THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents

FROM:

Johanna Duncan-Poitier

COMMITTEE:

Higher Education and Professional Practice

TITLE OF ITEM:

Report on the CUNY Master Plan Amendment

DATE OF SUBMISSION:

March 4, 2005

PROPOSED HANDLING:

Discussion

RATIONALE FOR ITEM:

Pursuant to the Board of Regents December 2002 Resolution

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1, 2, 3 and 4

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

On November 22, 1999, the Board of Regents approved, until December 31, 2002, an amendment to the master plan of The City University of New York (CUNY) authorizing CUNY to adopt new admission requirements for baccalaureate programs. At its December 2002 meeting, the Board of Regents approved, without a time limit, this amendment but directed both CUNY and the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to continue to monitor the impact of the approved change on students. 

 

The amendment requires that such applicants demonstrate readiness to undertake college level study by acceptable SAT or ACT scores, by acceptable scores on Regents exams in English and math, or by passing CUNY’s own battery of Freshman Skills Assessment Tests (FSATs), in addition to a high school diploma.  One effect of this change in admission requirements was to end the need for CUNY senior colleges to offer noncredit remedial courses during the regular academic year (except those four senior colleges that offer associate degree programs as well as baccalaureate programs). 

 

CUNY now offers noncredit remedial courses at senior colleges, principally during summer sessions, only for persons attempting to pass the FSATs.  Applicants for admission to CUNY community colleges are not required to meet the baccalaureate program standard, although they must be high school graduates. CUNY’s community colleges continue to offer noncredit remedial courses during the regular academic year for their students who are not ready to undertake credit-bearing courses.

 

 

          With respect to the monitoring of the CUNY master plan amendment, the Regents identified the following factors:

 

1.                     Student access and success, to determine whether any particular populations of students are being disadvantaged by the policy, including Search for Evaluation, Education and Knowledge (SEEK) and ESL students;

 

2.                     Transfer rates from associate degree to baccalaureate degree programs, especially between community and senior colleges, to determine whether students are able to make the transition successfully; and

 

3.                      The outcomes of each of the support programs established to assist students to pass the basic skills assessments, including Summer Immersion, Prelude to Success, Bridge to College, College Now, and CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP).       

 

Presented in this report is a summary of findings resulting from the ongoing monitoring. Data for this report was provided by CUNY’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

 

Analysis of data results in the following findings:

 

·        After the implementation of the new admission policy, there was an overall increase in the number of students enrolled in baccalaureate programs for all ethnic/racial groups. However, there has been a small drop in the overall percentage of Black and Hispanic students each year since the new admission policy went into effect.

 

·        After the implementation of the new admission policy, the one-year retention rate for both regularly admitted and SEEK full-time students enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs remained over 80%.

   

·        The percentage of ESL student applicants that enrolled in baccalaureate programs went from 47.6% in 1999 to 47.1% in 2003, less than a one percent change since the new admission policy went into effect. Similarly, the SEEK program continued to admit a large majority of students with a score below a B average and from underrepresented populations.

 

·        Data reflects an increase in transferability since the implementation of the master plan amendment.  More than one third of students with an associate degree transferred to CUNY baccalaureate programs within one year of graduation and that rate is on the rise.

 

·        Findings of data suggest that support programs, especially the Prelude to Success Program, CLIP, and College Now, are continuing to help students from different ethnic backgrounds succeed academically. 

 

The Department will ask CUNY to continue to monitor the impact of the change on students and to make the data identified in the report available to SED annually.  

 

Attachment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 




 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

 

On November 22, 1999, the Board of Regents approved, until December 31, 2002, an amendment to the master plan of The City University of New York (CUNY) authorizing CUNY to adopt new admission requirements for baccalaureate programs. At its December 2002 meeting, the Board of Regents approved, without a time limit, this amendment but directed both CUNY and the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to continue to monitor the impact of the change on students. 

 

The amendment requires that such applicants demonstrate readiness to undertake college level study by acceptable SAT or ACT scores, by acceptable scores on Regents exams in English and math, or by passing CUNY’s own battery of Freshman Skills Assessment Tests (FSATs), in addition to a high school diploma.  One effect of this change in admission requirements was to end the need for CUNY senior colleges to offer noncredit remedial courses during the regular academic year (except those four senior colleges that offer associate degree programs as well as baccalaureate programs). 

 

CUNY now offers noncredit remedial courses at senior colleges, principally during summer sessions, only for persons attempting to pass the FSATs.  Applicants for admission to CUNY community colleges are not required to meet the baccalaureate program standard, although they must be high school graduates. CUNY’s community colleges continue to offer noncredit remedial courses during the regular academic year for their students who are not ready to undertake credit-bearing courses.

 

          With respect to the monitoring of the CUNY master plan amendment, the Regents identified the following factors:

 

4.                     Student access and success, to determine whether any particular populations of students are being disadvantaged by the policy, including Search for Evaluation, Education and Knowledge (SEEK) and ESL students;

 

5.                     Transfer rates from associate degree to baccalaureate degree programs, especially between community and senior colleges, to determine whether students are able to make the transition successfully; and

 

6.                      The outcomes of each of the support programs established to assist students to pass the basic skills assessments, including Summer Immersion, Prelude to Success, Bridge to College, College Now, and CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP).       

