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CSUSB-Hosts-Inaugural-Native-American-Indigenous-Education-Summit.aspx
  
3/28/2024 10:03 AMBeall, Alex3/28/20243/28/2024 2:55 PMThe event provided attendees a space to discuss challenges within higher education for Native communities.DiversityStory

​​The Native American/Indigenous Education ​​Summit held at Cal State San Bernardino ​on March 23 was the first event of its kind​ to host conversations with state, federal and Tribal governments and examine institutional operations, pedagogical commitments and cultural responsivity to address the voices and needs of Native American and Indigenous students in post-secondary access, inclusivity and preparedness.

Hosted by the California Indian Nations College and Kumeyaay Community College, the free summit focused on the topics of equity, access and inclusion—while discussion topics included census and identity, cultural responsivity (curricula and student services), and equitable access to higher education.

Speakers included ​Naomi Miguel (Tohono O'odham), executive director of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities; Stanley Rodriguez (Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation), director of Kumeyaay Community College; Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public education for the California Department of Education; and James C. Ramos (Serrano/Cahuilla), San Bernardino state Assembly member and CSUSB alumnus; as well as Tribal chairs, native educators and native students.

According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, 28% of the 18- to 24-year-old Native American population was enrolled in college in 2021 compared to 38% of the overall U.S. population, only 16.8% of Native American or Alaskan Native residents aged 25 or over have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, and Native American college enrollment has declined 38% since fall 2010.

Article picked up from Inside CSUSB.

Indigenous performers playing instruments 
Indigenous performers




CSUSB president at podium
CSUSB Hosts Inaugural Native American/Indigenous Education Summit
CSU-to-Receive-$1.5-Million-from-Mellon-Foundation-to-Expand-Ethnic-Studies-Pathways.aspx
  
3/28/2024 10:00 AMThropay, Janessa3/28/20243/28/2024 9:55 AMThe CSU is one of five public universities selected to receive larger grants from Mellon’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities initiative. DiversityPress Release

The California State University (CSU) has been awarded $1.5 million from the Mellon Foundation to help increase the number of credit-bearing programs that link ethnic studies concepts to gender and sexuality studies. The CSU is among five public universities receiving select larger grants as part of the Mellon Foundation’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities initiative. In all, the foundation is awarding more than $18 million to 95 curricular programs across the nation. 

“The CSU is grateful to the Mellon Foundation for this generous funding, which is an important step to expand pathways and enhance classroom experiences in ways that intentionally link race and ethnicity and gender and sexuality concepts into the course content,” said Laura Massa, interim associate vice chancellor of Academic and Faculty Programs at the CSU Chancellor’s Office. “These disciplines are critical for creating a shared language and understanding of our students’ diverse histories, backgrounds and experiences—and ultimately a more equitable society.” 

Grant funding will go to the CSUs to bolster existing ethnic studies programs and support the development of new programming. Support for existing programs could include adding new degree concentrations, establishing transfer pathways and creating blended bachelor’s-master’s degree programs. The CSU Chancellor’s Office also plans to host a convening of ethnic studies and gender and sexuality studies faculty from across the system to gather collective input which will inform grant distribution.  

As a result of university policy changes and state legislation, CSU students are required to complete a three-unit course in ethnic studies to graduate. With the most ethnically, economically and academically diverse student body in the nation, the CSU is well positioned to advance nuanced scholarship on the breadth of the human experience through race, ethnic, gender and sexuality studies. 

Half of CSU students are from historically underserved communities and 21 of the 23 campuses are designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions. The CSU provides more than half of all undergraduate degrees earned in the state of California by Latinx, African American and Native American students combined.



About the California State University 

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. 

 

About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation  

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities.  Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there.  Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org. ​

A group of diverse students smiling and sitting together.
CSU to Receive $1.5 Million from Mellon Foundation to Expand Ethnic Studies Pathways
Stanislaus-State-President-Appointed-2024.aspx
  
3/27/2024 9:01 AMThropay, Janessa3/27/20243/27/2024 8:50 AMThe California State University Board of Trustees has appointed Britt Rios-Ellis to serve as president of California State University, Stanislaus. LeadershipPress Release

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Britt Rios-Ellis to serve as president of California State University, Stanislaus. Rios-Ellis currently serves as provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs at Oakland University (OU), a public research university in Rochester, Michigan.

