By Ben Grover, December 9, 2025
The California State University system developed a new Student Success Framework with the goal of finding and improving ways to help and support students on their path to graduation.
The new framework, which comes after the conclusion of the Graduation Initiative 2025, a project the CSU put into place in 2015 that focused on improving graduation metrics by 2025, will focus on cost affordability, clear education advising and creating pathways for students to future jobs or continued education.
“With the creating of GI 2025, the CSU charged all campuses to think about what you can do as it related to graduation rates,” said Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Jonathan Grady.
Associate Vice President of Student Success Cecilia Santiago-González said the new framework emphasizes each campus collecting data to improve the overall student experience for each campus.
For example, one factor the CSU and CPP look to address with the new framework is reducing retention rates of students, especially first-time freshmen. According to Santiago-González, this came after data analysis revealed students who experienced a drop in their grades during the first year were more likely to withdraw from CPP.
“I think this is an opportunity to have a renewed commitment,” Santiago-González said. “It’s a time to reflect, plan and innovate on how we support students in this new world.”
According to the framework strategy details, along with lower retention rates, one element that the CSU and CPP are looking to address is affordability for every student who wants to attend a CSU.
Shonda Goward, associate vice president for Undergraduate Advising and Success at San José State University, said the new framework’s goal is to lower the cost of attendance for students considering or already attending a CSU.
The CSU plans to do this with two approaches, the first being partnering with agencies and not-for-profit organizations to expand affordable housing and transportation access.
This approach is already being implemented at CPP with programs like CPP’s free to ride bus, the Bronco Express Shuttle.
Goward said the second approach the CSU and CPP are looking into is accelerating advocacy efforts to reduce the total cost of attendance, like promoting FAFSA and applying for scholarships. CPP will be hosting a FAFSA completion event Dec. 14, where faculty will be available to help students complete their FAFSA.
“There are things we can do locally,” Santiago-González said. “That’s why everyone is going to play a part in this. We may not be able to reduce tuition directly, but can we do to raise money for students and promote scholarships.”
The third factor the new framework looks to improve is advancing analytic tracking of student success.
“We are evolving the way we measure our student success,” Goward said. “We will be tracking critical outcomes system wide. … We should see what happens when a student graduates and where they land. We’re going to start measuring them.”
Goward said the new analytics will track the value of a CSU degree, affordability and access, maximizing California’s investment, the premier workplace and California’s competitive advantage.
The CSU will spend the next two years in collaboration with the Chancellor’s Office and the 23 CSUs to set and implement the new guidelines from the updated framework, according to Goward.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo
