1995_04 Insight April 1995

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APRIL 5,1995
In Focus
Mentors help new students
♦ Freshmen and students coming from community
colleges offered assistance in making the transition
By Sean Lynch
StaffWriler
University life can be overwhelming for some first-time university
students and city college transfers.
Many students need a helping hand to deal with the change of environment. CSUF offers just such a program.
The Faculty Mentoring Program was started in 1987, with a handful of CSU campuses taking part in the experimental project.
Funded by money from the state's lottery, the program targets first-
generation and economically-disadvantaged students. However,
any student interested in thc program can join.
Lea Ybarra, acting provost of academic planning and student services,
sees the program as very successful since its initialization.
"Our students tend to advance faster towards their graduation goal
than other students not in the program."
The program lasts for one semester.
According to the FMP students' GPA report issued on March 10,
1995, the student enrollment and GPA breakdown for the Fall 1994
semester was impressive.
Total enrollment for the fall 1994 semester was 243 students. Forty-
eight percent of the students earned a GPA of 3.0 lo 4.0. Twenty-three
percent earned a GPA of 2.5 to 2.9. The remaining students fell below
these levels of achievement
"When our students enter CSUF, they don't know what to do," Ybarra
said. "We try and assign half Of them to faculty mentors and the other
half to graduate student mentors.
"These people help the students through personal problems and try
and explain to the students some of the expectations they will face at
the university level."
Although the mentor program has had many positive results, there
are some who think not all aspects of the program are correctly benefiting students.
Sociology professor John Tinker said. "Although I haven't been
heavily involved in the program as other instructors have, I find it
hard to see the benefit of connecting a student wilh a professor that
the two do not have a common enterprise together.
"It's hard to build a relationship with a student that meets you for
the first time and is expected to open up to you."
By "common enterprise." Tinker means it's easier to continue building a relationship with students who have had a class with the professor. This way the instructor and student have had a common experience with each other before ihey arc connected through the program.
The program begins with "Thc Freshman Seminar." This is an orientation course all the students must participate in. Thc objective is
to introduce students to campus life and resources and to address the
problems many new students encounter. Finally, the students discuss
career goals and methods to improve their study skills.
The concept of mentoring is not new to higher education. CSUF
believes lhat by offering students a mentoring program they are better equipped to give every student a rich and rewarding educational
experience.
Interested students should contact the Chicano and Latin American
Studies office in Social Science 211 for more information, or call
278-2848.
All eyes are on CSUF marquee board
By Troy Wagner
StaffWriler
It's big, it's garish, and it's high-tech.
It's the athletic department's flashy electronic marquee board at the southwest corner of Cedar and Barstow.
Now in its third year of operation, thc
board is viewed by nearly 31 million
drivers and pedestrians during the year
and is in the view of over 84,000 people
on any given day.
And. for only $25 a week, any campus
organization can have an event advertised.
According to Kevin Rochlilz, CSUF assistant athletic marketing director, numerous campus organizations use the 20-by-
30 board to promote upcoming campus ac-
"The Housing Department and the organizers for Vintage Days have taken advantage of the relatively cheap rates," Rochlitz
said. "The board is a great source of infor-
for the athletic department, the campus and the community."
Local businesses, notably Applebee's restaurants and Long's Drugs, have also taken
advantage of the high-profile board, paying
$50 for a week's worth of plugs.
Rochlitz said the local businesses that advertise on the board are game sponsors for
the women's softball and basketball games.
By sponsoring a game, Rochlitz said, businesses receive advertising on the board, and
— depending on the time of the year — on
the scoreboard at Bulldog Stadium.
Because of the commitment to game sponsors. Rochlitz said campus organizations can
purchase advertising on thc board for one
week at a time.
The board runs ads 24 hours a day and includes the time and temperature every few
But what happens on a slow week?
"We always have something to have on the
board." Rochlitz said. "If we don't have any
advertising from local businesses or from
campus organizations, we publicize upcoming athletic events, and we have the time
and temperature up there."
