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CONVOCATION (9AM – SEPTEMBER 12, 2002

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING.  WELCOME BACK FROM YOUR SUMMERS.

 

LAST YEAR, CONVOCATION WAS TO BE HELD JUST TWO DAYS AFTER THE DEVASTATING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF SEPTEMBER 11.  I CHOSE TO HOLD CONVOCATION THEN BECAUSE EDUCATION IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE passage OVER THE FEARSOME BELIEFS THAT SPAWNED THE EVENTS OF 9/11, and BECAUSE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT’S IN FAMILIES AND IN COMMUNITY THAT WE BEST WEATHER THE WORST OF life’S storms – WHEN WE CAN LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY HOLD ONTO ONE ANOTHER AS WE MOURN GREAT LOSS AND REACH FOR THE NEXT BREATH.

 

THE HUMAN TOLL ON SEPTEMBER 11 AND IN ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN WAS STAGGERING; AND OUR NEW sense of VULNERABILity SO PROFOUND THAT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE AS YET TO MEASURE.

 

TO HELP UNDERSTAND AND HEAL, WE HELD VARIOUS FORUMS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. AND I WAS PLEASED WITH BOTH THE QUALITY OF YESTERDAY’S EVENTS AND THE LEVEL OF CAMPUS PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM.

 

LET’S PAUSE TO HONOR THOSE WHO DIED ON SEPTEMBER 11, TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THe HERoes who responded AT THE SCENE, AND TO REMEMBER FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WHO BEAR crushing GRIEF DUE TO THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES, BOTH IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD, IN OUR EVER-SHRINKING WORLD.

 

PLEASE JOIN HANDS FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT THOUGHT AND PRAYER.

 

TO CONTRIBUTe as a university SHOULD, WE MUST COMBAT IGNORANCE AND BIGOTRY; SEEK SOLUTIONS TO THE CONFLICT-LADEN ISSUES THAT THREATEN TO ENGULF THE WORLD; AND TEACH OUR STUDENTS – AND RE-TEACH OURSELVES – TOLERANCE FOR ONE ANOTHER AND THE MORAL COURAGE TO STAND CONFIDENTLY AGAINST HATRED AND THOSE WHO PREACH HATRED.

 

IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR US TO OPPOSE VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION AND MEANNESS IN THE WORLD AND YET IGNORE OR EVEN PERPETRATE IT ON CAMPUS.  IT’S UP TO ALL OF US TO HELP ASSURE A SAFE AND FULFILLING WORK PLACE.

 

WHILE WE’LL REMAIN A SANCTUARY FOR FREE SPEECH – INCLUDING VIEWS WE FIND OFFENSIVE – WE won’T TOLERATE HATE BEHAVIORS, INTIMIDATION OR THREATS OF VIOLENCE.  THEY FALL FAR OUTSIDE OUR VISION, OUR POLICIES AND OUR SENSE OF DECENCY. 

 

I ASK THAT EACH OF US RE-DEDICATE OURSELVES TO An ENVIRONMENT THAT’S FREE OF INTIMIDATION AND HARASSMENT, REGARDLESS OF THE REASONs OR WHOmever THE CULPRITs OR VICTIMs MIGHT BE.

 

ON THE BEHAVIORAL AND OTHER PRINCIPLES statement at your seats THAT I’VE DISTRIBUTED MANY TIMES BEFORE, I CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS: OUR BEHAVIORS – YOURS AND MINE – SHOULD REFLECT HIGH INTEGRITY (BEING TRUTHFUL AND HONEST); an AMICABILITY THAT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS; A RESPONSIVENESS IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS; AND A CARING ABOUT OUR COLLEAGUES.

 

KEEP THE ONE-PAGER HANDY. CONSULT IT FROM TIME-TO-TIME.  ASK YOURSELF IF YOU’RE CONTRIBUTING AS YOU MIGHT.  AND IF YOU’RE NOT, work TO improve. AND IF YOU BELIEVE I’M NOT LIVING UP TO THE PRINCIPLES, LET ME KNOW.

