EOP | Mission Statement

The California State University
Educational Opportunity Program
Mission Statement, Core Elements & Guiding Principles

Mission Statement
The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) serves as a primary vehicle for the CSU in increasing the access, academic excellence and retention of California’s historically underserved students (low income, first generation college), thus working in the spirit and abiding by the legislative intent that originally established the program in 1969 and maintaining the innovation inherent in the program.

The Core Elements are to:

  1. Provide ACCESS opportunities for historically underserved students (low income, first generation college) by making higher education a possibility for prospective students with potential for academic excellence.
  2. Provide ADVOCACY and education to address the needs of EOP students.
  3. Provide a TRANSITIONAL EXPERIENCE that will empower students to better manage and navigate the college experience.
  4. Provide SUPPORT SERVICES to facilitate student success.
  5. Provide EOP GRANTS to eligible students who should also receive the highest priority for financial aid resources available from the institution.

Guiding Principles
At its conception EOP was the educational pipeline for California’s original population of underserved ethnic minorities and should continue serving these populations as a priority while also responding to the growing diversity in the state of California.

  1. Historically underserved students should have the opportunity to attend higher education.
  2. EOP is empowered to admit those who demonstrate potential, and recognizes that potential is not measured by GPA or standardized testing alone.
  3. EOP believes:
  • in all forms of diversity
  • all students can be successful if given the opportunity and resources
  • providing access to higher education will positively impact the student and the community at large
  • in multiple indicators of academic excellence.
  1. EOP is responsive to the changing diversity of the state.
  2. EOP does not subscribe to exclusionary policies and practices that prevent social mobility.
  3. EOP has an ethical and political obligation to advocate for the most underserved in our communities reflected by race, gender and class.
  4. EOP is fiscally and programmatically accountable to the communities it serves through the prudent use of resources and delivery of services.

*Revised and approved at the EOP Directors Meeting on 8/7/07