Chancellor's Report

to the Board of Trustees

July 19, 2000

Welcome to our new chair, Larry Gould, and our new vice-chair, Dee Dee Myers. I look forward to working with you.

I, too, want to thank Bill Hauck for his leadership, counsel, and help to me. If politics were the NFL where you get good advice about Democrats and Republicans, Bill Hauck would be in the Hall of Fame for his understanding of politics. He helped me enormously in learning the politics of California. So, Bill, thank you very much.

Welcome to Daniel Cartwright, our new student trustee from CSU Stanislaus, who is attending his first Trustees' meeting. We spent a day together a few weeks ago meeting with the vice chancellors. Having a student trustee in waiting is a new experience for us. Next year Dan will be the voting student trustee. Dan Cartwright and Neel Murarka will work together and do a good job representing the students in the CSU.

I also want to echo Chairman Gould in welcoming and congratulating our other new and returning appointees: Jolene Koester, now officially president at CSU Northridge; Debra Farar, unanimously confirmed as a Trustee by the state Senate; Fred Pierce, reappointed as Alumni Trustee by the CSU Alumni Council; Larry Adamson, reelected as President of the Alumni Council; and Jackie Kegley, new Chair of Academic Senate CSU. Jackie would you like to introduce the members of the Executive Committee?

Dr. Kegley: Thank you Chancellor Reed. I am pleased to introduce David McNeil, professor of history at San Jose State and Vice Chair; Les Pincu, professor of criminology at Fresno and Secretary; Cristy Jensen, professor of public policy administration at Sacramento and Member-at-Large; Gene Dinielli, professor of English at Long Beach and Immediate Past Chair. Not present today is Ray Boddy, professor of economics from San Diego and Member-at-Large.

Chancellor Reed: And finally I welcome Shaun Lumachi, new Chair of the California State Student Association. I spent part of Saturday with A.S. presidents and CSSA representatives who were here to elect their new representatives. As I anticipated the election I said that whoever becomes chair has some huge shoes to fill to follow Stephanie Rahlfs. Shaun has that responsibility and he has assured me that he could step up to the task. Shaun, will you introduce the new CSSA board members?

Shaun Lumachi: Thank you Dr. Reed. I think each board member would like to make self-introductions. I am Shaun Lumachi, Chair of CSSA and a government major at Sacramento.

Euliza Mahina: I am Euliza Mahina, Vice Chair of Internal Affairs. I am a double major in French and public administration at San Diego State.

Roger Eagleton: Hi, I am Roger Eagleton, Vice Chair of External Relations and from Bakersfield. I am majoring in political science with a music minor.

Ricardo Rodriguez: I am Ricardo Rodriguez from Hayward and Chair of Legislative Affairs. I am pursuing a masters in public administration.

Anthony Drummond: Anthony Drummond Chair of University Affairs from San Jose. I am majoring in political science and urban planning, and I have an economics minor.

Chancellor Reed: I, too, really appreciate along with all of the presidents the best budget that the California State University has ever received. I want to thank the Governor and the legislature for their investment in education. For the CSU the General Fund increase totals $333.7 million, our largest increase ever. In addition, the University of California will be sharing about 60% of $71 million for teacher professional development programs. They will be collaborating with the CSU to carry out those important programs. I think we have the resources that we need.

Even better than the resources they put there, the Governor and the legislature followed this Board's priorities, and they fully funded all of the enrollment growth that this Board recommended. The budget supports our top priorities -- access for students and compensation for employees. With respect to access, the budget includes a $73.1 million general fund increase for the additional 12,577 full-time equivalent students expected to enroll in 2000/01. One of our biggest challenges will be maintaining quality and access at affordable rates. That is the legacy of this system that we have to work hard on to preserve.

