Building Opportunities through Networks of Discovery (BOND)

BOND is a year long program for our first time freshman in the College of Science and Mathematics. It is composed of a two day summer experience before the fall semester, as well as CSM 10: The Scientific Method in the fall, and CSM 15: Evidence Based Decision Making in the Spring. Our BOND students get specialized attention from our college's faculty, advisors, and student assistants.

The CSM BOND program is an innovative first year program, recognized for a yearslong sequence of high-impact experiential learning:

• Journal of College Student Retention publication (2022)
• ABAI International conference presentation (2019)
• Equal Measures vignette (2018)
• Pullias Center for Higher Education report (2017) 
• Student, Faculty, and Staff Interviews (video)

As a continually evolving initiative, we are always looking for great people to work with, be it faculty, community members, special programs, Fresno State staff, graduate students or undergraduate programs. We recognize that it is through bringing together unique ideas and experiences that we are able to create a network to support our students in their endeavors. (see Strategic Plan Goal One A, Strategy 2, pages 10-11)

• Click here for more information on how to get involved:
  • Being a peer leader in the summer program.
  • Being an Instructional Student Assistant (ISA) for CSM 10 or 15
• Provide your own idea! We love collaboration for the benefit of the students and enjoy hearing new ways to best support our students.

If you are interested in collaborating with our program, please email ARC at arc@csufresno.edu.

Only Computer Science and Psychology majors are required to apply. All other majors are automatically placed in the First-Year BOND program.

Space is limited; therefore, acceptance will be on a first come, first serve basis, and those selected will be notified by late May 2025.  

Applications are due by May 1, 2025. 

The CSM BOND program began as a grant funded program under the name of the CSM First Year Experience program (FYE) in 2015. It targets incoming freshman with majors in the College of Science and Math. It is a cohort style program with two main components, the Summer Experience, and  CSM 10 course and CSM 15 courses.

Summer Experience: The Summer experience takes place the week before classes begin for the Fall semester. During the Summer Experience students are led by Peer Leaders in various activities, experiments, introducing them to the campus, faculty and their peers.

CSM 10 "The Scientific Method" in fall (GE Area A3) and CSM 15 "Evidence Based Decision Making" in the spring (GE Area E). Both of these courses are DISCOVERe courses and are geared towards preparing them with a foundation to succeed in their rigorous coursework as CSM majors.

The overall goal of the program is to increase students' sense of self efficacy, sense of belonging as well as their critical thinking and quantitative learning in hope to increase student retention rates, graduation rate, and minimize the achievement gap, of CSM students.

If you are a student who is pursuing a major in biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, mathematics, physics, and natural sciences, your department is requiring that you participate in the First-Year Experience BOND program. If you have a serious and compelling reason why you would not be able to participate, please contact Dr. Jaime Arvizu at jaimea@csufresno.edu.

Our program is only for students in the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM). It is designed to specifically support CSM majors and to be a part of our program when you are not of the correct major could actually be detrimental.

If you are a student who is pursuing a major in biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, mathematics, physics, and natural sciences, your department is requiring that you participate in the First-Year Experience BOND program.

The BOND program will provide you with a community of peers, faculty, and mentors that will help you throughout your time at Fresno State. You will be connected to campus resources and opportunities that will give you a "leg-up" throughout your career. You will also be guaranteed enrollment in courses you need to graduate.

• Guaranteed enrollment in classes that are required to graduate
• Be a part of a community on campus
• Develop connections with your peers, professors, and MASS peer mentors
• Increased support in your academics and transition into the college setting
• Explore different career options and the majors in the College of Science and Math
• Technology: If you are a student in our program we can work with you to have access to a tablet for loan during your time in the program.

• Be an incoming freshmen
• Attend the Summer Experience the week before class beings. It is a required component of the CSM BOND program and failure to attend can forfeit your position in the program. The event is a time where students become oriented with the program and plays a large part in creating the connections our program believes are pivotal for our student's success. If you have concerns about attending the Summer Experience or possible time conflicts, please email the Advising and Resources Center Director, Jaime Arvizu, jaimea@csufresno.edu.
• Attend the Family Partnership Conference with at least one family member. Event will be virtually held until further notice. 
• Be declared in one of the following majors: Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Physics, Psychology

During the first year of the program students are required to take both of the following courses: 

• CSM 10: The Scientific Method, 3 unit DISCOVERe course, taken during the fall semester. Practice in the application of the scientific method to locally relevant problems and challenges. The evaluation of inductive and deductive arguments couple with the evaluation of experimental data to develop and test scientific hypotheses.
• CSM 15: Evidence Based Decision Making, 3 unit DISCOVERe course, taken during the spring semester. Practice in the evaluation and use of quantitative evidence in reasoned decision making. Topics include uncertainty, significance, trends, experimental design and causality.