You are now inside the main content area
Committed to Latinx Student Success
Excelencia in Education’s mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education. Excelencia is committed to significantly increasing the number of Latino students attaining college degrees by 2030 in partnership with institutions. As part of this commitment, Excelencia in Education established the Seal of Excelencia, a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment to intentionally serve Latino students.
Cal State Fullerton celebrates earning the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education in 2021 and recertification in 2024.
The three-year certifications recognize the university’s longstanding commitment to Latinx student success and trendsetting leadership in engaging, enrolling and graduating Latinx students.
CSUF is one of only 10 institutions across the nation to have earned the 2021 seal and one of nine recertified institutions this year.
Recertification is grounded in the Seal of Excelencia framework and compels institutions to share how they are transforming with sustaining strategies that SERVE Latino students while serving all.
CSUF Seal of Excelencia Highlights since 2021
Enrollment
Center for Educational Partnerships and Outreach and Recruitment Efforts in Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Fullerton
45% increase in enrollment for Latinx students from 2021-2023
Outreach and Recruitments targeted recruitment programs with bilingual outreach to students and families
Increase of Latinx applicants and enrollment
Innovation Scholars Program with Santa Ana College and Santa Ana Unified
Enrollment of 662 Santa Ana Unified graduates (97% Latinx) and 1,078 Santa Ana College (79% Latinx)
Transfer In and Out
College of Engineering and Computer Science Project RAISE
Increase retention rates of Latinx students from 82% in 2022 to 93% in 2023
College of Education's Men of Color in Education and Titan Future Teachers
53% of Titan Future Teachers are transfer students and 42% Men of Color in Education and persistence rate of 89% in 2023
Veteran’s Ambassador Program
41% transfer students and 78% of participants enrolled or graduated by Fall 2023
Representation
Conducting Equitable and Inclusive Search Workshops
10% of Tenure track faculty applicants were Latinx in 2023 and went to 12% in 2024
AAP Data Driven Recruitments
Latinx faculty increased from 11.5% in 2019 to 16% in 2023
Faculty of Color Learning Community
70% of participants received tenure since joining and 20% are Latinx
Seal of Excelencia Goals Through 2027
Our campus is committed to continuing our efforts to serve Latinx students. Within our Seal of Excelencia recertification application, we committed to the following goals.
Faculty and Recruitment Development
- Continuing the work of the Equity Pedagogy Module Series that support faculty in inclusive pedagogical and curriculum changes
- Equity Advocates Program to enhance more inclusive and equitable tenure track faculty searches
Student Transition and Pathways
- We are committed to Latinx student success before they even come to our campus. Through the work of the Transfer, Adult, Pregnant, and Parenting Students office, we strive to ensure that no matter what stage of life our students are in, we are committed to their success at Cal State Fullerton.
- Through the work of the Scholarhship Office and Titan Hub, CSUF is ensuring that our students and their families have resources to navigate all aspect of their academic journey on our campus in on centralized location.
- Fullerton ASPIRE is funded by the Department of Education to improve graduation and retention rates for underserved students. The program includes a Transfer Open House for community college students who are considering transferring to CSUF.
Basic Needs
- Cal State Fullerton recognizes the need to holistically support our students’ academic journey, including ensuring their basic needs like food, finances, mental health, and others are met. We are committed to expanding our campus Food Pantry, developing a framework that extends care to our students through care specialists and college liaisons, and implementing a mobile crisis team on our campus.
Additional Practices Highlighted in the Seal of Excelencia
Cal State Fullerton remains steadfast in our commitment to serve Latinx students and create a campus community where they can thrive, including our graduate students. For example, our Animó Counseling Emphasis provides counselor education training for students who are interested in serving the Latinx population upon graduation. Furthermore, Project UpGrads is dedicated to promoting graduate student development and success. The Center for Education Partnerships aims to foster collaborative efforts in education, supporting students in access and admissions to our campus. Finally, Project MISS (Mathematics Intensive Summer Session) offers an intensive summer program for mathematics instruction, possibly targeting underrepresented groups or graduate students pursuing advanced studies in math. Many of these programs have already been highlighted as examples of Excelencia.
Highlighted the use of Seal of Excelencia in recruitment, campus accolades, and markerting/advertising in local and national publications.
- Focus on graduate students
- Animó Counseling Emphasis
- Project UpGrads
- Examples of Excelencia Programs at CSUF
- Center for Education partnerships
- Animó Counseling Emphasis
- Project MISS (Mathematics Intensive Summer Session)