 

Presented in this report is a summary of findings for the ongoing monitoring. Data for this report was provided by CUNY’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

Summary of Findings

 

Student Access and Success

 
Enrollment by Ethnicity

 

·        When comparing enrollment by ethnicity in 2002-2003 with that of 1999-2000, there exists a similar pattern. A larger representative sample of Asian/Pacific Islander and White students and a smaller representative sample of Black and Hispanic students from New York City (NYC) public high schools were enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs both in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003. (Table 1)

  

·        Since the implementation of the master plan amendment, there was an overall increase in the number of students enrolled in baccalaureate programs for all ethnic/racial groups. When examining freshman enrollment in baccalaureate programs by race/ethnicity before and after the implementation of the new admission policy (1999-2004), a slightly lower percentage of Black students (3.2%) were enrolled after the change of the admission policy, while Asian student enrollment increased (3.9%).  Hispanic (0.6%) and White (0.1%) student enrollment decreased less than one percent. (Tables 2 and 3)

 

·        After implementing the two-stage admission process (i.e., conditional admission based on the college admission standards and demonstration of basic skill proficiency before the fall freshman semester), the acceptance rate into CUNY’s baccalaureate programs decreased from 59.0 percent to 57.8 percent. The acceptance rate dropped for Black, Hispanic, and White students. (Table 4) 

 

Academic Performance

 

·        Before the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs, there was a disparity in the percent of students by race/ethnicity who were eligible for admission (Asian - 66.8%, White - 71.1% as compared to Black - 49.2% and Hispanic - 53.3%).  In 2003, this disparity increased for Black students by 3.7%, Hispanic students by 2.5% and 1.2% for White students. (Table 4)

 

·        After the implementation of the new admission policy, the one-year retention rate for both regularly admitted and SEEK full-time students enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs remained over 80 percent.  (Table 5)

 

Impact on ESL Students

 

·        The percent of non-English speakers who were eligible for admission to baccalaureate programs and the percent of those students enrolling in CUNY in 1999 and 2004 were virtually identical, a less than one percent difference in both instances. (Table 6)  

·        When using native language not being English and Languages other than English spoken at home as indicators of ESL students, this population accounted for approximately 50 percent of first-time freshmen enrollment in senior colleges for the period 1995-2003. Over this same time period, there has been a 9 percent reduction in the enrollment of foreign-born students. (Table 7) 

 

Impact on SEEK Students

 

·        SEEK students in baccalaureate programs have shown improvement in their first term grade point average (GPA) from 2.29 in 2000 to 2.46 in 2003. (Table 8)

 

·        After the change in the new admission policy, the SEEK program continued to admit a majority of students (over 75 percent) with a college admission average below a B average. However, there was a significant shift in the college admission average of students being admitted to the SEEK program in 1998-1999 prior to the implementation of the new admission policy. Between 1999-2000 (immediately prior to the implementation of the new admission standards) and 2003-2004, an additional 2.9% of students with a college admission average between 80 and 100 were admitted into the SEEK program. (Table 9)

 

·        After the implementation of the new admission policy, a majority (over two thirds) of students being served by the SEEK program continued to be from the underrepresented populations. Hispanic students (44.3%) were the largest population enrolled in the SEEK program, followed by Black students (24.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander students 21.7% and White students 9.2%. SEEK students enrolled in associate degree programs follow similar patterns. (Table 10)

     

·        With the implementation of the change in CUNY’s admission requirements for baccalaureate programs, there does not appear to be any large change in the one-year retention rate for SEEK/College Discovery students by race/ethnicity. Asian and White students continue to have (2000-2003) a higher one-year retention rate as compared to Black and Hispanic students by approximately 5-6%. For students in associate degree programs, the gap is wider. However, the retention rate in baccalaureate programs during this time period has gone up for Black students by 3.8% and for Hispanic students by 1%.  (Table 11)

    

Transferability

 

Transfer Rate: Between 1999-2004, the total number of transfer students increased by 21.6% overall (31% for Hispanic students, 26% for Asian students, 20% for Black students and 15% for White students).  Since 1998-99, more than one third of students with associate degrees transferred to the CUNY baccalaureate programs within one year of graduation with annual increases each year.  Hispanic and White students had the greatest increase in percentage transferring (5.6% and 10.1% increase rate respectively). Black and Asian student transfer rates have remained fairly constant over the time period. (Tables 12 and 13)

Outcomes of Support Programs

 

Summer Immersion Program:  The Summer Immersion Program is a remedial program offered each summer to assist students who have been provisionally accepted into baccalaureate programs attain proficiency in all basic skill areas prior to the commencement of the freshman fall semester. Between 2000 and 2003, the pass rate on all basic skills assessment tests for Summer Immersion participants declined by 4.6%. The magnitude of the decline was greatest for White students (18.5%) and least for Hispanic students (0.9%). For Black and Asian students, the decline in pass rate was 3.8 and 3.6 percentage points, respectively.  This program has enrolled between 2,641 and 2,874 students per year.  (Table 15)

 

Prelude to Success Program: Prelude to Success is a program for students who have applied to a baccalaureate program but have not yet demonstrated proficiency in all basic skill areas but are close to meeting these standards. These students begin their associate degree program at a senior college and transition into the baccalaureate program once proficiency is attained. The majority of students in the Prelude to Success Program passed the Basic Skills Competency (77% over three years, 2001-2003) although the percentage of students passing has decreased by 9.8%. Among the participants, White and Asian students received a higher pass rate than Black and Hispanic students. The number of students in the Prelude to Success Program has declined from 419 in 2001 to 358 in 2003. (Table 16)

      

CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP): The CUNY Language Immersion Program offers students who have been admitted to a CUNY college the opportunity to spend more time learning English in an academic environment before formally enrolling in college courses. Data indicates that CLIP improved students’ language skills. Based on the results of students’ score gains measured by different assessment methods (CLIP essay, ACT essay, Michigan Test, and other tests), over three quarters of students performed better in post-test than in pre-test. In addition, the University has tracked a cohort of 4,008 students who were last enrolled in CLIP during 2000 or 2001. The result indicated that 61.3% (2,455) of this group enrolled at CUNY by March 2004. Among them, 11.9% (291) were enrolled in baccalaureate programs and 88.1% (2,164) were enrolled in associate programs. Finally, data suggests the decline in ESL course enrollments might be attributed to the growth in CLIP.  (Table 17)

