“I called up a couple people to inquire about a market analysis, and it was going to cost a pretty penny,” Morales said. “Then one of the people I talked to told us about the Cal State San Marcos program. We looked into it and decided this was a perfect fit.”

The Senior Experience Program matches teams of graduating business students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations looking for feasibility studies, business plans, marketing research or workflow improvements. Students benefit by working as consultants on rigorous, real-world challenges that require teamwork and the application of classroom knowledge. Businesses gain by receiving concentrated attention from bright, energetic teams that provide a fresh, independent look at their goals.

Past projects include developing strategies for California Coast Credit Union to boost its Generation Y member base. Another involved market research on Target’s guest services and the benefits that they offer to customers.

The Senior Experience burnishes CSUSM’s credentials as a leader in collaborating with the community. And this project underscores the University’s history of closely working with local tribes, an effort that extends to 25 Native American communities in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“This is a unique opportunity for our students to engage with a tribal community and tribal leadership,” said Tishmall Turner, a member of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians who also serves as CSUSM’s Tribal Liaison, the only tribal liaison in the California State University system. “San Diego County has the largest number of reservations of any county in the country, so it makes sense for Cal State San Marcos to be engaged with the local tribes.”

That Rincon Nursery specializes in drought tolerant plants native to the region makes the Senior Project effort even more compelling.

The Rincon Tribal Nursery’s experience has, in many ways, been typical of the Senior Experience. Businesses and organizations submit an application to the college for review, and selected projects are matched with students based on qualifications and interest. Months of market research, interviews and meetings are involved, culminating with an in-depth report and a project presentation.

This year presentations will be on May 5, and neither the Rincon Tribal Nursery nor the Rincon Tribal Council will know until then what the team of five seniors has found. A Senior Experience Trade Show is set for May 12 at the USU Ballroom.

“The Senior Experience is one of our signature programs, a program that benefits local businesses and nonprofit organizations and benefits our students,” said Professor of Marketing Dr. Vassilis Dalakas, who served as the faculty advisor to the team working with the Rincon Tribal Nursery. “It enables our students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it for the benefit of a business or nonprofit.”

Dalakas said he was impressed by his group’s work. “They have really done a very thorough job. The draft was 179 pages. This is not something you can just throw together the night before. Their analysis is comprehensive, thorough and detailed, and it would cost quite a bit of money if this were prepared by a marketing firm.”

The team wasted no time in getting organized, holding its first meeting the week before classes even began. Roles were quickly defined. Amy Armstrong was selected as team leader and representative. Setarre Bringman and Illyvia Samala were appointed primary and secondary researchers. Rachelle Garcia was the designated writer. And Samantha Butts was given the task of pulling the research together into a readable format.

In addition, each senior was tasked with investigating a specific business plan to pursue. Options and strategies include growing a customer base of big box retailers; growing a customer base of landscapers; growing a customer base of contractors; or focusing on growing as a retail nursery. A social media and marketing plan also was included in the report.

“We wanted to give them as many options and opportunities to explore as possible,” Samantha said.

Research included analyzing the area’s demographics, talking to homeowners associations, looking at opportunities with government agencies and contractors and researching bid processes. They also contacted tribal governments to see what potential markets might exist there.

“They’ve been very dedicated to this, keeping me updated, asking the right questions,” Morales said.

The verdict?

“There is a very promising market for this kind of industry,” Amy said. “Native and drought tolerant plants are valuable not only for homeowners and homeowner associations, but they are also valuable to the construction industry because incentives exist to incorporate environmentally friendly landscaping in their projects. There is a growing market in California for drought tolerant, native plants. We have done thorough research and analysis and we are giving them some valuable tools that we believe can help them build a strong business.”

“It was extremely interesting to pull all this information together and work as a team,” Amy remarked. “It was really our time to shine.”

American Indian Heritage Month Kick-Off: Celebration of Song and Dance

Tuesday, Nov. 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Student Union

Enjoy a performance by bird singers, drummers and dancers and wear your green Civility T-shirt or learn how to earn your own!

Open House at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center

Friday, Nov. 7 from noon to 1 p.m. in SBSB 1118

The California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) is a welcoming place for students, faculty, staff and members of all tribal communities. Come out and meet the students and staff of the center, the first of its kind in the state of California, focused on serving the unique needs of American Indian students by conducting original research and preserving the cultural heritage and languages of tribal communities.

