviation. For more of today’s headlines, visit:
www.thedailyaztec.com
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EDITOR
IN CHIEF, FARYAR BORHANI 619.594.4190 EDITOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
CITY EDITOR, WHITNEY LAWRENCE 619.594.7781 CITYEDITOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
FEATURES EDITOR, NICOLE CALLAS 619.594.6976 FEATURE@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
Report targets groups with low graduation and retention rates A L E J A N D R A PA Z CONTRIBUTOR
San Diego State has worked to improve student success, and a recent report shows the extra effort has paid off. The Division of Undergraduate Studies released its Facilitating Graduation SDSU Delivery Plan Feb. 26. The plan not only highlights SDSU’s increasing graduation rates, but also outlines ways in which the university plans to increase the retention rate. The plan includes ways to increase graduation rates among first-time freshmen, transfer students and local area students.
SPORTS EDITOR, EDWARD LEWIS 619.594.7817 SPORTS@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
OPINION, ALLAN ACEVEDO 619.594.0509 OPINION@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
TEMPO EDITOR, ALLIE DAUGHERTY 619.594.6968 TEMPO@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
ART DIRECTOR, ELENA BERRIDY 619.594.6979 ARTDIRECTOR@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
PHOTO EDITOR, GLENN CONNELLY 619.594.7279 PHOTO@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
WEB EDITOR, MYLENE ERPELO 619.594.3315 WEB@THEDAILYAZTEC .COM
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INDEX FOOD & DRINK............................................................2 BEST OF STATE BALLOT...............................................3 SPORTS.............................................................................4 TEMPO..............................................................................5 CLASSIFIEDS....................................................................7 THE BACK PAGE............................................................8
“What we can do and what many departments and colleges are increasingly doing is trying to track our students more closely ...” —Christopher Frost, Ph.D. Undergraduate Studies Geoffrey Chase, Ph.D., dean of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, said in the report that graduation and retention rates have increased. Among all California State University campuses, SDSU has risen to the top in six-year graduation rates.
“The graduation and retention rates overall have been steadily increasing over the last six to eight years,” Christopher Frost, Ph.D., associate dean of the Division of Undergraduate Studies, said. “I would say one way to frame this is as a university, we have made graduation and retention a priority.” From 1999 to 2002, the graduation rates for full-time freshmen have increased from 53 percent to 61 percent. The graduation rates also increased for minority students from 45 percent to 57 percent. While the overall rates paint a favorable and progressive picture, the report also shows that there is still one group that remains at risk for not making it to the big day with a cap and gown. Local-area students, who, because of a point system associated with local admissions guarantees, typically do not need to meet as high a standard as out-of-area students to gain acceptance into SDSU. “Out-of-area students who meet higher GPA and SAT / ACT score requirements have higher rates of retention and graduation; local-area students admitted with lower GPAs and test scores sometimes struggle to remain and to graduate,” the report states. Thus, out-of-area students are 4 to 15 percent more likely to continue their education at SDSU after their first year, depending on their need to improve skills in areas such as writing or math. Frost said that according to research, students are more successful if they are ready for college in the fall. Therefore, every student with remedial needs in various subjects will have to take courses in the summer to be better prepared for their
first semester. Frost said he would like to advise future students who apply for graduation to not only look at their academic maps, but to understand them as well. He addressed the issue of students who are not graduating and suggested what can be done to avoid these issues in the future. “What we can do and what many departments and colleges are increasingly doing, is trying to track our students more closely … so that we can identify students (when) it looks like the major they’ve chosen and their academic progress aren’t lining up and try to do earlier advising and intervention,” Frost said. Bonnie Anderson, assistant dean for the Division of Undergraduate Studies, said some students are not graduating because they are simply not paying attention. She said she
believes that reminders are part of the solution to the problem. “There should be something that will remind students in the sophomore year that there are some things they need to pay attention to,” Anderson said. “You get all this information (at freshman orientation) and it’s overwhelming and some of it doesn’t pertain to you right at that moment. A lot of people forget what they’ve been told.” Although the experience of obtaining an education is valuable, earning a degree is most important, Anderson said. She said most employers, unless it is a very specific job, do not care what your major is, but they care if you have a degree. “You need to get that degree to compete in this world,” Anderson said. “Without that degree, what do you have? A couple years in college just doesn’t work in this world.”
GREEK BEAT Sorority hosts house event Alpha Phi will host a “Team SDSU” reunion at 4 p.m. Sunday at its chapter house. The dinner event is for all chapter presidents and leaders of all four councils who attended the annual retreat at Palomar Mountain in January. The event will start with a brief presentation about the goals the presidents set during the retreat, Alpha Phi President Brenna Mulvey said. “I’m just excited that Alpha Phi’s house is hosting this event and that we’re coming together to remind each other of the goals we set and make
sure we’re upholding them,” Mulvey said. She said some of the goals set at the retreat include uniting Greek life across all chapters and presenting it in a positive light.
Fraternity moves to new house Phi Delta Theta will be moving onto Fraternity Row soon, according to Doug Case, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Fraternity Row has eight chapter houses and encircles a 62-unit apartment complex.
-Compiled by Senior Staff Writer Reem Nour