“I am both honored and humbled to serve this outstanding university alongside the talented faculty, staff, administrators and students at Stanislaus State, and to be the first new president selected under the leadership of Chancellor Mildred García," said Rios-Ellis. “I am eager to get to know the Turlock and Stockton communities and work together to ensure that the positive impact of our students' and the university's overall success is felt profoundly throughout the region."

Rios-Ellis succeeds Interim President Susan E. Borrego, who has served in the role since the retirement of President Emerita Ellen Junn in summer 2023.

“Dr. Rios-Ellis is an inspirational, compassionate and mission-driven leader, guided by a commitment to inclusive excellence and student success," said CSU Trustee Yammilette Rodriguez, chair of the Stanislaus State Presidential Search Committee. “Her wide-ranging experience, student-centered approach and commitment to broader community engagement make her the ideal candidate to lead Stanislaus State in its next exciting chapter."

Since joining the Oakland University leadership team in 2021, Rios-Ellis has focused on student and faculty success efforts with an equity lens, resulting in an 8% increase in retention of underrepresented students, as well as decreasing equity gaps in bottleneck courses, and time to graduation. She has worked with faculty to increase research activity, with the OU Senate to strengthen shared governance, and with deans and faculty to establish new and needed academic programs. She also coordinated successful fundraising and budget realignment efforts for the university and led an initiative to secure OU's Carnegie elective classification for Community Engagement.

In all, Rios-Ellis has led over $59 million in student- and community-​strengthening health and education-related efforts funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Education, as well as in collaboration with industry partners to reinforce workforce pipelines.

This marks a return to the CSU system for Rios-Ellis. Prior to joining OU, she served as founding dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at California State University, Monterey Bay (2014 to 2020), where she led fundraising and strategic planning efforts and co-founded the Master of Science Physician Assistant Program—the first of its kind in the CSU.

From 1994 to 2014, Rios-Ellis served as a faculty member in the Department of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach. During that time, she also served as founding director of CSULB's Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation, and Leadership Training (2005 to 2015) in alliance with UnidosUS, where she worked to promote and advocate for the health, culture and well-being of diverse communities. She was recognized with a CSULB Outstanding Professor Award in 2013 for her significant impact on Latinx health research and education, and was named Woman of the Year by the National Hispanic Business Women's Association in 2010 and the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2009. Additionally, in 2008, she received the Sol Award from the Los Angeles County Office of HIV/AIDS Planning Prevention.

​Rios-Ellis earned a bachelor's degree in political science and Spanish, a master's degree in health and fitness management, and a Ph.D. in community health—all from the University of Oregon.

Rios-Ellis will assume the university presidency on July 1, 2024.

​ 


About the California State University 

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. 

woman smiling
Britt Rios-Ellis Appointed President of California State University, Stanislaus
CSU-Celebrates-the-Life-of-Stephen-Weber.aspx
  
3/26/2024 3:46 PMThropay, Janessa3/26/20243/26/2024 3:45 PMFormer president of San Diego State University passes away at 82.LeadershipStory

The California State University (CSU) commemorates the life of former San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber, who passed away on March 17, 2024, due to complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 82. ​

Weber was the seventh president of San Diego State University from 1996-2011, leading SDSU through a time of growth and national prominence.  

Through Weber’s creativity, strong work ethic and dedication to his students, the university experienced notable increases in diversity, student support services and academic excellence. Of note during his 15-year tenure, SDSU led the nation in improved graduation rates, with the percentage of students who graduate in four years growing from 38% to 66%, and pioneered programs for military and low-income, first-generation students. Additionally, Weber helped successfully advocate for a state bill that authorized the CSU to offer independent doctoral programs. Today, SDSU offers more than a dozen doctoral degrees. 

The university also saw growth of its physical space with several new buildings brought online during Weber’s tenure, including the Arts and Letters Building and the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. Research and philanthropic support also increased, with more than $1.1 billion secured in external research and development funding between 2000 and 2011.  

“Dr. Weber leaves a rich legacy at San Diego State, and the positive impact of his service will span generations,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Under his visionary, principled and compassionate leadership, the university made extraordinary gains in student success, enhanced access for students from all backgrounds, elevated its athletic program, inspired philanthropic support and forged vital community relationships that continue to this day. San Diego Stateand the CSU more broadlyare more vital and impactful institutions for his extraordinary service.” 

Weber had a profound influence nationally, serving as chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Board of Directors in 2002 and on the board for AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) from 2011-2020. He also sat on the boards of The Peres Center for Peace and Student Veterans of America.    