 

YOUR ASSESSMENTS are IMPORTANT TO ME.  THAT’S WHY I’VE CONTINUED TO HOLD OPEN SESSIONS – TWICE EACH QUARTER – WITH FACULTY, WITH STAFF AND WITH STUDENTS.  I’M ALSO JUST A PHONE CALL OR E-MAIL AWAY. I WANT VERY MUCH TO KNOW WHAT QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS YOU HAVE.

 

AND I INVITE YOU TO JOIN MARILYN AND ME THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR the ALL-UNIVERSITY RECEPTION – FROM 4:30 pm TO 7 pm IN THE UPPER COMMONS -- IF, OF COURSE, THE CONVOCATION IS FINISHED BY 4:30!

 

BEFORE GOING FURTHER, AS WE ALL KNOW, EACH YEAR OUR CAMPUS EXPERIENCES ITS OWN SADNESS AND LOSS WITH THE DEATH OF COLLEAGUES AND FORMER COLLEAGUES. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A FEW MOMENTS OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF SEVERAL CSUSB FACULTY AND STAFF WHO DIED THIS PAST YEAR. 

·        Phillip Anderson, lecturer in management

·        bennie garcia, custodian in custodial services

·        Kellie Rayburn, Lecturer in the Department of english and

·        Robert West, Professor emeritus in the college of education

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I’D LIKE TO NOW recognize FACULTY AND STAFF WHO RECEIVED DEGREES LAST YEAR.  AS I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE STAND – AND REMAIN STANDING – UNTIL ALL OF THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CALLED.  UNLESS I note OTHERWISE, THE DEGREES ARE FROM CSUSB.

 

Ph.D’s—about 4 pages

MASTERS

BACHELORS

ASSOCIATES

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congratulations on earning your degrees. we’re proud of you and your accomplishments!

 

I’D LIKE TO NOW INTRODUCE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO, SINCE LAST YEAR, ARE IN NEW ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS. PLEASE STAND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME:

 

AMONG THIS GROUP ARE TWO WHO ARE PART OF A REORGANIZATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE.  CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE IN PART BECAUSE OF THE RETIREMENT OF AMINA CARTER AND THE DEPARTURE OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT, JOANNE HANKIN.

 

FIRST, DR. CLIFFORD YOUNG, WHO’S BEEN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT SINCE 1998:  CLIFFORD HAS BEEN A VITAL FORCE IN MORE THAN TRIPLING THE UNIVERSITY’S FEDERAL GRANT AND CONTRACT FUNDS.  HE’LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON FEDERAL RELATIONS – AND HE’LL HAVE MORE TIME TO SPEND IN WASHINGTON AND ON STATE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS. 

 

CLIFFORD WILL ALSO REPORT TO THE PROVOST ON IMPLEMENTING A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SET OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAMS THAT HE HELPED TO SECURE AND THAT PROMISE GREAT BENEFITS TO CSUSB AND OUR REGION.

 

SECOND, DR. JAN JACKSON, TILL NOW DEAN OF EXTENDED LEARNING, HAS BECOME ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR EXECUTIVE AFFAIRS.  IN THIS POSITION, SHE’LL EMPLOY MANY OF THE FINE SKILLS SHE HONED IN EXTENDED LEARNING.  JAN WILL SERVE AS THE UNIVERSITY’S CHIEF OMBUDSPERSON; SHE’LL PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN PLANNING, ORGANIZING AND IMPLEMENTING VARIOUS UNIVERSITY INITIATIVES; AND SHE’LL ASSUME REPORTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI AFFAIRS OFFICES – A ROLE THAT’S NEEDED IN THE ABSENCE OF A VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT.

 

OTHER NEW PERSONNEL OR IN NEW POSITIONS INCLUDE:

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AS I THOUGHT ABOUT NEW PERSONNEL, IT BROUGHT HOME TO ME THAT THIS IS THE SIXTH YEAR THAT MARILYN AND I HAVE BEEN AT CAL STATE.  THE TIME HAS BLOWN BY, AND FRANKLY, IT’S BEEN MY VERY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS CSUSB’S PRESIDENT.  IT’S A POSITION THAT COMES WITH MUCH HONOR AND RESPONSIBILITY –AND I’M NOT OBLIVIOUS TO EITHER.