American Indian Myth Busters: Ask an American Indian Day

Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center - SBSB 118

Second Annual San Diego American Indian Film Festival

Thursday, Nov. 20 – Saturday, Nov. 22

The San Diego American Indian Film Festival (SDAIFF) is offering audiences in San Diego County the finest work in American Indian film and media on an annual basis. The SDAIFF will highlight the best of current films from American Indian filmmakers, producers, directors, and actors working through Indian Country.

Watch the SDAIFF's promotion reel below and then visit the official website or Facebook page, for more information and tickets. 

The recently released “State of American Indian and Alaskan Native Education in California 2014” report authored by the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) builds on a previous report released in 2012.

Made possible through a generous $500,000 gift by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the report compiles publicly available data to provide much-needed information about AI/ANs in the K-12, California State University and University of California systems. The data includes: enrollment and graduation rates, dropout rates, number of degrees conferred and number of personnel by race/ethnicity. The information contained in the report is particularly valuable given that California has the largest AI/AN population of any other state in the U.S. and, historically, AI/AN students drop out of high school at higher rates than their peers.

“The second year report shines a brighter light on where and when the decline in AI/AN enrollment is occurring, specifically within the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems,” wrote State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson in the report’s introduction.

AI/AN Students Fall Below State Achievement Levels for High School Graduation

The report confirmed the need for greater efforts to prepare K-12 students for high school graduation and entry into college.

“American Indian and Alaska Native high school students are graduating at rates six percent below the state average for other ethnic groups,” said co-author of the report, CICSC Director Joely Proudfit. “Even more troubling is the statistic that less than 25 percent of AI/AN high school graduates meet CSU/UC requirements for college admission.”

In fact the report shows that only 24.9 percent of AI/AN students are prepared to enter California’s four-year public university systems versus the state average of 38.3 percent.

Furthermore, at 18.5 percent the AI/AN dropout rate for 2011-12 remains higher than all other ethnic/racial groups in California except for Hispanics/Latinos, despite the fact that AI/ANs comprise only 1.9 percent of state demographics and Hispanics/Latinos comprise 37 percent of the state’s population.

AI/AN Enrollments Decline at California Community Colleges and California State Universities

Among the findings outlined in the report is the startling realization that the numbers of AI/AN students at community colleges and CSUs are declining despite the fact that enrollments at UCs are increasing. The enrollment rates from fall 2011 to fall 2012 at community colleges show a decline of 16 percent while the enrollment rate during the same time period at CSUs declined 61 percent. Meanwhile, the UC system saw an increase of 67 percent in AI/AN students enrolled from fall 2011 to fall 2012.

“The steady decline in the overall annual enrollment rate of AI/AN students in the CSU seems to indicate that we are admitting more students but they are dropping out—we are not retaining them once they get here,” said Proudfit.

Despite these troubling statistics, the report profiles institutions of higher learning which are involved in providing community outreach, student support and academic resources to assist AI/AN students achieve their post-secondary education.

CSUSM’s Commitment to Native American Students and Tribal Communities

Cal State San Marcos has an institutional commitment to American Indian education. Its record of tribal community engagement includes the implementation of a Tribal Initiative through which the University is exponentially increasing its recruitment, retention and graduation of American Indian students.

In 2004, the University hired a full-time tribal liaison, which remains the only position of its kind in the California State University system. That same year President Karen Haynes established the University’s Native Advisory Council, comprised of representatives from most neighboring tribes and tribal education leaders. In 2011, the University opened the CICSC which, in addition to conducting important research, hosts community events such as the annual San Diego American Indian Film Festival, which allows prospective and current students to share their experiences with the community.

In addition the University has a MOU with the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel (also known as the Santa Ysabel Band of Diegueno Indians), guaranteeing admission to all high school graduates who meet minimum CSU admission requirements. Cal State San Marcos also provides annual tribal-University events like the Tribal Education Summit and the President’s Report to Tribal Nations.

In support of its mission, the CICSC recently received a gift commitment of $200,000 from the Pala Band of Mission Indians as well as a gift of $100,000 from the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

“We are proud of the relationships that we have nurtured with our tribal partners who are fully engaged in working with us to ensure our regional American Indian students are receiving the support they need to be successful in today’s 21st century world,” said Proudfit. “We have seen firsthand the transformational impact of our strategies and we are passionate about continuing this important work to raise the educational attainment rate of our Native students.”

In 2012, CSUSM graduated 24 American Indian students with bachelors and masters degrees. The promising practices and relationships are ensuring that these numbers will continue to grow.

For more information, download the report online.