He was an engaged supporter of student-athletes and was instrumental in the formation of the Mountain West Conference in 1998. He served on the NCAA Board of Directors, NCAA Executive Committee, NCAA Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues, the Presidential Oversight Committee for the Bowl Championships Series and the Board of Directors of the Mountain West Conference, which honored him with the Dr. Albert C. Yates Distinguished Service Award. 

Weber joined San Diego State after a year as interim provost for academic affairs at the State University of New York system. Before that, he served eight years as president of SUNY’s Oswego campus. He also held the positions of vice president of academic affairs at St. Cloud State in Minnesota, dean of arts and sciences at Fairfield University in Connecticut and was an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Maine. 

A native of Boston, Weber earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Bowling Green State University and his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame.​

Stephen Weber walking at a graduation ceremony.
CSU Celebrates the Life of Stephen L. Weber
Counted-Data-Collection-on-Student-Parents.aspx
  
3/25/2024 8:46 AMBeall, Alex3/25/20243/25/2024 1:50 PMTo comply with a recent California bill, the CSU is now collecting data on student parents—which will help the university better serve this group.Student SuccessStory

​Even though they represent more than one in five college students in the U.S., student parents have historically not received the targeted focus they require and deserve along their educational journey. Champions across the CSU have been working tirelessly to ensure student parents have the support and resources they need to persist to graduation.

“This is a huge swath of people who are not being served as well as they could be, who are being treated like every other student when they have, in a lot of ways, more barriers," says Julia Rose, director of basic needs at CSU Channel Islands. “But they also have more wisdom and more life experience than some of their peers, and that is not being engaged because the population has been invisible. … I think about this work as inclusion work. The first step is remembering that this is a population on your campus that you need to consider when you're planning things and when you're building things, whether it be a program or a physical facility."

As part of the CSU Pregnant and Parenting Student Network—a committee sponsored by the Michelson 20MM Foundation that includes campus representatives from Fresno, San Luis Obispo and Sacramento, among others—this group of champions recently threw their support behind California Assembly Bill No. 2881 (AB 2881). Passed in 2022, AB 2881 seeks to improve access to classes and information about basic needs resources for student parents, smoothing their path to graduation. One provision required that the CSU and California Community Colleges, and requested that​ the University of California, offer priority registration to student parents.

To provide them with priority registration, universities need to identify their enrolled student parents—making the formal collection of data on this student group a beneficial byproduct of the bill. Such data will help universities understand the unique characteristics or challenges of their student parents, such as their personal demographics or first-generation or Pell-eligible status.

“Student parents are a visible population in terms of the sheer numbers, but they're also invisible because we don't intentionally collect that data on them," says Larissa Mercado-López, chair of Fresno State's Department of Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies. “AB 2881 allows us to take advantage of that data to better understand the experiences, the challenges of our students and help them to feel a stronger sense of inclusion."

“This is an opportunity to make visible this population that's been so historically invisible—but that has tremendous skills and assets that we could be uplifting—and be purposeful in how we support and include and recognize them," she continues. “Through their experiences, they enrich our classrooms. They have such deep connections to their education because they're sacrificing time spent with their children to be in our classroom—so there's so much intentionality that they bring."

By the bill's deadline of July 1, 2023, the CSU was able to implement a mechanism in the online student registration system that allowed students to self-certify their student parent status and receive priority registration for future semesters.

“AB 2881 has presented a wonderful opportunity for the CSU system to collaborate between our Registrar's Offices and our Basic Needs and Housing constituency groups in order to find and ultimately better support our pregnant and parenting student population," says Liz Reed, CSU assistant director of Enrollment Management Technology. “We are in full compliance across the system with AB 2881 and are pleased to share that 2.1% of our total student population self-reported that they have at least one dependent under the age of 18 during the fall 2023 semester and received a priority registration date."

The Data Advantage

Before AB 2881 passed, some of these CSU champions had been informally identifying their university's student parents to collect related data by individually marking students in the online system. For example, Haley Myers Dillon, director of Strategic Partnerships, the Parents & Families Program and the Women's Resource Center at Sacramento State, has been able to gather extensive data on Sacramento State's 9,430 student parents​, who make up about 30% of the student body.

Her data collection has revealed that student parents are overrepresented in terms of historically marginalized groups, such as women, students of color, Pell-eligible status, first-generation status and student loan debt. It's also shown that 98% of Sacramento State student parents are transfer students.

“The CSU is an institution that is helping reduce intergenerational poverty," Myers Dillon says, adding that investing in student parents is investing in two generations. “They are the future of the state, and the CSU is providing an education that can be more of an economic equalizer. These student parents are the people the CSU is working for."

