With more students enrolling at Sacramento State, class loads of incoming freshman is increasing, with an eye toward four-year graduation. (Sacramento State/Jessica Vernone)

Sacramento State’s increased support for first-year students to graduate in four years is paying off.

The total enrollment for the Fall 2017 semester is 30,716, about 185 more students than last year. That increase of less than 1 percent has been accompanied by an 8 percent increase in the unit load – or number of classes – students are signing up for.

Of this semester’s entering freshmen, 66.1 percent are taking 15 or more units, up from 61.1 percent last year.

University officials are crediting several programs that were launched last year.

The Finish in Four program encourages first-year students to graduate in four years by taking at least 30 units a year. For the Fall 2017 semester 83 percent of first-year students pledged to carry that load. Last year’s figure was 62 percent.

Meanwhile the average unit load for new freshmen this semester is holding steady at 14.6 percent – still the highest level in a decade.

In addition to programs, Sacramento State added 658 class sections last year. The University hired 77 new faculty for the Fall 2017 semester and is in the process of hiring another 60 instructors for next year.

“Under President Robert S. Nelsen’s leadership, faculty and staff have put students squarely at the center of their educational experiences and focused on removing barriers to their efforts,” says Ching-Hue Wang, Sacramento State provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “The increased average unit load is a reflection of the intended outcomes of the collective efforts mounted by the faculty, staff, and students.”

One of the University’s programs is KEYS to Degree. Created last year, it’s an online offering of tools students can use to plan their courses for four years based on criteria such as academic interest, program requirements, and personal responsibilities including job and family obligations.

“Sac State tracks all these student preferences and other indicators to better understand and improve student probabilities of success resulting in academic degree completion,” says Jim Dragna, executive director of University Initiatives and Student Success.

And these programs also are augmented by a more direct approach as well. “Faculty, advisers and peer mentors now ‘call out’ to students in phone and in-person interviews regarding class scheduling and ongoing support,” Dragna says.

This year’s enrollment includes:

• About 3,400 new freshmen.
• Approximiately, 3,800 new transfers.
• 700 new first-time graduate students

For more information about Sacramento State’s enrollment and graduation programs, call Student Affairs at (916) 278-6060 or visit the Finish in Four website . For media assistance, call University Communications at (916) 278-6156. - Craig Koscho