Your success is our priority!

Welcome! Our mission in First Year Connections is to provide Supportive Pathways and structures for first-year students transitioning from high to the university. We intentionally serve students by way of academic and student support in mathematics/English courses through peer engagement and timely support. 

 

First Year Connections Programs & Services

Every incoming student is part of First Year Connections! Our goal is to ensure students make meaningful connections and are supported as they complete their math and English in their first year.

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is used by the CSU in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics to determine a student's Early Assessment Program status.  In the spring of their high school junior year, students take the CAASPP English Language Arts/Literacy, and math exams, also referred to as SBAC.

Summer is a perfect opportunity for incoming first year students to enroll and earn college credit in math or an English course before the fall semester! Classes are interactive and designed to connect students with peers, faculty, and the campus while giving them a head start! Participation is based on CSU multiple measures.

The Peer Leader Program at California State University, Los Angeles, in partnership with Peer Forward, a national student success organization, connects selected incoming first-year students with students who have successfully navigated the college experience. 

PLUS is peer-to-peer academic support that provides discussion and guidance for your math/statistics course. 

(Temporarily discontinued) We offer testing services for students at Cal State LA and the surrounding community. We aim to provide a comfortable testing environment, appropriate accommodations, and practice professional testing standards.

Undergraduate Students: The following list courses serve to satisfy the Upper Division Writing Requirement and if passed with a grade of C or better, will satisfy the CSU Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).  Please note that a grade of C- will not satisfy the GWAR.  Students who earn a grade of C- or lower on the GWAR course for their major will need to repeat the course or take a different GWAR course.  Courses are discipline specific and may not serve as good alternatives for students who are not in that discipline. 

List of Approved GWAR Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Students: Policy states that International Graduate Students who graduate from universities where English is NOT the primary language of instruction and do not meet other exemptions (41+ on the CBEST or 4+ on the GRE/GMAT) must take one of the following Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWRA) courses:

List of Approved GWAR Graduate courses

 

For any questions regarding the GWAR, you can email us at AcademicPreparation@calstatela.edu

Contact Us

We are located in 

Library North Room 1034 (next to Cafe 47)

Email us at FirstYearConnect@calstatela.edu