Our ability to generate higher annual numbers of minority SMET degree holders in the near future is based on the recent trend of escalating seniors. In the last five years, the number of minority seniors has grown by about 31 percent. Between fall 1996 and fall 1997, the annual increase was 5.4 percent. At the CSU, the class level distribution reveals that nearly 60 percent of the SMET minority enrollments are upper division students, and about 40 percent are seniors. Full-time status, however, varies by class level.
Freshmen are most likely to be full time and seniors are the least likely.
At the CSU, only about 20 percent of eventual graduates attempt 15 semester units or more every term of their academic career. The majority, about 60 percent, maintain full time status for most of their career, but they average just 12 units per term.