 

EVERY THREE YEARS, CSU PRESIDENTS ARE REVIEWED, SO I’LL UNDERGO A SIXTH YEAR REVIEW THIS FALL. A SAMPLING OF FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE SENT QUESTIONNAIRES.  ALL OTHERS WILL ALSO BE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD EVALUATIONS. AND A COMMITTEE OF FOUR WILL VISIT CAMPUS FOR INTERVIEWS IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER.

 

THE REVIEW IS AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS UNIVERSITY DIRECTIONS AND HOW I’M DOING MY JOB – OR WHETHER IT OUGHT TO BE MY JOB. 

 

LET ME BRIEFLY OUTLINE WHAT I’VE TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH, AND YOU CAN JUDGE MY SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.

 

I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO SERVE AN INSTITUTION THAT’S BECOME A POTENT ENGINE FOR INTELLECTUAL, CULTURAL, HEALTH, SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT. 

 

I’VE TRIED TO CONTRIBUTE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS:

 

MOST OF THE TIME, AFTER HELPING TO PLAN A COURSE, I’VE TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY.  I’VE DECENTRALIZED BUDGETS AND DECISION MAKING IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY. HOWEVER, WHEN THINGS AREN’T WORKING WELL ENOUGH, I’VE ALWAYS SEEN IT AS MY JOB TO GET IN THE WAY. 

 

SIMILARLY, WHILE I ALWAYS SEEK CONSENSUS AND GREATLY RESPECT OUR SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE AND PARTICIPATION – AND I’VE BEEN PART OF THEM MYSELF SINCE I WAS A JUNIOR FACULTY MEMBER – THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES IN WHICH I FELT IT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DECIDE AGAINST THE CONSENSUS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

 

IN MY EFFORTS, I’VE FOCUSED ON THE CHARGE GIVEN WHEN I ACCEPTED THE POSITION – TO HELP BRING CSUSB TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

 

YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT I’VE TAKEN THE UNIVERSITY IN THE WRONG DIRECTIONS OR I’VE BEEN INSUFFICIENTLY SUCCESSFUL EVEN WHEN YOU’VE AGREED WITH THE GOALS. PARTICIPATION IN THE REVIEW WILL PERMIT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD.

 

ONCE AGAIN, AS I SAID THREE YEARS AGO, THOSE WHO THINK WELL OF ME ARE APT TO FIND WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEY LIKE.  CONVERSELY, THOSE WHO THINK I’M A HINDRANCE MIGHT CONSIDER ONE OR MORE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I’VE PICKED UP.  FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT SAY:

 

JOKING ASIDE, I REALLY DO ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REVIEW.  COMMENTS ARE CONFIDENTIAL – AND THE MORE WHO RESPOND, THE MORE VALID THE REVIEW ITSELF.

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I’M PLEASED NOW TO PRESENT THE 12TH ANNUAL STAFF RECOGNITION AWARDS. WE NEED TO CELEBRATE OUR ACHIEVERS AND OUR ACHIEVEMENTS. WOULD PAST WINNERS PLEASE STAND? THANK YOU!

 

THREE YEARS AGO, WE MADE CHANGES IN FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS.  FOR STAFF, WE INCREASED THE PRIZES FROM FOUR TO 14 - WITH STIPENDS RISING FROM $200 TO A RANGE OF $500 TO $1000, EACH SUPPLIED BY THE FOUNDATION. THE UNIVERSITY STAFF AWARDS COMMITTEE CHOOSES ALL WINNERS.

 

FIRST, I'LL NAME THOSE WHO WILL BE GIVEN A PLAQUE AND $500 AS THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNERS FROM EACH DIVISION. WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE STAND. ALSO, PLEASE JOIN ME AND THE UNIVERSITY-WIDE WINNERS AT THE PODIUM FOR PICTURES AFTER THE CONVOCATION.