The budget includes the flexibility for the Board to provide $94.3 million for a five percent compensation pool for all CSU employees for their hard work. It also includes $18.9 million for CSU systemwide priorities, much of which has been dedicated to salaries. So we have a six percent pool for employees. The budget also includes funds for year-round operations so that fees in the summer are the same as the rest of the year. So, students will be paying the same fee for History 101 in the summer, fall, and spring. The budget funds planning of CSU Channel Islands, CSU Stanislaus Stockton Center, and additional technology training for teachers. It includes a workforce initiative to fund high-cost fields such as nursing, agriculture, engineering, and computer and biological sciences. I look forward to developing another new budget to continue these priorities.

In the new budget, I am very proud that the CSU received $2.2 million for community service and service learning. In the last few months, the CSU has also received several grants and awards for its extensive community service involvement. In the past year our students, with the supervision and help of our faculty, provided 33.5 million hours of service to the people of California. That is a significant undertaking. The Governor likes to fund winners.

Let me share with you what else is happening in community service. USA Weekend magazine and the Points of Light Foundation honored the CSU with a California regional award for its activities on National Make a Difference Day.

Two, the California Commission on Improving Life Through Service awarded the CSU system an AmeriCorps grant. The award will total $2.5 million over three years.

Three, the Getty Grant Program awarded the CSU $167,000 to focus on service-learning courses in the visual arts.

In addition, the Corporation for National Service awarded the CSU a grant for $350,000 each year for three years.

All of this support will help us maintain our strong systemwide commitment to community service learning. I just hope that we can fulfill these grants with the army of students and faculty we have across the state.

As Chairman Gould mentioned, the CSU and the UC have reached a new partnership agreement with Governor Davis. This four-year agreement will provide consistent long-term funding for our universities, as well as additional investments in priority areas such as teacher preparation. It provides stability that will allow us to improve quality.

The agreement includes: a four percent annual increase to our general fund base; funding for annual enrollment growth of about three percent; and additional one percent budget increase for building maintenance, instructional equipment, and technology.

In return the CSU has pledged to be accountable through such efforts as: increasing access at all of the campuses, increasing the quality and quantity of California's teachers, simplifying the community college transfer process, and improving efficiency in the CSU. I look forward to reporting to the Governor and the legislature on those accountability measures.

Early in 1998 the Board adopted a set of policies to improve teacher education. The goals were to produce more and better teachers. As a part of that, last month CSU Long Beach hosted a major statewide conference of 8000 K-16 educators. This conference brought together state and national education leaders to focus on new and better partnerships between universities and public schools.

Several weeks ago, I showed our college-preparation posters to a group of Ventura County community leaders at CSU Channel Islands. One local businessman was so impressed that he has proposed to pay for printing an additional 71,000 copies to distribute to all 6th through 12th grade students in Ventura County.

Then, the Mayor of Oxnard called and asked if we would help organize a speakers program so that the business leaders will be able to visit every classroom in Ventura County to distribute the posters. In this way all of the students will know what the expectations are to attend the CSU and the UC.

Also, CSU Channel Islands, in conjunction with the Ventura County Public Schools, will reprint both English and Spanish versions of the poster in full-page ads in the Ventura County Star's special education section in October. This edition is expected to reach about 110,000 subscribers.

Last, I want to congratulate Sacramento State and President Gerth for hosting the U.S. Track and Field Trials for the summer Olympics. The trials are being televised all around the world to 62 nations. This event brings important recognition to Sacramento State and Hornet Stadium. President Gerth, would you like to add anything?

President Gerth: Our stadium, which usually seats 18,000, has been enlarged to seat 23,500. And, for these events every day is sold out. We are pleased to host these events; it is good for the university and good for the community. Alex Spanos, a businessman who helped Sacramento get the winning bid, has offered to cover the stadium if the U.S. Olympic trials come back to Sacramento in 2004. I do not know if he means roofing the entire stadium or only the seating. If anyone here would like to attend any of the remaining events, please let me know.

Chancellor Reed: Thank you, Don.

