Campus Highlights:
Chancellor's Office

​Of the 2.6 million U.S. students who began college in fall 2019, more than 26% never returned the following year according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. This number reflects an estimated 679,000 students likely impacted by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 and the subsequent economic and social distress that followed.

When the Chancellor’s Office announced five equity priorities to help advance student success and eliminate equity gaps in November 2021, the first listed priority was to identify, engage and reenroll students who had left the California State University during the pandemic. The Reengagement and Reenrollment Equity Task Force, stewarded by Academic and Student Affairs staff members Carolina Cardenas, Cynthia Alvarez and Darlene Daclan and composed of a wide range of campus administrators, set out to help foster a path back to the CSU.

One immediate step? Help simplify how a student reenrolls.

“After meeting with campuses, the topic of students reapplying and the lengthy process to complete the application continued to come up,” said Darlene Daclan who serves as director of Academic and Student Affairs Business Systems with the Office of the Chancellor.

To reenroll, campuses direct students to reapply through the Cal State Apply website or, in some cases, have students complete a separate reenrollment form that needs to be manually inputted into a student’s record by campus staff. This created both an extra step for students and placed an additional burden on campuses. Working collaboratively with both IT and campus content experts, the task force has created a streamlined “Welcome Back” application form for returning students that builds on a student’s existing record and does not exceed more than 10 fields to complete.

“Asking students to reapply after leaving the campus for one or more semesters can cause feelings of anxiety, as if they have to prove themselves again,” observed Carolina Cardenas, director of Academic Preparation, Policy and Programs. “Even changing the name of the form helped to create a sense of returning home to their academic family.”

The new form will be made available to CSU campuses this June. The Welcome Back form also does not require an application fee for returning students, eliminating a financial constraint “Reapplying is a daunting task for students," added Daclan. “Strategies like simplifying a reenrollment application form minimizes steps for students on their path back to the CSU and makes their return more welcoming.”

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