CSU News Briefs
CSU Grants More Than 75,000 Degrees
in Spring 2003

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CSU campuses awarded more than 75,000 degrees at graduation ceremonies this past spring. Highlights from commencements at the CSU's 23 campuses include the following:

CSU Channel Islands: At its inaugural commencement, CSUCI honored its first three regular graduates and the first 16 to complete its teaching credential program.

CSU Chico: For the first time in five years the university awarded honorary doctorates. The doctorates were given to two Chico business leaders, Steve Nettleton and Judy Sitton.

CSU Dominguez Hills: The university honored Patricia Parham, the first graduate of its new online master's in public administration program.

CSU Fresno: The university graduated the first group of students to participate in the Smittcamp Family Honors College, that was launched in 1999.

CSU Fullerton: Sunshine Lawson, a blind single mother of three, received the university's top honor for academic achievement. She earned a 4.0 GPA in two majors, Afro-ethnic studies and criminal justice.

CSU Hayward: As the Public Administration department marks its 35th anniversary, it graduated the first students earning bachelor's degrees with an emphasis in Health Care Administration.

Humboldt State: Newly inaugurated President Rollin Richmond presided for the first time at the graduation of more than 1,200 students.

CSU Long Beach: The university conferred more than 5,000 bachelor's and master's degrees during nine separate ceremonies.

Cal State Los Angeles: Among the university's more than 1,200 master's degree and 4,200 bachelor's degree recipients was honors graduate Kathleen Holtz, who has been accepted to 5 law schools.

California Maritime Academy: Immediately following commencement ceremonies, the training ship Golden Bear departed Vallejo on its annual training cruise for CSUMA students.

CSU Monterey Bay: The annual Capstone Festival featured the culminating work of graduating seniors and master's degree students with oral presentations, performances, films and videos and multimedia works.

Cal State Northridge: Among the university's more than 8,200 graduates is Ari Soto, 24, who had at one time dropped out of high school to support his mother and younger siblings. At CSUN, he started a non-profit organization that recycles corporate technology castoffs into resources for schools, community centers, and churches.

Cal Poly Pomona: Alumnus Eddy W. Hartenstein, the chairman and CEO of DIRECTV Inc., was the featured speaker at the College of Engineering commencement.

CSU Sacramento: The university hosted its largest spring commencement ever, with almost 4,000 graduates.

CSU San Bernardino: Featured commencement speakers included State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Congressman Joe Baca.

San Diego State: The university hosted its largest commencement ever. Graduates included the first participants in the Nurses Now program, a partnership formed three years ago with local hospitals to boost nursing student enrollment.

San Francisco State: As a record 7,378 graduates received their diplomas, Peter Yarrow of the folk music trio "Peter, Paul & Mary" delivered the keynote speech and received an honorary doctorate.

San Jose State: At its 146th commencement, the university awarded a total of 4,900 bachelor's and 1,888 master's degrees.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Cal Poly alumnus and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith was the featured speaker and received an honorary doctorate.

Cal State San Marcos: Accounting graduate Philoan Chau received the inaugural Alexander Gonzalez President's Award, a $750 cash prize. The Cal State San Marcos Foundation Board established the award to be given each year to an outstanding graduate.

Sonoma State: Provost and former CSU faculty trustee Bernie Goldstein, who is retiring after nearly 40 years in the CSU system, received an honorary doctorate.

CSU Stanislaus: The university honored its largest-ever graduating class, with more than 1,300 degrees being awarded.

The California State University Appoints Four Interim Presidents - Searches are Underway

At CSU Chico, Scott G. McNall, current provost and vice president for academic affairs, will assume the interim position. His appointment began in July 2003 and will conclude when the permanent president arrives.

McNall has been provost at Chico since 1994. Previously he was the dean, College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Toledo. He also has held administrative and academic positions at the University of Kansas, Arizona State University and the University of Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Oregon, and his bachelor's degree, also in sociology, from Portland State University.

At San Jose State University, Joseph N. Crowley, president emeritus of the University of Nevada, Reno, will assume the interim position. His appointment began in July and will conclude when the permanent president arrives. Crowley left the presidency of the University of Nevada, Reno in January, 2001, after nearly 23 years in the position. He served during the 2001 Nevada State Legislative Session as the coordinator of legislative activities for the University and Community College System of Nevada, then returned to the faculty as Regents Professor and President Emeritus, teaching American political and constitutional history. He retired, formally, in January, 2003, but continues his teaching and other university-related activities.

Crowley joined the university's political science faculty in January, 1966. A native of Iowa, he spent four years in military service (U.S. Air Force, enlisted ranks), attending the University of Maryland overseas program during that time. He continued his education at the University of Iowa (B.A.), Fresno State College (M.A.), and the University of Washington (Ph.D.). During his first 12 years at Nevada, he served as chair of the university's Faculty Senate (1972-73) and, thereafter, while on leave, he was a fellow with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1973-74). He remained in Washington for an additional year, serving as director of institutional studies for the National Commission on Water Quality. He became department chair at Nevada in 1976, and held that position until February, 1978. At that time, he was appointed as interim president of the university, and one year later assumed the position on a regular basis.

At Cal State San Marcos, Roy McTarnaghan, founding president and president emeritus of Florida Gulf Coast University, will assume the interim position. His appointment began in 2003 and will conclude when the permanent president arrives.

McTarnaghan served as president of Florida Gulf Coast University from 1993-1999. He previously served as the executive vice chancellor, and vice chancellor, State University System of Florida, and was the interim president, University of North Florida. He has held administrative and academic positions at the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies, the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia and the State University of New York, Geneseo, where he received his bachelor's degree. His Ph.D. in speech communications is from Michigan State University, and his master's, also in speech communications, is from Ohio State University.

The four interim presidents are taking the place of two retiring president and two CSU presidents who have assumed presidencies at other universities. Current CSU Chico President Manuel Esteban retired in the summer of 2003 after 16 years with the California State University. Current CSU Bakersfield President, Tomas Arciniega will retire from his position on July 1, 2004.

Current Cal State San Marcos President Gonzalez assumed the presidency of CSU Sacramento in July 2003. Current San Jose State President Bob Caret became president of Towson University in Maryland in July, 2003.

The searches for the four permanent presidents have begun or will begin this summer.

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, nearly 408,000 students and 45,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded about 2 million degrees.