New commitment to enrollment growth

By Jaclyn Loveless

If you haven't noticed lately things are changing at CSUB. And it's not just about Rowdy, the university's mascot, getting an extreme makeover, new buildings in the works, or the campus becoming an NCAA Division I athletics institution. It's about a change in the campus culture and guiding it towards President Horace Mitchell's vision of the university becoming the leading campus in the CSU system by 2014-15.

One way CSUB hopes to reach this goal is through its enrollment thermometer, which pledges to help the university reach its enrollment targets each year. Mitchell signed it. Some top administrators did as well. Even some students left their autograph.

The thermometer isn't just a way of making certain CSUB fills up its classrooms. It's a vow that all who sign it plan to do what they can to make sure every prospective Roadrunner knows that CSUB is an option when it comes to higher education and they will have help all along the way through their college experience at CSUB.

"You have to come up with creative ways to get people excited about it," said Jacqueline Mimms, CSUB associate vice president for enrollment management. "It's visual and you can see your goal and you can see if you're making your target."

Mimms asked Victoria Champion, a CSUB outreach counselor, and Marissa Marquez, a CSUB evaluator, to help take the concept of the thermometer and turn it into something tangible.

Their energy about the project is almost contagious. They practically jump out of their seats talking about it. "When you sign your name to this you are now being held accountable for making this commitment," Champion exclaimed. "…We don't see numbers; we see the work we need to do. …Later we'll be able to look back and see our names and know we helped achieve that."

The two also want the students to know they're at the heart of this project. And from the evaluator that helps them get enrolled, to their English professor, they will have someone looking out for them. "When they see all the personnel and all the names they will realize that those people were committed to helping me get from point A to point B," Marquez said. "We can really achieve our goals. It's collectivism at its best. It's about faculty, students, staff, families, communities rolled up into one. …It's a rebirth for CSUB. It's like a brand new campus."

Administrators agree. "This really shows that we are all in this together in terms of supporting student life and academics," said Soraya Coley, CSUB provost and vice president for academic affairs.

For now the thermometer, etched in black, is set against a white piece of paper, mounted under a blue and gold mat, but these women are definitely "thinking big."

This trio is hoping to construct a large model version to reflect the goals to the campus and the community. "We've presented this to all the deans, the president's cabinet, and everyone in our unit. Now we've asked for a big one on Stockdale Highway," Mimms said enthusiastically. "We also want to put one over by the library and in strategic locations on campus so everyone understands our commitment. We all talk about this vision. …We see it in the president's speeches and to see this it really brings it to life. That is my intent here."

Mimms' office is making sure they keep their promise by reaching out to the community and trying different approaches to outreach. "If we keep on doing what we've always been doing we'll only get what we've always got," said Steve Watkin, CSUB outreach director.

Watkin said they will continue to build collaborative relationships with K-12 schools and community colleges. "We want more team players on our side," he said. They've set up a partnership with Bakersfield College and held onsite admissions last March. The outreach team saw more than 200 students in two days and as a result they enrolled about 165 students. They also held a similar event in the Antelope Valley in late April.

Mimms said a lot of students think their only option is to go to a community college and she wants to assure them that it's not.

Watkin said Mimms has been working with the Connecting Communities Coalition, which is made up of different constituents from different organizations including churches, community centers, and high schools. Watkin wants to work with advisors from the coalition so they can show their students how they can enroll at CSUB. And even if they don't want to come here, "We'll still give them information on the CSU system in general. That's the big picture," he added.

Watkin said it is also vital for all departments on campus, even those that don't typically deal with recruiting, to work together on such a large, important job.

Mimms said they will continue to meet with students in other targeted areas at junior highs and high schools "to guide them and provide advice about courses they might take to be eligible to come here." Watkin wants to also travel more outside of CSUB's primary service area, which includes Kern, Tulare, Kings, Mono, and Inyo counties.