       

College Now Program: The College Now Program is a collaboration between CUNY and the New York City Public School System. The overall goal is to ensure that students meet the requirements for high school graduation and that all those who wish to pursue postsecondary education are prepared to do so.  For the fall 2002 cohort for admission into baccalaureate programs, 6,280 of the applicants participated in College Now, 71.9% were admitted to a baccalaureate program, 63.6% were skills proficient by the end of the summer, and 33.9 % enrolled in baccalaureate programs.  In comparison, of the 13,924 applicants who had not participated in College Now, 60.8 were admitted to a baccalaureate program, 50.8% were skills proficient by the end of the summer, and 25.3% enrolled in a baccalaureate program. In addition, CUNY reported that 30% of all new public high school graduates who entered CUNY in the fall of 2002 participated in College Now. For the fall 2003 entering class, the proportion was about 32%. For 2002-2003, overall, 81% of students who registered in the College Now program earned a C or better in college coursework. Among the participants, a higher percentage of White (87%) and Asian (85%) students were academically successful than were Black (78%) and Hispanic (77%) students. (Tables 18 and 19)

 

The Department will ask CUNY to continue to monitor the impact of the change on students and to make the data identified in the report available to SED annually.   


 

Table of Contents

 

 

                                                                                                                   Page

 

Section I:  Student Access and Success.............................................................. 1

 

Section II: Transferability.................................................................................. 12

 

Section III: Outcomes of Student Support Programs ........................................... 15..........................................................................................................................

 


 


 

Section I: Student Access and Success

 

 

Finding: When comparing enrollment by ethnicity in 2002-2003 with that of 1999-2000, a similar pattern exists. A larger representative sample of Asian/Pacific Islander and White students and a smaller representative sample of Black and Hispanic students from New York City (NYC) public high schools were enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs both in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003.   

 

Table 1

Trends in New York City Public High School 12th Grade Enrollment

and CUNY First-time Freshmen Enrollment

 

 

1999-2000

2002-2003

Public High School Enrollment

%

(N = 38,388)

     CUNY Enrollment

%

Public High School Enrollment

%

(N = 39,519)

   CUNY Enrollment %

 

All Degrees

(N = 12,972)

 

Bachelor

(N = 5,624)

 

All Degrees

(N = 14,566)

 

Bachelor

(N = 6,451)

American Indian/ Native Alaskan

0.4

0.2

0.1

0.3

0.1

0.1

Asian/ Pacific Islander

16.6

16.8

22.1

18.1

18.3

25.5

Black

32.4

29.1

23.4

31.2

27.8

20.9

Hispanic

30.5

31.0

27.6

29.5

31.0

26.6

White

20.1

22.8

26.8

20.8

22.7

26.8

 

·        Prior to the change in admission policy, 5.5% more Asian students and 6.7% more White students were enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs than in New York City public high schools. After the change of the admission policy, the enrollment of Asian students in baccalaureate programs was 7.4% higher than in public high schools and the percentage of White students was 6.0% higher.

    

·        For Black students, during the academic year 1999-2000, the enrollment in CUNY baccalaureate programs was 9% fewer than NYC public high school 12th graders. During academic year 2002-2003, 10.3% fewer Black students were enrolled in baccalaureate programs than in public high schools, an increase of 1.3%.

     

·        Prior to the change of the admission policy, 2.9% fewer Hispanic students were enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate degree programs than in NYC public high schools. This same pattern for Hispanic students existed in 2002-03. 


Finding: Since the implementation of the master plan amendment, there was an overall increase in student enrollment in baccalaureate programs. When examining freshman enrollment in baccalaureate programs by race/ethnicity before and after the implementation of the new admission policy (1999-2004), a slightly lower percentage of Black students (3.2%) were enrolled after the change of the admission policy, while Asian student enrollment increased (3.9%).  Hispanic (0.6%) and White (0.1%) student enrollment decreased less than one percent.

 

Table 2A

Trends in First-Time Freshmen Enrollment in Baccalaureate Programs by Race/Ethnicity

 

 

American Indian          %

Asian            %

Black           %

Hispanic       %

White           %

Total N

1992

.2

17.2

26.9

26.1

29.6

9,300

1993

.2

17.5

25.5

27.1

29.8

9,801

1994

.08

17.5

25.0

28.0

29.5

10,312

1995

.2

17.6

24.0

25.8

32.4

8,929

1996

.08

17.9

24.7

26.8

30.7

8,854

1997

.1

17.7

24.5

27.1

30.7

9,323

1998

.1

17.9

23.5

27.6

31.0

8,175

1999

.1

17.8

23.2

26.4

32.4

8,448

2000

.1

18.6

22.5

25.5

33.3

8,618

2001

.09

20.3

21.7

23.3

34.7

9,187

2002

.2

20.3

21.2

23.0

35.3

9,334

2003

.1

20.1

20.5

24.7

34.7

10,208

2004

.2

21.7

20.0

25.8

32.3

10,863

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 

Finding: CUNY’s enrollment of first-time, full-time freshmen in baccalaureate programs increased systemwide since 1999 in the number of students in all ethnic/racial groups.

