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Sac State replicates MESA’s retention model
That’s why Macari has decided to replicate retention initiatives pioneered by the campus MESA Engineering Program (MEP). The Sacramento MEP has beaten the odds, generating the highest retention rate among all students within the entire campus. Macari believes that these initiatives, developed to assist educationally disadvantaged MEP students, can help all his E&CS students. “Here are underprivileged, mostly minority students (in the MEP),” said Macari, “yet they are 2-3 times more successful than the general student body. How do they do it?” The key is a retention and academic success model comprised of several components, developed and carefully refined through years of practice and identification of best practices, said MEP Director Madeleine Fish. “It’s the synergy between the components that gives us the successful results,” said Fish. Two major MEP components that Macari began replicating this year are the MEP’s Fast-Track Math and the Peer Coaching initiatives. Both efforts target freshmen, who have the highest drop-out rate in E&CS. Fast-Track Math, offered this summer to all incoming E&CS freshmen, identifies gaps in student comprehension of key math concepts—concepts that are essential building blocks for higher level courses. The program creates an individualized curriculum for each student who participates in this math “boot camp.” Fast-Track Math also helps E&CS students develop a sense of community. Many MEP students developed important peer support networks through Fast-Track Math that lasted throughout their college years and beyond. The Peer Coaching program, based on the popular coaching model used by industry, helps students learn to deal with non-academic issues that can prevent them from attaining their E&CS baccalaureate degrees. Addressing issues from juggling a massive courseload to financial aid to family issues, the Peer Coaching program helps students become independent problem solvers. The program uses upper division E&CS students who have successfully navigated similar problems. These students undergo rigorous training to become peer coaches and learn valuable management skills. The model, developed by a Barnhill+Company business facilitation consultant, is a powerful one that builds leadership while keeping students successful in these challenging majors. Macari faces a tremendous challenge to fund these initiatives. “Most of CSU’s budget goes straight to teaching,” said Macari. “There’s little money for other services.” The MEP is struggling under similar constraints, especially after MESA’s budget was cut, resulting in the elimination of virtually all MESA money to its MEP centers. This cut has left Fish and Macari scrambling to maintain the model that has proven so effective. So far the bulk of funding has come from industry, including the Intel Foundation, GenCorp Foundation, Dokken Engineering, Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, Morton & Pitalo, Kleinfelder, MHM Engineers and Surveyors and 1STOPLighting. Macari is hopeful that industry will see the value in investing in these retention initiatives. Currently he is negotiating to expand the E&CS Honors Partnership, another initiative based on an MEP component, so that companies pay for promising students to work as peer coaches during the school year, then hire them to perform engineering work during the summer and spring break.
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Emir Macari is on a mission. He wants to graduate more engineers and computer scientists. As Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science (E&CS) at CSU Sacramento, he is extremely unhappy that only 25 percent of E&CS freshmen end up graduating in these majors (not an uncommon national average for these disciplines).