 

THIS YEAR THERE ARE NINE AWARDS TO BE GIVEN TO DIVISIONAL WINNERS:  

(A) FROM ACADEMIC AFFAIRS:

(B) FROM ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE:

 

 

 

(C) FROM INFORMATION RES. & TECH.:

 

(D) FROM STUDENT AFFAIRS

(E) FROM UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT:

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH AWARDEE AND OTHERS WHO WERE NOMINATED.

 

NOW FOR THE FOUR UNIVERSITY-WIDE STAFF AWARDS -- TWO NAMED "THE PRESIDENT'S OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE AWARD" AND THE OTHER TWO "THE PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD." EACH WINNER WILL RECEIVE A PLAQUE, $1000, AND COMPLIMENTARY THEATER AND ATHLETIC TICKETS.

 

THE TWO OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE WINNERS WILL ALSO HAVE DESIGNATED PARKING SPACES.  (WE’RE NOT SAYING WHERE.)

 

FIRST, THE OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE AWARD WINNERS, WHO, ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA, "DEMONSTRATE EXPERTISE IN THEIR JOBS AND EXCEPTIONAL WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST OTHERS.”  I'LL CALL THE WINNERS’ NAMES. AS EACH WALKS TO THE PLATFORM, I'LL READ SOME BRIEF COMMENTS.

 

(1) THE FIRST IS JENNIFER AGUIRRE

(Ah-GEER-ray), ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST IN THE COLLEGE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES.

 

JENNA ROUTINELY ….

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THE SECOND WINNER IS ANTONIO VILCHES, SHIPPING AND RECEIVING ASSISTANT IN THE PFAU LIBRARY.

 

TONY’S EXPERTISE….

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NOW FOR THE SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA, “ACKNOWLEDGE A SIGNIFICANT AND SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTION – BEYOND THE REGULAR EXPECTATIONS OF A POSITION.”

 

THE WINNERS FOR THIS YEAR ARE: 

FIRST, DENA LOPEZ, ASSISTANT BUDGET ANALYST IN THE BURSAR’S OFFICE.

DURING THE PERIOD FOLLOWING OUR CONVERSION TO PEOPLESOFT, THERE WAS HIGH FRUSTRATION AMONG USERS OF THE FINANCIAL AND HR SYSTEMS.

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THE SECOND WINNER IS BEVERLY GENTRY, ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST IN THE BUDGET OFFICE.

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THIS YEAR, IN ADDITION TO INDIVIDUAL PRIZES, WE WISH TO FORMALIZE RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS BY TEAMS THAT WORK ACROSS DIVISIONAL LINES WITH SHARED GOALS. EACH TEAM MEMBER WILL RECEIVE A PLAQUE AND $100.

 

TWO EMPLOYEE TEAMS WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR EFFORTS.

 

FIRST, THE INFORMATION CENTER TEAM, COMPOSED OF

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THE SECOND SET OF WINNERS IS THE “STARRS” TEAM….

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THANKS TO EACH OF THE AWARD WINNERS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS -- FROM DIVISION AND TEAM WINNERS TO THOSE WHO RECEIVED OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE AND SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS.

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there were countless honors and recognitions of faculty, staff and students this past year as well as an incredible array of highlights.  I’LL mention JUST A FEW of them. I’VE LEFT OFF A NUMBER OF ITEMS – INCLUDING SOME PROMINENT AWARDS, ATHLETIC SUCCESSES, AND SEVERAL INITIATIVES – BECAUSE THEY’RE CONTAINED IN A VIDEO WE’LL SHOW AT THE END OF THIS CONVOCATION – SURELY NO LATER THAN 4:30!

 

AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE:

victoria seitz and sue greenfeld WERE GIVEN fulbrights FOR STUDY IN romania and turkey, respectively.

 

buckley barrett’S book, churchill:  a concise bibliography, received the american library association’s reference and user services association 2001 award for best bibliography in history.

 

juan delgado was honored by the hispanic caucus of the american association of higher education with ITS outstanding latino IN cultural arts award.

 

dean eri yasuhara was elected secretary of the asian caucus of the american association of higher education.

 

ted ruml was elected president pro tem of the western society for 18th century studies.

 

ed bostley was chosen president of the pacific southern chapter of the college music society.