 

Table 3

Trends in First-time Freshman Enrollment in Baccalaureate Programs by Race/Ethnicity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Term

American Indian/Native Alaskan

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Total

 

N

N

N

N

N

N

1992

16

1,596

2,506

2,427

2,755

9,300

1993

15

1,711

2,499

2,660

2,916

9,801

1994

8

1,802

2,578

2,884

3,040

10,312

1995

15

1,575

2,139

2,307

2,893

8,929

1996

6

1,573

2,188

2,369

2,718

8,854

1997

12

1,648

2,281

2,523

2,859

9,323

1998

11

1,462

1,918

2,253

2,531

8,175

1999

12

1,505

1,957

2,233

2,741

8,448

2000

9

1,600

1,942

2,200

2,867

8,618

2001

8

1,863

1,990

2,140

3,186

9,187

2002

19

1,897

1,983

2,144

3,291

9,334

2003

11

2,050

2,089

2,520

3,538

10,208

2004

21

2,358

2,169

2,801

3,514

10,863

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 

 

 


Finding: Before the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs, there was a disparity in the percent of students by race/ethnicity who were eligible for admission (Asian - 66.8%, White - 71.1% as compared to Black - 49.2% and Hispanic - 53.3%).  In 2003, this disparity increased for Black students by 3.7% and Hispanic students by 2.5%.

 

Table 4

Applicants and Admits to CUNY Baccalaureate Program, by Race/Ethnicity*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Term

 

American Indian

Asian

Black

Hispanic

White

Not Known

Total

1999

Applicants

60

4,578

6,925

7,696

6,938

4,140

30,337

 

Provisional

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

 

Admitted (Eligible)**

17

3,058

3,406

4,103

4,930

2,374

17,888

 

%

28.3

66.8

49.2

53.3

71.1

57.3

59.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2001

Applicants

65

5,228

7,631

8,480

7,458

5,475

34,337

 

Provisional

35

3,954

4,565

5,449

5,751

3,765

23,519

 

Admitted (Eligible)**

24

3,384

3,446

4,099

4,925

3,152

19,030

 

%

36.9

64.7

45.2

48.3

66.0

57.6

55.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2002

Applicants

70

5,518

8,064

8,893

8,044

5,759

36,348

 

Provisional

44

4,165

4,858

5,817

6,270

3,992

25,146

 

Admitted (Eligible)**

32

3,594

3,672

4,195

5,444

3,333

20,270

 

%

45.7

65.1

45.5

47.2

67.7

57.9

55.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2003

Applicants

61

5,666

8,432

9,196

8,172

7,161

38,688

 

Provisional

31

4,372

5,017

6,059

6,445

5,030

26,954

 

Admitted (Eligible)**

24

3,887

3,840

4,668

5,716

4,224

22,359

 

%

39.3

68.6

45.5

50.8

69.9

59.0

57.8

 

*CUNY’s standard application form allows the candidate to apply to as many as six programs or colleges and to rank them in order of preference. Under the University’s multiple admission policy, which was introduced in fall 2001, a candidate may be admitted to three choices, but no more. Once this limit has been reached, the candidate is not evaluated for additional choices. This analysis takes this multiple admission process fully into account.

 

**Eligible means total eligible for baccalaureate program through unconditionally admitted (ESL or SEEK Exempt, Exempt based on SAT/Regents Scores, passed Basic Skills Proficiency prior to July 1) as of July 1 of the academic year and meeting basic skills proficiency during summer.

Finding: After the implementation of the new admission policy, the one-year retention rate for both regularly admitted and SEEK full-time students enrolled in CUNY baccalaureate programs remained over 80%.     

 

Table 5*A

One-year Retention Rate of Regularly-Admitted and SEEK,

Full-time, First-time Freshmen Baccalaureate Programs

     

 

 

Regularly-Admitted

SEEK

 

 

Total

One-year Retention Rate

Total

One-year Retention Rate

1993

6,993

78.5

1,960

74.4

 

1994

7,424

76.6

2,012

73.1

 

1995

6,999

77.8

1,197

71.8

 

1996

7,021

78.2

1,135

76.0

 

1997

6,942

79.7

1,689

76.9

 

1998

6,143

80.7

1,528

78.3

 

1999

6,193

81.4

1,714

78.2

 

2000

6,443

82.2

1,777

78.1

 

2001

7,366

83.3

1,476

80.2

 

2002

7,570

83.0

1,470

82.1

 

 

*CUNY’s retention rates are system rates. They measure retention from freshman to sophomore year anywhere within the CUNY system, not necessarily at the same institution. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 


Finding: The percent of non-English speakers who were both eligible for admission to baccalaureate programs and were the percent of those students enrolling in CUNY in 1999 and 2004 were virtually identical, a less than one percent difference in both instances.

 

Table 6

Trends in Application, Acceptance and Enrollment of First-time ESL

Students in CUNY Baccalaureate Programs

 

 

Number of Applicants to Baccalaureate Programs

Percent of Applicants Eligible for Admission to a Baccalaureate Program*

Percent of Eligible Students Enrolled in a Baccalaureate Program**

 

 

N

%

%

%

Fall 1999

English

13,254

(43.7)

 62.4

 41.2

Not English

12,631

(41.6)

 57.8

 47.6

Unknown

4,452

(14.7)

 52.0

 53.3

Total

30,337

(100.0)

 59.0

 45.4

Fall 2001

English

14,538

(42.3)

 59.2

 43.0

Not English

14,069

(41.0)

 54.4

 48.3

Unknown

5,730

(16.7)

 48.3

 49.0

Total

34,337

(100.0)

 55.4

 46.0

Fall 2002

English

16,022

(44.1)

 59.7

 40.2

Not English

14,330

(39.4)

 54.6

 46.2

Unknown

5,996

(16.5)

 48.1

 46.2

Total

36,348

(100.0)

 55.8

 43.4

Fall 2003

English

18,268

(100.0)

 58.3

 38.7

Not English

15,502

(84.9)

 57.0

 47.1

Unknown

4,918

(26.9)

 58.5

 44.7

Total

38,688

(211.8)

 57.8

 42.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

*For Fall 2001, 2002 and 2003, eligible students are those who met the admission criteria of a bachelor's program and were skills proficient (or exempt).

