Chico State’s 2025 Graduation Initiative struggled in its first year, due to lack of funding.

The 2025 initiative was created in 2015 by CSU Chancellor, Tim White, in an effort to ambitiously raise graduation rates.

The CSU fiscal year begins in July, but Chico State did not receive the money for the Graduation Initiative until November. Meaning it was too late to implement new programs for the fall semester.

When the money did come in it was only a one-time allocation to Chico State. This made it difficult to implement any long-term programs, according to graduation initiative co-chair, William Locker.

The funding Chico State received from the CSU system amounted to $1.3 million, with the University also contributing an additional $200,000.

For the 2017-18 fiscal year, the 2025 GI had $1.5 million to work with and invested them as follows:

· $420,000 for additional classes aimed at graduating seniors in the Spring 2017 semester

· $330,000 grants to students for expanded winter and summer session aimed at graduating seniors

· $200,000 improved data analytic capacity

· $182,000 expanded advising services

· $128,000 systems for accelerated financial aid processing

· $110,000 expanded supplemental instruction tutoring

· >$100,000 in additional funds to smaller projects

The budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year will remain up-in-the-air until June 30, along with final plans for the 2025 GI in the fall, according to Locker.

The State budget will not be finalized until the end of June, but the CSU system has released preliminary budgets to the different CSUs.

According to the preliminary budget for Chico State, the GI 2025 will have double the funding previously allocated it.

The GI 2025 will have almost $3 million to work with if the state budget does not undergo drastic changes.

Historically, the initial state budget is more or less the same as the final budget, President Hutchinson indicated at the last University Budget Committee meeting.

The GI 2025 committee is only an advisory board to the Provost and VP of Student Affairs, the Provost is ultimately responsible for making decisions for the GI 2025.

The Provost will be submitting a final plan for the GI 2025 to the CSU Chancellor soon, according to, Provost, Debra S Larson.

Daniel Wright can be reached at [email protected] or @Danny_W_Chico on Twitter.