 

brian levin, director of the center for the study hate and extremism, was a regular on cnbc, cnn and Msnbc as well as interviewed frequently BY the new york times.

 

arturo concepcion and herra totapally filed a provisional patent for a collaborative design system and method.

 

cynthia olivo was honored by the north side impact committee as a latina of the year.

 

there were many other highlights: 

 

the psychology department played the key role in CREATING the institute for child development and also proposed the campus’s first joint ph.d. – in collaboration with loma linda university – with a focus on experimental psychology.

 

THE computer science programw was successfully accredited without any deficiencies.

 

the office of public affairs won several recognitions last year.  for example, the award for most improved campus magazine and best website from apex communications. 

 

in addition Csusb was given first place honors by arrowhead united way for our 2001–2002 employee campaign which, thanks for jiggs gallagher and his colleagues, had a 13% increase over last year.

 

jill messing, a psychology and sociology double major, was one of only 52 STUDENTS nationally to receive a phi kappa phi fellowship. she’s CsuSb’s fourth such fellow in the past five years. 

 

jessica flynn, a biology graduate, is now at johns hopkins medical school; in fact, all of the biology department’s applicant to medical school were accepted last year.

 

sharon cooper, A chemistry undergraduate WORKING with david maynard and klaus brasch on anti-cancer agents, won THE csusb undergraduate research competition in 2001.

 

we also had highlights in many of the ways we’ve sought to secure resources necessary for us to excel, including considerable overall growth in fundraising.  for example, last year’s annual fund gifts of $150,000 were a record, as were the 2600 alumni association members – a rise of 23% in one year and twice the number of five years ago.  

 

and the university never received as much as $5 million in fundraising in any year until 1999-2000. in the past three years, however, we’ve averaged $8 million – and in every year exceeded the $5 million base.

 

even sharper gains were made in grants and contracts, with over $18 million in grant funding secured this past year – up from less than $6 million just five years ago.  and overhead returns to the university shot up 20-fold – from $24,000 to $466,000. 

 

notable were the efforts of the college of natural sciences, which more than doubled its grants and contracts. applause should also go to the office of research and sponsored programs and to clifford young for his efforts CSusb liaison in washington, d.c. 

 

and there are other developments galore on campus, including new degree approvals for masters in child development, in public health and in spanish, as well as a bachelor’s in information systems.  

 

i mentioned the proposed pH. d. in experimental psychology. there’s also likely to be an ed.d. in CONSORT with UCR AND THREE other csu’s. and we now have recommendations FOR chicano studies CONCENTRATIONS.

 

other accomplishments of the year surely include completion of BOTH the social and behavioral sciences building AND the first palm desert campus FACILITY; AS WELL AS FINISHING THE SECOND phase OF OUR RESIDENTIAL housing PROJECT, meaning that we’ll have added 640 new units over the past two years – and now have more than a thousand students living on campus.

 

SIGNIFICANT OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE installation of THE temporary fitness center that resulted in a 350% increase in participation; approval of planning for the science annex; and improved lighting, especially in areas of concern across campus. 

 

I’D ALSO ADD as ACCOMPLISHMENTS the introduction of a winter GRADUATION CEREMONY, live web casts of thE June commencements, and the institution of year-round operations, which more than tripled summer enrollments.

 

and it’s not just the physical and SERVICE nature of the university that’s improving. for example, there’s strong evidence OF ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT in surveys of graduating seniors taken in 1992 and then again in 2002. 

 

in 1992, FOR EXAMPLE, 80% said CSUSB haD a good academic reputation.  that wENT up to 86% in 2002.  in 1992, 76% thought most courses required intensive study and preparation out of class.  that was up to 83% in 2002. 

 

IN 1992, 77% said THAT “faculty value careful reasoning and clear writing.”  by 2002, a full 91% said THAT “faculty value careful reasoning and clear writing.” THAT’S UP from 77% to 91%.  

 

in 1992, ONLY a dismal 48% thought that the campus had a “rich array of lectures, concerts and student discussions.” BUT IN 2002, rather remarkably, THE PERCENT WENT all the way TO 72%.  obviously, we’re going some things better.