**Excludes first-time freshmen enrolled in a baccalaureate program at Medgar Evers, NYCCT and Staten Island; these students were not counted as applicants because applications and admissions for baccalaureate programs cannot be distinguished from applications and admissions for associate programs at these three comprehensive colleges.

     

·        In 1999, the year before the new policy was implemented, 62.2% of native English speaking applicants were admitted. Among those admitted, 41.2% were subsequently enrolled at CUNY. Non-native English speakers were admitted at a slightly lower rate (57.8%), but were more likely to enroll at CUNY (47.6%). 

 

·        Compared to candidates whose first language is English, non-native English speakers were slightly less likely to be admitted, but somewhat more likely to enroll at CUNY. A similar pattern exists for each year from 2001 through 2003, after the implementation of the admission policy.


Finding: When using Native Languages not being English and Languages Other than English spoken at Home as indicators of ESL students, this population remained stable for first-time freshmen enrollment in baccalaureate programs for the period 1995-2003.Over this time period, there has been a 9% reduction in the enrollment of foreign born students. 

 

Table 7

Trends in Alternative Indicators of ESL Status: First-time Freshmen Enrolled in Baccalaureate Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Native Language is Not English*

Language Other than English Spoken at Home**

Foreign Born**

More Comfortable in Language other than English**

Enrolled in an ESL Course

Total

 

%

%

%

%

%

N

1995

 51.9

 60.8

 50.8

 20.0

 18.4

  8,925

1996

 51.0

 60.6

 50.2

 16.0

 13.9

  8,853

1997

 51.2

 61.7

 49.9

 14.3

 13.0

  9,322

1998

 48.5

 59.8

 46.7

 10.9

  8.1

  8,175

1999

 49.7

 60.0

 43.5

  9.0

  7.5

  8,448

2000

 50.2

 60.1

 44.2

  9.0

  4.6

  8,619

2001

 49.0

 60.1

 42.4

  9.3

  3.9

  9,188

2002

 47.3

 59.9

 41.5

  7.6

  3.9

  9,334

2003

 49.0

 61.5

 41.8

  7.3

  3.9

 10,208

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Percentages are based on cases with non-missing data. All applicants to CUNY are asked to write their native language on a blank line on the application form. Freshmen who supplied a language other than English are counted in this column.

**Percentages are based on cases with non-missing data.

 

Although a similar percentage of students reported to be ESL students in 2003 than in 1995, the percentage of students enrolled in ESL course decreased from 18.4% in 1995 to 3.9% in 2003, which may be explained by less than 8% of students reported to be more comfortable in Languages other than English for 2003 as compared to 20% in 1995. 

 

 

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 


Findings: SEEK students in baccalaureate programs have shown improvement in their first term grade point average (GPA) from 2.29 in 2000 to 2.46 in 2003.

 

 

Table 8

First-term GPA of SEEK First-time Freshmen in Bachelor's Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

N

  1,612

  1,473

  1,702

  1,747

  1,445

  1,454

  1,684

GPA/Mean

  2.20

  2.36

  2.31

  2.29

  2.42

  2.40

  2.46

 

Section 6452 of the Education Law defines the general requirements for participation in the Seek Program, i.e., students with a high school diploma or its equivalent, potential for success in college and are economically and educationally disadvantaged. The Law further directs CUNY to define specific eligibility requirements for the programs which are listed below:

A student must meet all of the following criteria in order to be considered for admission to the SEEK or College Discovery (CD) program:

·        be a high school graduate or have a New York State approved General Equivalency Diploma or its equivalent; and

·        have not previously attended a college or university, except in the case of students enrolled in the State University of New York’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), or the independent colleges’ Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP); and

·        be a resident of New York State for SEEK admission or a resident of New York City for CD admission; and

·        have an admissions index score that is below the cut point for regular admission to a particular senior college (for SEEK admission) or have a college admission average of less than 80 percent for admission to a community college CD; and

·        have a family income and other available financial resources fall within guidelines established by New York State; and

·        attend a pre-freshman summer session if he/she does not satisfy the University criteria on one or more of the University Skills Assessment Tests in Reading, Writing, or Mathematics.

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 

Finding: After the change in the new admission policy, the SEEK program continued to admit a majority of students (over 75%) with a College Admission Average (CAA) below B average. However, there was a significant shift in the CAA of students being admitted to the SEEK program in 1998-1999 prior to the implementation of the new admission policy. Between 1999-2000 (immediately prior to the implementation of the new admission standards) and 2003-2004, an additional 2.9% of students with a college admission average between 80 and 100 were admitted into the SEEK program.

Table 9

College Admission Average* of SEEK First-time Freshmen: 1995-96 to 2003-04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

College Admission Average

1995-96

1996-97

1997-98

1998-99

1999-00

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

 

