CUMU Conference 2017

Over the years, access to post-secondary education has been elusive for undocumented students. Immigration policy, lack of financial assistance, and school infrastructure are some of the impediments that challenge undocumented students in their pursuit of higher education. While undocumented students have access to free public K-12 education, once they graduate high school they are left on their own by the public educational system (Frum, 2007). The purpose of this presentation is to highlight California State University, San Bernardino’s (CSUSB) approach to serving the growing number of undocumented students entering the university.
In order to determine the needs of these students, university staff conducted a series of intentional interventions, including telemarketing campaigns, email communication, and focus groups. Through this process, the university was able to capture information from undocumented students regarding the challenges they face as they navigate their way in a college setting. The findings prompted CSUSB educational leaders to take transformational steps to change the culture of the campus to attract, support, and graduate this emerging student population. First, the presentation will provide an overview of the feedback provided by students. Second, the presentation will detail the strategies implemented to address the student feedback. Finally, the presentation will discuss current immigration policies and the steps CSUSB is taking to continue serving the undocumented student population and their families.