By instituting a systemwide process for collecting data on student parents, the CSU will have even more extensive data to better equip itself for meeting these students' needs.

“When we focus on student parents, we're also focusing on first-gen students, students of color," Mercado-López says. “Student parents are at the intersections of many inequity categories, and so when we specifically target them, we're also lifting up progress in all of these other graduation equity areas. There's real potential for moving our progress forward rapidly with some investment."

With such data in hand, student parents can be automatically added as a group to the CSU's early alert systems, like the CSU does with other groups, such as Guardian Scholars and Pell Grant recipients. A March 2021 report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that more than half of student parents stop out of college before earning a degree. The early alert system can help CSUs ensure these students are receiving sufficient support and outreach early on if they begin to move toward stopping out.

Similarly, CSUs can use the data to target student parents with reenrollment campaigns, a key equity priority for Graduation Initiative 2025. “It's important to know how many of those students who​ stopped out are parenting students because the support that those students would need to return to campus is different than their peers," Rose says. “If you know who those students are, you can know how well they're doing, how many you are keeping from year to year, how many are graduating, and how to increase those numbers and make sure that we have an educated workforce."

CSUs will also be able to implement targeted group communications about student parent events, on-campus resources and other services that will help connect the students with each other and their campus.

Lastly, the data will be able to demonstrate how large this student group is, which would help drive the development of additional programs, services and efforts to ensure their needs are met—such as adding a university staff member dedicated to student parents and adjusting classroom and academic policies for their benefit.

“I'm hoping that it will shape, from a faculty perspective, how we think about our own classroom policies: Who is in our classroom, who we are 'invisiblizing,' who we are creating more challenges for through our absence policies or our late work policies," says Mercado-López, who has created a student parent competency training module for faculty that includes such policies. “Through the data, it will create more visibility of this group so that we can be more attentive to them in our syllabus."

Myers Dillon says one such improvement could be offering upper division courses as hybrid courses with online components and during evening hours and summer session to meet student parents scheduling needs.

“There need to be multiple modalities, methods and times that students can access the material," she says. “Our student parents are hungry to make an economic investment in themselves and their future for their children and their family. They just can't always make it work because, especially in single-income earner households, they don't have time."

A Model of Best Practice

Through the Urban Institute Data-to-Action Campaign for Parenting Students—which focuses on data collection on parenting status as a way to support student parents—CSU Channel Islands and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are receiving additional support to meet AB 2881 requirements. Along with a collection of U.S. universities and colleges, the two CSUs were awarded $60,000 grants through the campaign's College Community of Practice, and will benefit from the Urban Institute's expertise and guidance.

“The Urban Institute project's aim as a whole is to be on the ground floor of helping universities across the country identify and better support parenting students," Rose says. “It is about being able to build resource guides and create best practices around how to identify and count parenting students with an eye towards improving services and policies for those students."

To participate in the project, the two universities created multidisciplinary teams, with representatives from student affairs, institutional research, the Title IX office, the student body and more. Together, they are building practices for how best to collect and evaluate data to improve and expand resources and programs for student parents. Their processes would then serve as a model for the rest of the CSU.

“This grant has allowed two campuses to create a proof of concept: Here are some lessons we learned, here are some pitfalls that people should look out for and here's how we've done it," says Tina Cheuk, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo assistant professor of education. “We're trying to make the best decisions along the way and bring in as many people as possible, so that we get the best outcomes for our students with dependents. … I'm hopeful that Cal State will be one of the first public systems to gather student data on student parents in a systematic way."

​Serving Student Parents

​Though the new influx of data will help improve services for student parents, CSUs already have a range of support available for them. Many campuses offer on-campus childcare, and CSU students may qualify for subsidized care at the on-campus children’s center or at off-campus facilities. Some campuses also offer student parent support groups in-person and online, like the Dolphins with Dependents parenting student support group at CSUCI or the Stude​​nt Parent Peer Ambassadors program​, Dads’ Collaborative and Zoom-based support group at Sacramento State.

Through the Basic Needs Initiative, campuses may also provide child-related items through their food pantry or clothing closet. For example, Fresno State houses the nation’s first university-based diaper bank, hosts a children’s clothing closet and stocks groceries like formula in its Amendola Family Student Cupboard​. Other campus resources may include grant options and spaces on campus like a mother’s room or family study room.