Next, we have the great pleasure today of honoring the five recipients of the 2000 Hearst/CSU Trustees' Award for Outstanding Achievement. This award provides scholarships to CSU students who demonstrate financial need and show superior academic performance, community service, and personal accomplishments. The award was created in 1974, but its funds were depleted in 1997. At that time, Trustee Ali Razi spearheaded an effort to continue the award. This marks the first year of the merger of the Hearst Scholarship Program with the CSU Board of Trustees' Outstanding Achievement Award. This merger has allowed us to honor five students instead of three, and it increases the scholarship award to $3,000 per student. I would now like to turn the podium over to Trustee Razi for a few brief remarks on this award.

Trustee Razi: Thank you, Chancellor Reed. This award gives us an important opportunity to honor those students who represent the best of the CSU and also demonstrates what CSU is all about. The students who we are honoring have overcome incredible odds to get where they are today. They have chosen education as a means to better their lives and each of them has found the time and energy to give back to the community. I am honored that they have chosen the CSU, and that the CSU has been able to open more doors of opportunity for them. I hope that these scholarship awards and this recognition will help further their ability to pursue their educational goals.

Very briefly, I would like to thank those individuals and organizations that have pledged their contributions to this award. I also want to express my deep gratitude to the Hearst Foundation and the CSU Foundation. The awards are now endowed at $370,000. Thank you Chancellor Reed, Chairman Larry Gould, former Chairman Bill Hauck, Joan Otomo-Corgel, Tony Vitti, Stanley Wang, Jim Considine, Bobbie Metzger, and The California Wellness Foundation.

Finally, I want to thank the members of our selection committee: Jacquelyn Kegley, Larry Adamson, and Stephanie Rahlfs. Thank you very much.

Chancellor Reed: Thank you, Ali. And once again, let me thank you for your generous contributions and your commitment to keeping this award alive.

I would now like to ask our award winners, along with Chairman Gould, to join us at the podium for the presentation of the awards.

Our first awardee is Mimi Black, a senior at Humboldt State University. Mimi is a cellular and molecular biology major who hopes to become a physician. Following a childhood plagued by violence, Mimi spent two years on the streets while pursuing a G.E.D. She is now an active volunteer who has worked as a child advocate and in science workshops for children.

Congratulations, Mimi.

Our next awardee is Lisa J. Briscoe, a senior at Cal State Fullerton. Lisa is a single mother of three who is majoring in business administration and hopes to become a financial planner and possibly a community college faculty member. She is a survivor of domestic violence who lived in a shelter for two years while attending school full time. She participates in the Welfare-to-Work program and is a frequent speaker on domestic violence awareness.

Congratulations, Lisa.

Our next awardee is Lawrence Johnson, who is about to enter the master's program in educational psychology and counseling at CSU Northridge. He aims to become a college counselor or rehabilitation counselor. He is currently the associated student president at the Channel Islands campus. He also works in the community as an intervention specialist, helping at-risk youth in the area of substance abuse and gangs.

Congratulations, Lawrence.

Our next awardee is Kari Lane, who is a graduate student at CSU Sacramento. She is working on her master's degree in counseling and aims to become a counselor for abused children and children in foster care. Kari is a native of Korea who came to the United States as an orphan, and later overcame domestic violence. She is active in the community, and has served as a crisis counselor and as a tutor for Spanish-speaking children.

Congratulations, Kari.

Our final awardee is William George Vine, a senior at CSU Los Angeles. George is pursuing a degree in child development. At age 14, he dropped out of high school and took on a series of manual labor jobs to help feed his siblings. When an accident caused him to need a wheelchair, he decided to get his G.E.D. and enroll in college. He is an active community volunteer, working on neighborhood clean-up campaigns and serving as a docent for the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center.

Congratulations, George.

Once again, I want to congratulate all of our honorees for their outstanding achievements. I know how proud the presidents are of their students and especially the five students honored today.

Mr. Chairman, that concludes my report.