SAIL Program Receives Multi-Million Dollar Grant From Department of Education

SAIL, the Student Assistance in Learning program at Cal State San Bernardino, has been awarded a $373,614 grant for the year beginning on Sept. 1 under the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Support Services Program, allowing it to continue its work to help students succeed at CSUSB. The grant, which will be awarded annually for a total of five years, was part of $270 million in awards for 968 projects that were announced July 17 by the federal education department. The grants are aimed at helping increase the number of low-income college students, first-generation students, and those with disabilities, to successfully obtain a college degree. SAIL serves students who are (or soon to be) undergraduates at CSUSB and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and either come from a low-income family, or are first-generation college students or students with a disability. “SAIL counselors and students develop goals for each year in school – from freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years – and tailor those services to where the students are,” said Deborah Flores, SAIL’s director. “The students do very well.” SAIL, which has served more than 5,000 students at CSUSB since 1981 and currently serves 325 students, has a track record that speaks to that success: * The program’s persistence rate from fall 2013 to fall 2014 was 93 percent; * 54.3 percent of SAIL’s active students qualified for the spring quarter honor roll with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, with 11 students achieving a 4.0 GPA; * 50 percent of its students had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework at the end of the 2015 spring quarter, compared to the university’s cumulative GPA of 2.994; and * SAIL’s average six-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen (2001-02 through 2008-09 cohorts) was 53.8 percent – exceeding the campus as a whole. SAIL will continue to provide services to promote persistence, achievement, graduation and post-graduate studies. These services include targeted academic support; frequent and proactive academic counseling based on a student development model; early intervention for at-risk students; and activities designed to promote non-cognitive factors (academic mindset, social belonging and self-efficacy) critical for achievement in postsecondary education. More specifically, the program provides its students with services that include academic support and skill-building classes, and advising and counseling in the areas of academic, financial aid, personal finance, graduate school and personal development planning. One of SAIL’s most important missions is to provide students with a home base on campus in which they feel supported, valued and encouraged. The SAIL staff website reads, “A smile, some advice, encouragement, an ear. What do you need today?” Jannice Burling is a senior social work major and a SAIL student assistant and peer counselor. She also has benefitted directly from the services SAIL offers as a student herself. Burling said being part of SAIL is essentially being part of a tight-knit community, and that includes the approachable counseling staff. In Burling’s case, the relationship with a counselor helped her explore what she wanted to do both academically and once she graduated from CSUSB. As she described it, she was essentially lost in her freshman and sophomore years, taking the wrong classes. Then she met with SAIL counselor Julia Munyandamutsa, who provided Burling the guidance she needed. And it’s a relationship that is ongoing, with the counselor periodically checking with the student to make sure he or she is on track. Also fostering a sense of community are activities SAIL sponsors during the academic quarters designed to enhance student success. The Quarter Kickoff event is held on a Saturday at the beginning of each term and offers student success workshops and guest speakers in a conference style format. The SAIL Study Marathon for Final Exams occurs on the Saturday preceding final exams. It provides SAIL students with a quiet place to study and prepare for their final exams, term papers, and end-of-the-quarter projects. Students attending the study marathon have access to computers, writing tutors, and review sessions for SAIL’s academic support classes. "Every student has the right to an equal opportunity to learn and succeed in college," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said when the grant awards were announced. "These grants provide critical support to students who can benefit from extra help and encouragement along their college journey, enabling them to reach their personal goals and contribute to the economic vitality of our nation."