Students should check with their respective campus for specific services and resources offered.​

Find a campus's parenting stude​nts webpage.​






Student in graduation regalia with child
Counted: Data Collection on Student Parents
Invest-in-CSU-Invest-in-CA-Communities.aspx
  
3/25/2024 1:29 PMRuble, Alisia3/25/20243/25/2024 8:00 AMCSU chancellor calls for predictable funding in 2024-25 California state budget.BudgetStory
CSU Chancellor Mildred García testified in front of the California State Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 on Education in support of the CSU’s budget request March 14, alongside University of California President Michael V. Drake.

In her testimony, Chancellor García reminded legislators that the CSU serves one of the most ethnically, economically and academically diverse student populations in the country—more than 450,000 students across its 23 universities—and that it is California’s greatest driver of social mobility and economic vitality. More than half of CSU undergraduates are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, nearly half are Pell-eligible and more than one-quarter are the first in their families to attend college.

“The CSU is a model for serving America’s new majority,” Chancellor García said. “Resources entrusted to the CSU are not an expenditure, but an investment, an investment with dividends measured in social mobility, in more vital communities, and in powering California’s future diverse and educated workforce—all at a scale only the CSU can provide.”

Chancellor García also highlighted key areas where support is needed, underscoring the message that “predictability is as important a currency as the money itself.” The CSU requests that the state honor the funding set forth in the governor’s multi-year compact—either as originally structured or as modified in the governor’s January budget proposal—and support ​an education facilities bond that includes higher education.

On January 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a state budget that would defer the 2024-25 CSU compact funding commitment of approximately $240 million by one year—until fiscal year 2025-26—to help address the state budget shortfall. Reiterating his commitment to the CSU and to advance compact-related goals, the governor proposes to reimburse the CSU with a one-time payment of approximately $240 million at the start of fiscal year 2025-26, in addition to resuming ongoing compact funding.

State Funding is Key

Unlike other educational institutions, the CSU relies on only two revenue sources: the state’s general fund—which comprises approximately 60% of its core revenue—and student tuition and fees, which remain among the lowest in the country. The CSU also faces increased costs from recent collective bargaining agreements, rising health insurance premiums and costs associated with its steadfast commitment to strengthen Title IX and other anti-discrimination programs​ and to achieve full and timely compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA.

Considering both the multi-year compact and the five-year tuition plan the CSU adopted last September, revenue projections enabled the university to reach multi-year contracts with its labor unions, which include increased parental leave and a return to salary steps for some unions​.

In addition to deploying difficult cost-containment strategies at both the campus and system levels, the CSU has introduced key efficiency strategies, including an Enrollment Target and Budget Reallocation Plan that will better align funding resources with the realities of shifting demographics and student demand. And it is identifying additional collaboration opportunities among the 23 universities to further reduce costs.

“But without sustained state funding, this work becomes exceedingly difficult—our progress in mission-critical areas will be slowed, to the detriment of our diverse and deserving students,” Chancellor García said. “When students enroll at the CSU, they expect they will receive​ the quality academic programming and student support they need to graduate in a timely manner. These cannot be turned on one year and off the next due to volatility in our ability to pay for them.”​

Investing in California Communities

Earning a CSU degree has the power to change the trajectory of students’ lives, and the lives of their family members. The university provides more than half of all undergraduate degrees earned by California’s Latinx, African American and Native American students combined, and has garnered multiple Top 10 spots in a wide range of national social mobility rankings, including CollegeNET’s “Social Mobility Index.”

At about $6,000 per academic year, CSU tuition is among the lowest in the country. Nearly 80% of undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid, and more than half of them graduate with zero student loan debt. In fact, CSUs have been recognized for a high return on investment in rankings like Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” in the West.

A recent economic impact report showed that the CSU and its 23 universities contribute significantly to California’s economy. In the 2018-2019 academic year, CSU-related expenditures were responsible for supporting nearly 209,400 jobs and $26.9 billion in industry activity throughout California, as well as $1.6 billion in state and local tax revenue. 

The CSU’s more than 4 million alumni contribute significantly to the state’s, and the country’s, economic well-being. Every 1 in 10 California employees is a CSU graduate, and every 1 in 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU.

The CSU has emerged from a period of challenge and transition and is now on a steeply upward trajectory thanks, in part, to historic state funding in previous budget cycles.

Its flagship student success effort, Graduation Initiative 2025, has led to all-time highs in graduation rates for students from all backgrounds, and the four-year graduation rate has nearly doubled since 2015, increasing from 19% to 35%. In fact, the CSU has produced a cumulative total of more than 150,000 additional degree-holders since the initiative was launched. Improved graduation rates also mean improved access for future students, and the university is closing the gap toward the state’s enrollment targets.