In his 8-by-8 office in the athletic marketing office in thc North Gym. Rochlitz
creates the designs via computer for the
marquee board.
"It usually takes me about an hour and a
half to two hours to type in all of the ads
for the week," Rochlitz said. "Once I type
them in, I 'send' them by modem to the
message board."
Rochlitz said thc revenue generated from
the marquee board goes directly to the athletic department but "pays just enough to
maintain the board."
Organizations interested in advertising on
the marquee board should contact Rochlitz
at the athletic marketing office by calling
278-3198.
S6etc6y &ituati*M'
i by Dan Helmbold/lnslght
CSUF junior Allison Sambueso takes advantage of the sunlight and
comfortable weather while working on a drawing of the new Music Building
for her Art 20 class.
Has anyone you know conquered death?
About 2,000 years ago lived a man whom
the world still talks about - every day.
He made some outrageous claims about
how he would be killed and then rise
from the dead. Then he fulfilled them.
As this Easter season approaches,
we invite you to investigate the life and
claims of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible,
in the New Testamant accounts
of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
He can change your life too.
R. C. Adams • Mass Communication & Journalism
R. Gene Anderson • Speech Communication
Alicia Andrade Owen • Career Development
J. Richard Arndt • Advising & Testing Services
Robert Arnold • Mathematics
Joanne Atwell • International Programs
Arlene Blrellne • Career Development
Ron Blanton • Art & Design
Melanle Bloom • Speech Communication
Vlnce Bloom • Speech Communication
Judy Bonander • CCMS
Earl H. Bowerman • Plant Science
Karen Dill Bowerman • Management
Thomas Boyle • Student Life/Development
Nancy K. Brian • Art & Design
Felton Burns • Health and Social Work
Kay Conner • Public Information
Nina Dllbeck • Child, Family and Consumer Sciences
Inez Elllston • CTET
Minerva Escobedo»Registrar
Nancy Lee Evenson • CCMS
Sandy Flsk • Information Systems & Decision Sciences
Judith Gonzalez-Calvo • Women's Studies
Vickie Gould • Football
Evelyn Harris • Student Aid Accounting
Tony Hemmelgarn • Women's Basketball
Pat Hennlngs • Art and Design
Mahlon M. S. Hlle • Plant Science & Mechanized
Agriculture
Dewey E. Johnson • Management
Ruth Kallenberg • Library
Gary M. Koch • Plant Science
Randy Larson • Auxiliary Services
Armando A. Llamas • Grounds
Terry Lebda • Communicative Sciences & Disorders
Dwayne A. McCallster • Electrical and Computer
Engineering
Marilyn McHaney • Craig School of Business
Wayne Merchen • Geography
Rosalina Messer • Chemistry
Ann Morgan • Financial Aid
Peggie Morgan • Library
"Why do you
look for the living
among the dead?
He is not here;
he has risen!"
Luke 24:5, 6
Ken Moshier • Industrial Technology
Paul W. Ogden • Communicative Sciences and Disorders
Patrick Ogle • The Bulldog Foundation
Steve Olson • CATI
Shirley Panlco • Mass Communication & Journalism
Wanda Patton • Psychology
Donna Plckel • Physical Education & Human Performance
Nancy Ann Rodriguez • Facilities Planning
Sarah Rodriguez • Financial Aid/Scholarships
Mike Rupclch • Athletics - Baseball
Bill Schotke • Environmental Health & Safety
Bud Stude • Rehabilitation Counseling Program
Jim Sweeney • Athletics - Football
Lee Temby • CCMS
Nancy Tillman • Management
Janet Van Wy he • Kennel Bookstore
Alan Rufus Waters • International Business Program
Mike Watney • Athletics - Golf Coach
Susan Welgant • Kennel Bookstore
Cindy Womack • School of Natural Sciences
Matthew Yen • Industrial Technology
■ Sponsored by the CSU, Fresno Faculty/Staff Christian Fellowship