Fresno State EOP History
July 1967: Five faculty members and five administrators met to discuss what Fresno State
College could do about the recent “disturbance” in West Fresno. The group worked
diligently to design a program which would recruit disadvantaged youth from West
Fresno schools who demonstrated the potential to succeed in college. Financial aid
and other necessary assistance and guidance were included in the design of the
program to ensure their success in college.
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Fall 1967: Twenty (20) Black and Mexican American students were admitted to Fresno State
College through the Spontaneous Project. Seventeen of the admitted students
enrolled and hence the name was changed to Project 17.
Spring 1968: The planning committee was reorganized and the name Educational Opportunity
Program Committee was officially adopted. This new committee was then made a
subcommittee of the Academic Senate’s Academic Planning and Policy Committee.
Summer 1968: The first summer orientation program was implemented with 75 EOP students.
Fall 1968: The Educational Opportunity Program enrolled its first class in fall of 1968.
1969: EOP was officially adopted throughout the California State University (CSU) system.
The Educational Opportunity Program at California State University, Fresno has a rich history of success. Currently, the program has an enrollment of over 1700 students. Students in the program consistently perform at levels equal to or higher than that of the general student population. They are represented in all aspects of campus life, student government and pre-professional programs. They also work as paraprofessionals, receive academic achievement awards and are on the President’s and Dean’s lists. They participate in the study abroad programs and volunteer countless hours of community service.
EOP staff and students have continuously shown leadership in working to make changes that would benefit the campus and Central Valley communities. Many of the academic success strategies pioneered by EOP have been adapted to shape university initiatives such as peer mentoring, tutoring, orientation programs, and much more. Staff members serve on university committees, are advisors to student clubs/organizations, are mentors to students, and work diligently and tirelessly to make an impact in their campus and statewide community.
Since the inception of EOP, thousands of students have graduated from the program. EOP alumni can be found in a wide array of careers: education, government, politics, medicine, law, social work, psychology, engineering, technology, and business.
Through the success of the EOP model, several new programs have been created. These programs include Renaissance Scholar Program (RSP), Dream Success Center (DSC), and Office of Black Student Success (OBSS). The Educational Opportunity Program continues to make a difference at Fresno State and a BOLD impact on student success statewide!
