An Evening With UC San Diego: A Team Outreach Program
By Cynthia Davalos, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs
Right: Grossmont Union High School District welcomes us at an Evening with UCSD.
An Evening with UC San Diego, featuring Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, is a special outreach program that was created in 2006 in response to the Chancellor’s request to meet continuously with the local community and to address topics relating to access to UC San Diego. Staff from Cal-SOAP, the Chancellor’s Office and the Office of the Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs met to design a more intimate admissions program for local families that would allow time for more than one or two questions. Utilizing a model comparable to those used by smaller private universities and bringing in key administrators and student leaders, the team designed an evening program at local high schools that would feature Chancellor Fox as the host and moderator for families to take a closer look at admissions and student life at UC San Diego. Early supporters of the program were Assistant Vice Chancellor Mae Brown, Financial Aid Director Ann Klein, Career Services Director Andy Ceperley and students from the Student Affirmative Action Coalition (SAAC).
Left: Chancellor Mary Anne Fox; Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Penny Rue; Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, Cynthia Davalos, with Eastlake High School staff and UC San Diego alum at an Evening with UC San Diego event in the South Bay for Sweetwater School District families.
The program, planned in close coordination with San Diego County school districts, targets sophomore and junior students with a minimum 3.0 GPA who are on a UC eligible track. Particular focus is paid to those school districts possessing racially diverse student populations. An Evening with UC San Diego begins with a welcome from Chancellor Fox, and includes a brief introduction on student life from Vice Chancellor Penny Rue, then takes a closer look at the admissions and financial aid processes, followed by a brief presentation on the hottest careers for college graduates. Prior to the formal program, staff from the supporting offices set up tables to outreach to the students and their families. At the end of the program, the Chancellor opens it up to questions. Parents quickly take advantage of this opportunity by asking questions on topics ranging from the specifics of A-G requirements to scholarships and financial aid. In a recent Student Voice survey completed after the Grossmont Unified School District program, 72.3 percent of families indicated that prior to the presentation they were only considering applying to UC San Diego. However, upon completion of the program 98.4 percent responded that they would be applying to UC San Diego.
UCSD Student Promoted Access Center and Education Services (SPACES) students are key partners in the Evening with UC San Diego program. Students from a variety of SAAC organizations mingle with high school students before the program and participate in a student panel, while parents listen to the presentations given by administrators. A shuttle is provided to transport all participants, including the Chancellor, to the school sites to ensure ample participation by the UCSD community.
As the program has developed, colleagues from Early Academic Outreach Programs (EAOP), Biological Sciences, Chicano/a-Latino/a Arts and Humanities (CLAH) Program, and alumni have participated to make this a true collaborative effort in order to attract local, high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds. To date, an Evening with UC San Diego has taken place at The Elementary Institute of Science, West Hills High School, East Lake High School, Otay Ranch High School, and Helix High School. Students and families not only from these particular high schools, but the school districts they serve are invited. The final visit for the 2009 academic year will take place in South East San Diego.