Korey Domingos was determined to graduate from college in four years, even if that involved going to school full-time while working two full-time jobs.

She said she believes some students who have the ambition and drive to finish in four years are faced with circumstances beyond their control that make it difficult. Domingos credits Fresno State’s Strategic Teacher Education Partnership (STEP) cohort program for helping her to succeed and graduate in four years.

The program is a two-year pathway offered by the Department of Liberal Studies at Fresno State. Students in a STEP cohort have their classes pre-selected for them, and they go through the program with the same peers in each class. The cohorts are also set up with cohort-specific faculty, allowing faculty to better align their curriculum and exams. The program removes the stress of registering for classes and ensures, with successful program completion, a set graduation date.

In 2015, the California State University launched Graduation Initiative 2025, an ambitious plan to increase graduation rates, eliminate equity gaps in degree completion and meet California’s workforce needs. By 2025, the CSU’s goal is to have 45% of transfer students graduate in two years and 85% of transfer students graduate in four years.

Fresno State’s liberal studies program is already surpassing the 2025 goal, with 63% of transfer students graduating in two years and 87% of transfer students graduating in four years.

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