 

IN 1992, 90% OF STUDENTS SAID THAT MOST PROFESSORS SHOWED AN INTEREST AND CONCERN FOR TEACHING.  THAT NUMBER WAS 92% THIS PAST YEAR. 

 

IN THE ONE TROUBLING SET OF ANSWERS, TO A QUESTION ASKED ONLY IN THE 2002 SURVEY, JUST 56% SAID THEY WOULD CHOOSE THE SAME ADVISOR.  WE WILL RETURN TO THE QUESTION OF ADVISEMENT DURING THE YEAR.

 

WE ALSO NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON REMEDIATION, ESPECIALLY REDUCING THE NEED FOR IT.  THERE’S A NICE STORY OF A MATH CLASS IN WHICH THE INSTRUCTOR ASKS A STUDENT TO SOLVE FOR: 12X – 417 = 330 + 510.  THE STUDENT ANSWERS 71, AND THE CLASS PLEADS, “GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE.”  THE INSTRUCTOR ASKS THE STUDENT TO SOLVE FOR X – 500 = 150 + 150. THE STUDENT ANSWERS 6000, AND THE CLASS YELLS, “GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE.”

 

FINALLY, OUT OF COMPASSION, THE INSTRUCTOR OFFERS A SIMPLE PROBLEM. X = 10 + 10. THE STUDENT ANSWERS: X = 20  – AND THE CLASS SHOUTS, “GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE.”

 

THE STORY REFLECTS A REAL PROBLEM – WITH OVER 60% OF OUR STUDENTS NEEDING REMEDIATION IN MATH.  (BY THE WAY, SIMILAR NUMBERS ARE ALSO IN NEED OF ENGLISH REMEDIATION.)

 

now let ME turn to A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF our regional environment.  “EXTRAORDINARY growth” ARE THE TWO WORDS THAT CLEANLY SUMMARIZE THE last decade and what’s projected for the next two decades. 

 

between 1990 and 2000, for example, the inland empire -- made up of san bernardino and riverside counties -- grew 27%, or nearly 700,000 residents, to ROUGHLY 3.3 million.

 

out of thAT 700,000 GROWTH, LATINOs conTRIBUTED roughly 550,000 – NEARLY DOUBLING to 1.2 million residentS. african americanS also INCREASED, in this case BY 75,000, to nearly a quarter of a million. and asian americans GREW by almost 50,000 residents, to 133,000.  anglos, on the other hand, declined by about 82,000, down about 5% to 1.5 million.

 

there’s NOW no majority In the inland empire. anglos were 63% in 1990.  they WEre 47% in 2000.  that’s aN ASTOUNDING shift. 

 

while los angeles county lost 300,000 jobs IN THE 1990S, inland empire EMPLOYMENT EXPANDED SWIFTLY. THE REGION NOW HAS THE NATION’S fastest JOB GROWTH RATE.

 

if the inland empire were a state, it would be LARGER THAN 20 IN POPULATION – ABOUT THE SIZE OF OREGON -- AND IT WOULD BE THE fourth fastest growing IN THE NATION – behind ONLY florida, texas and California -- with roughly 100,000 new residents every year. 

 

by the year 2020, there will be an additional 1.8 million residents or MORE THAN five million population.

 

the UNFORTUNATE result of THIS GROWTH HAS BEEN MOUNTING transportation gridlock and ONGOING QUESTIONS OF air QUALITY – though most air pollution comes from the populous coastal areas. 

 

a significant DRIVER of the population growth is the cost of housing.  in orange AND SAN DIEGO countIES, only ABOUT A QUARTER of the residents can afford a median priced house.  in los angeles, it’s 33%. in the inland empire, ONE-HALF of the residents CAN AFFORD A median priced house. 

 

as a result, in the six counties in southern california, including ventura, san diego, los angeles, orange, riverside and san bernardino counties, THE INLAND EMPIRE HAD A STAGGERING 40% of all new home sales and 26% of all used home sales.