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

Bachelor's Program

80-100

  6.5

  4.9

  2.0

 25.7

 24.6

 19.7

 22.2

 23.7

 21.7

70-79

 70.5

 88.3

 88.4

 71.9

 72.5

 70.8

 69.0

 62.7

 63.5

60-69

 10.3

  4.2

  7.1

  1.3

  0.9

  8.4

  6.3

 10.3

 11.6

Below 60

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

GED

 12.6

  2.6

  2.6

  1.1

  2.0

  1.2

  2.5

  3.2

  3.2

Total Bachelor's

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Associate Programs

80-100

  1.4

  2.0

  3.4

  4.8

  1.4

  2.9

  6.9

  3.9

  4.3

70-79

 75.7

 61.9

 57.2

 60.3

 58.8

 57.3

 52.0

 58.7

 54.6

60-69

  8.4

 22.6

 30.7

 25.7

 29.0

 26.9

 28.7

 26.2

 30.5

Below 60

  0.3

  0.2

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

GED

 14.2

 13.2

  8.7

  9.3

 10.8

 12.6

 12.4

 11.1

 10.5

Total Associate

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Total

80-100

  4.7

  4.0

  2.3

 20.3

 18.9

 15.8

 18.0

 18.3

 17.6

70-79

 72.4

 80.2

 80.7

 68.9

 69.1

 67.6

 64.4

 61.6

 61.4

60-69

  9.6

  9.9

 12.9

  7.5

  7.8

 12.6

 12.4

 14.6

 16.1

Below 60

  0.2

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

GED

 13.2

  5.9

  4.1

  3.2

  4.2

  3.8

  5.2

  5.4

  4.9

Total
SEEK

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 

 

 Finding: After the implementation of the new admission policy, a majority (over two thirds) of students in baccalaureate programs being served by the SEEK program continued to be the underrepresented populations. Hispanic students (44.3%) were the largest population enrolled in the SEEK program, followed by Black students (24.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander students (21.7%) and White students (9.2%). SEEK students enrolled in associate degree programs follow similar patterns. 

   

 

Table 10

 

Racial/Ethnic Composition of SEEK First-time Freshmen

Fall 1992-2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Term

American
Indian

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Total

 

 

%

%

%

%

%

N

Bachelor's

1992

  0.2

 15.0

 32.4

 43.5

  8.8

  2,171

 

1993

  0.3

 15.5

 31.5

 42.4

 10.3

  1,970

 

1994

  0.0

 14.5

 31.0

 42.8

 11.8

  2,024

 

1995

  0.2

 10.0

 34.5

 45.9

  9.5

  1,204

 

1996

  0.2

 13.7

 32.0

 43.0

 11.1

  1,149

 

1997

  0.1

 14.1

 28.6

 45.4

 11.8

  1,714

 

1998

  0.3

 20.4

 21.3

 45.9

 12.1

  1,535

 

1999

  0.1

 14.9

 24.9

 47.7

 12.4

  1,762

 

2000

  0.1

 18.6

 23.9

 42.8

 14.7

  1,789

 

2001

  0.3

 19.9

 23.8

 45.5

 10.5

  1,482

 

2002

  0.2

 21.1

 26.8

 40.7

 11.2

  1,479

 

2003

  0.1

 19.8

 25.2

 42.3

 12.7

  1,715

 

2004

  0.0

 21.7

 24.7

 44.3

  9.2

  1,895

Associate

1992

  0.4

  6.1

 54.6

 27.2

 11.7

    445

 

1993

  0.0

  5.4

 43.1

 35.6

 15.9

    464

 

1994

  0.4

  9.3

 46.6

 29.5

 14.2

    549

 

1995

  0.4

 12.9

 40.4

 32.4

 13.9

    676

 

1996

  0.0

  9.1

 43.1

 31.0

 16.8

    529

 

1997

  0.2

 12.8

 42.8

 29.7

 14.5

    579

 

1998

  0.6

 16.7

 37.5

 32.4

 12.9

    528

 

1999

  0.0

 13.3

 45.5

 31.8

  9.4

    572

 

2000

  0.0

 12.8

 39.9

 34.6

 12.8

    547

 

2001

  0.2

 18.0

 42.6

 29.1

 10.0

    549

 

2002

  0.2

 16.3

 39.1

 34.7

  9.7

    527

 

2003

  0.0

 16.0

 41.1

 31.9

 11.0

    518

 

2004

  0.3

 14.3

 36.4

 35.4

 13.5

    615

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 


Finding: With the implementation of the change in CUNY’s admission requirements for baccalaureate programs, there does not appear to be any large change in the one-year retention rate for SEEK/College Discovery students by race/ethnicity. Asian and White students continue to have (2000-2003) a higher one-year retention rate as compared to Black and Hispanic students by approximately 5-6%.  For students in associate degree programs, the gap is wider. However, the retention rate for baccalaureate programs during this time period has gone up for Black students by 3.8% and for Hispanic students by 1%.

 

Table 11

One-Year Retention Rate of SEEK/College Discovery Full-time, First-time Freshmen

by Race/Ethnicity

 

American Indian/
Native Alaskan

Asian/
Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Total

Cohort

Still Enrolled

Cohort

Still Enrolled

Cohort

Still Enrolled

Cohort

Still Enrolled

Cohort

Still Enrolled

Cohort

Still Enrolled

 

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

Bachelor's Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 1999

      2

 50.0

    252

 84.5

    430

 74.9

    826

 76.8

    204

 83.3

  1,714

 78.2

Fall 2000

      1

100.0

    331

 85.2

    424

 73.1

    760

 75.5

    261

 84.7

  1,777

 78.1

Fall 2001

      4

100.0

    293

 85.3

    351

 79.5

    673

 75.9

    155

 90.3

  1,476

 80.2

Fall 2002

      3

 66.7

    311

 87.5

    395

 78.5

    599

 79.5

    162

 90.7

  1,470

 82.1

Fall 2003

      1

100.0

    338

 83.4

    432

 78.7

    724

 77.8

    218

 84.9

  1,713

 80.0

Associate Programs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 1999

      3

 66.7

    224

 76.8

    655

 66.4

    782

 67.3

    220

 69.1

  1,884

 68.3

Fall 2000

--

--

    167

 74.3

    509

 68.8

    750

 70.3

    172

 77.9

  1,598

 71.0

Fall 2001

      2

 50.0

    203

 81.8

    435

 71.3

    614

 68.9

    133

 83.5

  1,387

 72.9

Fall 2002

      3

 33.3

    189

 81.5

    468

 67.3

    578

 72.5

    153

 79.7

  1,391

 72.7

Fall 2003

      3

 66.7

    174

 78.7

    446

 71.7

    594

 68.2

    136

 82.4

  1,353

 72.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Section II: Transferability

 

 

Finding: Between 1999-2004, the total number of transfer students increased overall by 21.6%, 31% for Hispanic students, 26% for Asian students, 20% for Black students and 15% for White students.

