Cal State and Minority Needs

Your editorial (“Minorities Need More Help to Make the Grade,” Dec. 20) was right on target in stating that although many Latino, black and Asian students from kindergarten to college do well in Orange County, a significant number have problems that should be of major concern to the entire country.

I am pleased that the editorial acknowledged a recently completed research survey on the needs of the Vietnamese students at Cal State Fullerton. The university initiated the survey two years ago as one means of improving service to these students, who make up the largest foreign nationality group on our campus.

Among the university’s responses to the findings was the hiring of a Vietnamese counselor to head a new Intercultural Center, which provides a focal point for counseling and special education for ethnic groups that heretofore have not had such a place on campus.

A faculty-staff Cross-Cultural Caucus was formed too, and it has presented programs in many classes and for various campus faculty and staff organizations to acquaint other cultures with the unique features of the Vietnamese culture.

Finally, a unique Partners program was formed by the late Prof. Priscilla Oaks to pair American-born students with students from abroad who are unfamiliar with our culture, so that each may learn from the other. This program has been immensely popular with our students.

Meanwhile, the university is aggressively engaged in many other activities to encourage under-represented minority students to pursue and complete higher education.

We have a campuswide faculty mentor program and also a school-based educational equity advising system with a faculty network. Furthermore, we work closely with the President’s Community Minority Affairs Advisory Council, whose membership includes American Indian, black, Latino and Vietnamese leaders and whose main mission is to enhance access of minorities to higher education and their rate of success.

JEWEL PLUMMER COBB

President, Cal State University, Fullerton