 

WHILE there are STILL NOT ENOUGH high-skill jobs, there are MORE AND MORE upscale new homes in corona, chino, rancho, AND north fontana.  the new housing creates the LIKELIHOOD of higher skilled jobs, because THE NECESsARY Skill base is increasingly found HERE, and THE DESIRE TO STAY OFF THE ROAD will INFLUENCE WORKERS to want to be employed locally.

 

in part because of regional growth, but also SUBSTANTIALLY DUE TO efforts of our admissions office and the improving reputation of the university, we continue to expand rapidly.  for example, we had A 15%application increase this year -- versus an 11% increase for the system overall.  our upper division increase was nearly 22% (making us THIRD in the entire csu), AND TRIPLE the system’S less than 7%.

 

we have a target of 13,500 FTES.  that’s roughly 4,000 more than we had five years earlier.  we’ll have nearly 17,000 on campus this fall – on the way to 25,000 by THE DECADE’S end.

 

the median age of undergraduate students has declined to 22 and ABOUT 85% of them are full time. in fact, VIRTUALLY 100% of our freshmen class ARE full timE.

 

AS the student body has GROWN AND CHANGED IN AGe, it’s ALSO BECOME MORE DIVERSe.  over THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MEMBERS OF HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS WENT FROM 48% TO 54% OF OUR ENROLLMENT – WITH LATINOS SOARING FROM 23.5% TO OVER 30%.

 

AND AS WE GREW larger, WE RECRUITED HEAVILY FOR FACULTY – WITH 143 TENURE TRACK FACULTY HIRED in the past five years AND ANOTHER 42 TO BE RECRUITED THIS YEAR.

 

OF THESE FACULTY HIRES, 26% WERE FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS – the same as the CURRENT PROPORTION OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP FACULTY AT CSUSB.  AND 60% OF THE new HIRES WERE WOMEN, RESULTING IN FEMALE FACULTY NOW composing 44% OF THE OVERALL FACULTY.

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The university is budgeted for an ENROLLMENT increase of 4%, and we’ve made requests TO FUND an additional percent as well. to control enrollments, WE establishED EARLY application dates for freshmen and transferS.

 

we believe those were successful strategies.  STILL, we’ll have quite robust enrollmentS THIS fall – roughly 5% higher than last year’s. 

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let’s discuss budgets. WE STILL DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT OUR BUDGET WILL BE, but IT’S CLEAR this WILL BE the first of several years in which we’ll HAVE STRAINED finances, WITH STATE shortfalls of $24 billion this year and predicted to be $10 billion or so in each of the next five years.

 

we had a good roll.  for the last two years, for example, california ranked number two among the 50 states with nearly a 23% increase in higher education budgets. 

 

our circumstances are similar to many others universities – with 46 states also having deficits that MUST BE treatED.  SO WHILE WE SHOULDN’T CELEBRATE THE deficits, there’s no reason to feel sorry for ourselves.

 

We NEED TO ABSORB THE CUTS IN WAYS THAT ARE orderly, PARTICIPATORY, THOUGHTFUL AND EFFECTIVE, THOUGH THEY CAN’T BE ENTIRELY PAINLESS. 

 

to protect the university against REDUCTIONS, i HAD instituted a soft vacancy freezE – with half of the positions BEING filled temporarily rather than permanently, so there WOULD BE a cushion against which we cOULD balance the budget. 

 

in addition, i HAD asked the vice presidentS to hold 4% of theIR budgetS flexible TO DEAL WITH POSSIBLE BUDGET CUTS.

 

you should have at your chairs an outline of budget principles that i’ll employ. i alert you in particular to the first principle, which is to GET YOUR advice regarding how we can save money, how we can undertake activities more efficiently, AND what it is that we might defer tILL later.

 

I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING SUGGESTIONS AT OPEN MEETINGS WITH FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS.

 

WE’LL SEEK TO SPREAD THE IMPACTS OVER SEVERAL YEARS, WE’LL PURSUE REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS, AND we’ll DIVERSITY our FUNDING sources.

 

WE’LL ALSO EMPLOY A FEW lessons that noah learned from the FLOOD:  first, AS i recall, it wasn’t raining when noah built the ark, so we want to make sure we plan ahead; SECOND, WE NEED to remember, as principle five indicates, that we’re all in the same boat together AND THAT WE ALL NEED TO CARE ABOUT THE BOAT’S SUCCESS; and finally, no matter what else we do, to make sure we all get to the boat on time.