         

Table 12

Trends in Transfers to CUNY Baccalaureate Programs, by Race/Ethnicity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Term

American Indian/Native Alaskan

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Total

 

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

1992

11

0.1

998

12.8

2,475

31.7

1,426

18.3

2,901

37.1

  7,811

1993

20

0.2

1,049

12.8

2,424

29.5

1,619

19.7

3,112

37.8

  8,224

1994

5

0.1

989

12.2

2,409

29.6

1,699

20.9

3,024

37.2

  8,126

1995

15

0.2

1,139

12.8

2,648

29.7

1,896

21.3

3,219

36.1

  8,917

1996

8

0.1

1,151

13.1

2,572

29.3

1,740

19.8

3,314

37.7

  8,785

1997

16

0.2

1,183

12.5

2,883

30.6

1,831

19.4

3,521

37.3

  9,434

1998

17

0.2

1,222

13.7

2,681

30.1

1,732

19.4

3,255

36.5

  8,907

1999

14

0.2

1,185

13.7

2,479

28.7

1,809

21.0

3,143

36.4

  8,630

2000

19

0.2

1,295

14.6

2,497

28.2

1,761

19.9

3,287

37.1

  8,859

2001

19

0.2

1,280

14.0

2,638

28.9

1,851

20.3

3,345

36.6

  9,133

2002

18

0.2

1,394

14.6

2,679

28.1

2,030

21.3

3,421

35.9

  9,542

2003

16

0.2

1,484

14.3

2,824

27.3

2,309

22.3

3,726

36.0

 10,359

2004

19

0.2

1,493

14.2

2,977

28.4

2,377

22.7

3,625

34.6

 10,491

 

 

 

Signifies the years before and after the implementation of the new admission policy for baccalaureate programs.

 


Finding: Since 1998-99, more than one third of students with associate degrees transferred to the CUNY baccalaureate programs within one year of graduation with annual increases.  Hispanic and White students have had the greatest increase in percentage transferring between 1998-99 and 2002-03 (5.6% and 10.1% respectively). Black and Asian student transfer rates have remained fairly constant over the time period.    

  

Table 13

Transfer Rates from Associate to Baccalaureate Programs Within One Year of Graduation

by Race/Ethnicity for Associate Degree Recipients

 

 

1998-1999

1999-2000

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

Race/Ethnicity

Total Associate Degree Recipients

Transferred to CUNY Bacc. Prog. w/in 1 Yr of Graduation

Total Associate Degree Recipients

Transferred to CUNY Bacc. Prog. w/in 1 Yr of Graduation

Total Associate Degree Recipients

Transferred to CUNY Bacc. Prog. w/in 1 Yr of Graduation

Total Associate Degree Recipients

Transferred to CUNY Bacc. Prog w/in 1 Yr of Graduation

Total Associate Degree Recipients

Transferred to CUNY Bacc. Prog. w/in 1 Yr of Graduation

 

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

Native American

      8

 37.5

     12

 41.7

     17

 17.6

     12

 50.0

     17

 41.2

Asian

  1,001

 41.2

    908

 43.3

  1,082

 44.6

  1,118

 45.5

  1,167

 43.4

Black

  3,490

 35.4

  3,308

 35.9

  3,147

 36.2

  2,846

 37.4

  3,118

 34.8

Hispanic

  2,502

 32.2

  2,312

 32.4

  2,291

 32.5

  2,188

 34.2

  2,392

 37.8

White

  2,127

 30.0

  1,881

 31.8

  1,965

 35.0

  1,977

 35.2

  2,157

 40.1

Total

  9,128

 33.9

  8,421

 34.8

  8,502

 36.0

  8,141

 37.1

  8,851

 38.0


Finding: The graduation rate for transferred students has remained stable. Over half of the transferred students graduated in 6 years.   However, all of these students entered CUNY prior to the change in the admission policy.  The most recent cohort transferred to a baccalaureate program in 1997. The Department will continue to monitor the graduation rates for transfer students over time. 

 

Table 14A

Graduation Rates for Transferred Students Entering

a Baccalaureate Program Full-time

   

Year of Completion

Full-time Entrants

Baccalaureate Degree Earned within

4 years

5 years

6 years

1999

5,140

40.1%

46.5%

50.0%

2000

4,932

38.9%

45.5%

48.3%

2001

5,740

42.1%

48.4%

51.4%

2002

5,735

43.1%

49.6%

52.9%

2003

6,085

43.0%

49.1%

52.8%

 



 

Section III: Outcomes of Support Programs

 

 

Finding: Between 2000 and 2003, the Basic Skills Pass Rates for Summer Immersion participants declined by 4.6%. The magnitude of the decline was greatest for White students (18.5%) and least for Hispanic students (0.9%). For Black and Asian students, the decline in pass rate was 3.8 and 3.6 percentage points, respectively.

