CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Students with more credit hours than necessary to graduate, but chose to stay in college for more than four years, or “super seniors,†are now seeing a push from California State’s 23 campuses. Due to budget cuts that led to enrollment reductions, the campuses hope to encourage super seniors to graduate in order to make room for new students.
The Cal State administration feels this program is a low-cost way to reduce enrollment pressures and possibly raise their graduation rate (in the fall of 2008, 3 percent of all undergraduates at the Northridge campus alone consisted of super seniors). Each campus will take differing actions, but according to the Chronicle of Higher Education article below, “most will involve holding departments responsible for super seniors, expanding focused advising services, and setting new limits on financial aid.â€
The difficulty will be determining which students are staying to party and avoid the real world of work and which students are truly lost, trying to find their desired career path through trial and error. College is a time of self-discovery and character building, and like with most things, each person is on their own clock. We don’t want to rush students through such a pivotal time in their lives. That’s why LifeBound’s materials help 5-12 grade students discover their gifts and talents, become emotionally intelligent, encourage critical and creative thinking and develop effective study habits – to lead them to earlier self-discovery and prepare them for academic, social and emotional success in order to make the most of college. My book, MAJORING IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, is a great resource for students unsure of their direction in life and seeking guidance. To learn more about LifeBound’s resources or to request a free review copy of any of our texts visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.
ARTICLE:
Chronicle of Higher Education
May 2, 2010
Lingering Seniors Get a Soft Shove From Cal State
Like other colleges, the system seeks to help longtime students move on
By Josh Keller
Northridge, Calif.
California State University at Northridge just wants Randy Vitangcol to graduate already.
Mr. Vitangcol has been in college since 2005. He is on his second major. By the time he plans to finish college next spring, he expects to have amassed twice as many credit hours as he needs to complete the requirements for his current major, financial services.
“I’ve been in college for so long, sometimes it feels like I don’t know anything else,” he admits. He compares himself to Van Wilder, one of a long line of cinematic college students who party endlessly and studiously avoid graduation.
The Cal State system has historically taken a lax attitude toward “super seniors,” students with large numbers of credit hours who linger in college for more than four years. But no more. After budget cuts forced sharp enrollment reductions over the past few years, many of the system’s 23 campuses have taken aggressive measures to thin their ranks and make room for new blood.
To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com