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let me now shift to a discussion of priorities for the university.  i’d say that along with the quality of academic and related programs and consistent access to them, among OUR highest priorities will be control over our own destiny. 

 

While there will be much change we can’t control, it’s clear that we CAN more fully INFLUENCE our fate and further energize our efforts. 

 

THE GOAL IS to make sure that we have sufficient FINANCIAL AND OTHER control to excel as a university, to assure quality and to promote access – all in ways that do not jeopardize the DEVELOPMENT of our students or the employment of our faculty and staff.

 

IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE USED A NUMBER OF APPROACHES.  first, as you know, we’ve FUNDAMENTALLY decentralized budgets to assure the best AND MOST EFFICIENT PATTERN OF spending based on the insights and knowledge of campus units.

 

in parallel fashion, we created a focused strategic plan so that EXPENDITURES WOULD MEET broad UNIVERSITY goals and UNITS would not pull in different directions. 

 

we’ve also created new resources, AS I MENTIONED, through fundraising efforts, for example,  – AND THE PALM DESERT CAMPUS IS An excellent EXAMPLE OF THE POSSIBILITIES.

 

and i’ve NOTed, wHILE triplING our FEDERAL FUNDING over the course of five years, we’ve also sought to engage in creative ventures with partners FROM GOVERNMENT, HEALTH CARE, SCHOOLS, business, and the like. 

 

next, we’VE fine-tuned our enrollment management model to assure that we’re not buffeted by enrollments too high for us to handle or so low that they jeopardize our state budget. 

 

as part of enrollment management, we’ve focused beyond numbers in general TO VARIOUS types of students.  WE CREATED merit scholarships to try to recruit top students and MADE efforts to attract international and non-resident students, who add to the diversity of the institution, help create valuable future networks for our students, and contribute to the fiscal base of the university.

 

in addition, beyond the types of students we’re recruiting, we’ve CONCENTRATED ON OUR YRO summer sessionS, which TEND TO BE MORE entrepreneurial than AT our sister campuses. this past year, we netted more than $2 million in revenue over costs – funds that HAVE BEEN sent back to the units.

 

for example, 75% went back to academic affairs, allowing more hiring, more travel and equipment budgets, and importantly, more hedge against possible budget cuts. 

 

with greater summer enrollments, there will be somewhat fewer in the academic year, thus allowing us to meet peek load CHALLENGES more readily during fall, winter and spring. 

 

in addition, we’ve identified various efficiencies. for example, a reduction in utility demand resulted in a savings of roughly $70,000.  we’ve gone to the four-day workweek during summers, which results in lower utility expenses. and we’VE emphasizeD as much as possible e-commerce TO create a paperless campus – which will lead tO cost savings. 

 

similarly, we’ve tried to make smart decisions, for example, with cms conversion.  rather than payING each year out of pocket or borrowing from external sources, we’ve LOANED YEAR-END FUNDS from ourselves, with a net savings of roughly $100,000 in interest expenses. 

 

another way in which we’re trying to control our future is by controlling the land that surrounds us.  to that end, we’re in the process of negotiating over DEVELOPMENT across from our residence halls, WHICH IS APT TO RESULT in NEW HOUSING WITH nearly 500 ADDITIONAL beds -- bringing the CAMPUS total to over 1,500. 

 

AND ON OUR PALM DESERT CAMPUS, WE’RE DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF A PRIVATELY-BUILT ARENA WHICH WOULD host MANY OF OUR EVENTS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A PARTNERSHIP to secure MORE COUSSOULIS PROGRAMS AND A REVENUE STREAM FOR THE UNIVERSITY.

 

finally, to help control our fate, we should help pass prop 47, the $14 BILLION bond referendum on the november ballot.  if approvED, it will fund the modernization of OUR science facilities. if passed, there will be another bond referendum, this time INCLUDing a $47 million college of education building. 

 

each bond is, in a sense, a huge domino that must fall before anything behind it can also secure BOND funding.