 

Table 15

Basic Skills Pass Rates for Summer Immersion Program (USIP) Participants*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Term

 

 

American Indian/Native Alaskan

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Missing/ Unknown

Total

Summer 2000

Total USIP

N

      3

    513

    566

    844

    384

    331

  2,641

Skills Proficient

%

 66.7

 55.4

 62.2

 58.1

 83.6

 66.8

 63.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2001

Total USIP

N

      4

    552

    626

    908

    381

    380

  2,851

Skills Proficient

%

 50.0

 54.2

 60.9

 54.0

 68.2

 65.5

 59.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2002

Total USIP

N

      5

    445

    521

    774

    320

    357

  2,422

Skills Proficient

%

 80.0

 55.3

 60.8

 55.6

 66.9

 60.8

 59.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2003

Total USIP

N

      4

    444

    625

  1,009

    370

    422

  2,874

Skills Proficient

%

 50.0

 51.8

 58.4

 57.2

 65.1

 63.5

 58.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Based on students allocated to CUNY's seven senior colleges and John Jay's baccalaureate programs. Students allocated to Medgar Evers, NYCCT and Staten Island are excluded because it is not possible to distinguish students admitted to baccalaureate programs from those admitted to associate programs and the majority of students begin in associate programs at these three colleges.

**For summer 1999, USIP participants were defined as any student who took one or more basic skills tests from July 1, 1999 through August 31, 1999. For the other years, USIP participation was based on students with a record on the USIP data file.


Finding: The majority of students in the Prelude to Success Program passed the Basic Skills Competency (77% over three years, 2001-2003) although the percentage of students passing has decreased by 9.8%. Among the participants, White and Asian students received a higher pass rate than Black and Hispanic students. The number of students in the Prelude to Success Program has declined from 419 in 2001 to 358 in 2003.      

 

Table 16A

Basic Skills Pass Rates for Prelude to Success Participants*

 

 

Asian            %

Black           %

Hispanic       %

White           %

Total             %

Fall 2001

84.6

82.2

80.9

88.7

83.5

Fall 2002

75.6

69.8

75.0

79.3

73.8

Fall 2003

75.6

73.1

66.7

83.6

73.7

 

*Percentage of students who demonstrated basic skills competency in reading, writing, and math by the end of the fall terms as well as those students who enrolled in a baccalaureate program in the following spring but whose fall test data were not available from the CUNY Central test database, due to data transmission problems.

 

·        In fall 2001, close to 90% of White students, 85% of Asian students, and over 80% of Black and Hispanic students demonstrated Basic Skills Competency.

 

·        The pass rate for each of the ethnic groups dropped in the following year (2002), with a 6% drop for Hispanic students, 9% for White students, 11% for Asian students, and 13% for Black students.

 

·        In fall 2003, the pass rate for Hispanic students continued to decrease, while White, and Black students had an increasing passing rate compared to 2002 and the pass rate for Asian students remained the same.     

 


Finding: Data indicates that CLIP improved students’ language skills. Based on the result of students’ score gains measured by different assessment methods (CLIP essay, ACT essay, Michigan Test, and other tests), over three quarters of students performed better in post-test than in pre-test. In addition, the University tracked a cohort of 4,008 students who were last enrolled in CLIP during 2000 or 2001. The result indicated that 61.3% (2,455) of this group enrolled at CUNY by March 2004. Among them, 11.9% (291) enrolled in baccalaureate programs and 88.1% (2,164) in associate programs. Finally, data suggests the decline in ESL course enrollments might be attributed to the growth in CLIP.

         

Table 17A

Success Rates for CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP) Participants*

 

Test

N

Improved Score on Post-test                 %

CLIP Essay

11,238

77.0

ACT Essay

1,890

75.0

Michigan Test

11,263

86.3

Any One or More Test

11,880

93.5

Note: * Based on students with both pre- and post-test scores. 


Finding: Data indicates that a higher percentage of College Now participants were admitted and enrolled in baccalaureate programs than non-participants, based on the result of tracking a cohort of New York City high school graduates who applied for admission as first-time freshmen in the fall of 2002.

 

Table 18

A

Applications, Admissions, and Enrollment of First-time Freshmen

from NYC Public High Schools with and without College Now Experience

Fall 2002 Cohort

 

 

Baccalaureate Program

 

 

College Now

No College Now

Number of Applicants

6,280

13,924

 

Admitted to a Baccalaureate Program (%)

71.9

60.8

 

Total Skills Proficient by August 31, 2002 (%)

63.6

50.8

 

Enrolled in a Baccalaureate Program (%)

33.9

25.3

 

 

·        Of the 6,280 applicants who participated in College Now, 71.9% were admitted to a baccalaureate program, 63.6% were skills proficient by the end of the summer, and 33.9 % enrolled in baccalaureate programs.

 

·        In comparison, of the 13,924 applicants who had not participated in College Now, 60.8 were admitted to a baccalaureate program, 50.8% were skills proficient by the end of the summer, and 25.3% enrolled in a baccalaureate program.

 

·        In addition, CUNY reported that 30% of all new public high school graduates who entered CUNY in the fall of 2002 participated in College Now. For the fall 2003 entering class, the proportion was about 32%.


Finding: In 2002-2003, overall, 81% of students registered in the College Now program earned a C or better in college coursework. Among the participants, a higher percentage of White (87%) and Asian (85%) students were academically successful than that of Black (78%) and Hispanic (77%) students.

 

 

Table 19A

College Now Registrations and Success Rates*

 

 

 

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Unknown

Total

Registration

N

6,557

12,322

9,945

10,416

12,016

51,256

Success Rates

%

85.1

77.5

76.6

86.6

82.0

81.2

Note: * Reflects data for all the most recent complete academic year as of March 30, 2004. Success is defined as earning a C or better in College Now coursework. 

 

 

 

 



* College Admission Average (CAA) is the student’s grade point average computed on the basis of high school courses deemed by CUNY to be college preparatory.