Supporting Undocumented Student Success

This week and month, many California State University campuses are highlighting Undocumented Student Success Week (October 19–23) including 

• Cal State Long Beach hosting specialized events for the week, preceding the Dreams in Action Conference on Friday, October 30th; 
• Cal Poly Pomona hosting campus-wide activities that include ally training sessions and resource workshops; and 
• Sacramento State’s Wings of Possibility event on October 21st in addition to celebrating the re-grand opening of the Undocumented Student Resource Center on October 27th. 



Additionally, the Network would like to reshare this 2021 memo by Jaquelyn Caro-Sena, Senior Research Associate at the Education Insights Center (EdInsights). This memo highlights the barriers that undocumented students face, such as financial insecurity and uncertain immigration laws, as well as practices campuses can put into action to support their students. We invite you to revisit this memo and reflect on what your campus is already doing and where improvements can be made. 

Strategies to Improve Justice-Involved Students' Postsecondary Access and Success

In the fourth and final blog in the series, Breaunna Alexander, Research Manager at EdInsights, draws on conversations with CSU personnel supporting currently and formerly incarcerated students to present strategies and opportunities for furthering the effectiveness of in-prison bachelor’s programs and reentry services and supports. We invite you to read the practitioners' suggestions and strategies for overcoming the structural and social barriers that can impact justice-involved students’ success. 

In Case You Missed It—Registration is Open for The Fall Convening

Registration for the fall virtual convening is now open! On Wednesday, October 28th, at 10:30 am, participants will learn how faculty play a crucial role in supporting the social mobility and post-graduation success of their students through intentional efforts to prepare students for careers. Inspired by the CSU Student Success Framework and CSU Promise, this convening will bring together presenters from the Chancellor’s Office and California State University, Los Angeles. Through interactive components, participants will reflect on their own teaching practices and identify opportunities to embed career preparation into their courses in support of students’ career success. 

There is a 200-person cap for this convening, so don’t hesitate to register! 

Equity in Action (EIA) Grant: Supporting Transfer Student Success at Sonoma State

The CSU Student Success Network is excited to support Sonoma State University’s Seawolf 411 Transfer Success Communities through an EIA Pilot Grant. 

Led by Dr. Kyla Walters, the initiative will pilot an equity centered approach to supporting first-time transfer students during their first semester at Sonoma State. The project responds to persistent challenges in transfer enrollment, retention, and equity by embedding transition support directly into courses and structures students already encounter. 

Rather than requiring transfer students to navigate campus resources and build connections on their own, Seawolf 411 will connect upper division general education courses with a one-unit transitional learning component and an embedded peer mentor. Two Transfer Success Communities will serve approximately 60 students beginning in Spring 2027, helping students access campus resources, develop relationships with faculty and peers, build a sense of belonging, and navigate academic and career opportunities.  

The $20,000 pilot grant will support peer mentors, student supplies, transfer student events, and faculty leadership and development. At the heart of the project is an important equity goal: creating an institutional pathway for transfer students to receive coordinated academic, social, and career support without having to independently navigate disconnected services. By building on existing courses and campus resources, the team also hopes to develop a model that can be sustained and expanded to serve more transfer students in the future. 

We look forward to learning alongside Dr. Kyla Walters and the Sonoma State team as they put Equity in Action!