The Taking Stock Initiative is an early intervention designed to normalize the transition experience for new students and to increase a student’s potential for academic success and graduation.
Purpose
The primary objective of the Taking Stock Initiative is to promote meaningful conversations between undergraduates in their first semester or year at CSU and their Resident Assistant or other identified peer. These interactions provide early feedback and responses to the survey help guide the conversation. The long-term impact of Taking Stock is to improve persistence rates and decrease opportunity gaps by better informing the intentional conversations, so these conversations have an impact on students’ ability to be successful in their first year at CSU.
The Taking Stock Program begins with an online survey, which is sent to all new first-year and transfer students at CSU. Students complete the survey during the fourth week of the semester and are encouraged to reflect on their experiences during the first few weeks at CSU.
After the survey is completed, students are contacted by a designated peer to discuss their strengths and challenges, which are identified based on the survey data. Students are also referred to campus resources based on survey data and one-on-one meeting discussions, and may receive outreach from their academic advisor or other members of their support network based on their Taking Stock survey responses.
Taking Stock Survey Areas
- Sense of belonging
- Connection to community
- Involvement
- Resources
All new first-year and transfer students participate in the Taking Stock Initiative.
The Taking Stock survey is administered within the first four weeks of the fall and spring semester. Taking Stock peer conversations are held after students complete the Taking Stock survey.
Additional Information
90% of new CSU students complete the Taking Stock survey and engage in a conversation with a peer about their responses.
Taking Stock Partners