The CSU also recently completed a systemwide inventory of existing efforts across all 23 universities to support Black student success. The resulting report assesses the many programs in place, highlights current areas of strength that can be scaled across the system and sets forth university action items that align with the recommendations of the CSU’s Black Student Success Report, which will be implemented over the next 18 months.

These are just a few of the myriad examples that underscore an undeniable positive momentum for the CSU, but, as Chancellor García said in her testimony, “sustaining this critical momentum requires the necessary ongoing resources.”

Watch Chancellor García's full testimony.

 


four people standing in front of a California flag
Invest in the CSU; Invest in California’s Future
Journeys-to-Leadership.aspx
  
3/27/2024 9:04 AMRuble, Alisia3/21/20243/21/2024 10:45 AMThe live conversation on April 2 will highlight powerful stories of overcoming obstacles.LeadershipStory
Two inspirational leaders… Two powerful stories of overcoming obstacles…

On April 2, California State University Chancellor Mildred García and Chair of the CSU Board of Trustees Wenda Fong will participate in a live “Journeys to Leadership” conversation/interview as they describe the paths they took to reach some of the highest leadership positions in higher education. 

The event, geared toward a student audience, will give participants a firsthand look at who these two leaders are, where they came from and how they advise the next generation to reach for the stars. Daisy Navarrete, the president of CSU Channel Island’s Associated Students Inc., will serve as moderator.

“Journeys to Leadership” will take place at CSUCI and will be livestreamed beginning at 1:00 p.m. PDT.​

CSU students are encouraged to register for the event to receive the livestream link and submit questions in advance of the event. 
chancellor mildred garcia and board of trustees chair wenda fong
chancellor mildred garcia and board of trustees chair wenda fong
“Journeys to Leadership” Event Will Feature CSU Chancellor, Chair
CSU-Hosts-Inaugural-Undocu-Student-Summit.aspx
  
3/20/2024 9:10 AMBeall, Alex3/20/20243/20/2024 11:15 AMThe Undocu Student Summit brought together more than 250 CSU students from across California.Student SuccessStory

​The California State University held its first-ever Undocu Student Summit on March 16, bringing together more than 250 CSU students from across the state for a series of presentations and breakout sessions. The summit, hosted by Cal State Long Beach, was designed to provide a forum for CSU undocumented and mixed-status students to network, empower, build community, celebrate diversity, create inclusive opportunities and cultivate their leadership skills.

Summit participants also included staff and supporters of the CSU's “Dream Centers," which provide legal aid on immigration issues to students at all CSU universities.

“While we as Dream Center staff get together once a year, we have never had an opportunity like this to gather all of our students together," said Norma Salcedo, director of the Dream Success Center at Cal State Long Beach. She noted that the summit was taking place exactly 10 years after the opening of the CSU's first Dream Center, at Cal State Fullerton. “What an opportunity to honor our past while redefining our future."

Summit participants heard from immigration attorneys, activists and fellow students who shared their experience and advice in navigating the complicated landscape of the federal DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy. DACA grants temporary legal status and benefits to individuals without documentation who came to the U.S. as children.

Speaker Ju Hung, the director of the UCLA Dream Resource Center and a San Francisco State alumnus, told students that as an undocumented Korean immigrant student he hadn't ever imagined that he could go to college. That all changed when his family was able to access free legal assistance, he said.

“That was the first time I ever heard that I could go to college despite being undocumented, and that really transformed my life—and it really gave me a sense of purpose and true calling that I want to serve immigrant communities," said Hung, who encouraged attendees to take a leadership role in advocating for undocumented youth.

The CSU provides free immigration legal services to all current students, staff, faculty, immediate family members of current students, recent graduates (who graduated within two years) and newly admitted students who have accepted their admissions.

Currently, more than 8,500 CSU students are taking advantage of in-state tuition granted to undocumented students through California's AB 540 legislation, according to Ana Aguayo-Bryant, assistant director of student affairs programs at the CSU Chancellor's Office.


Find more CSU resources available for undocumented students.

CSU Hosts Inaugural Summit for Undocumented, Mixed-Status Students
More-Than-$12.2-Million-in-Federal-Funds-Will-Benefit-CSU-Communities.aspx
  
3/11/2024 9:00 AMThropay, Janessa3/11/20243/11/2024 10:40 AMCongressionally directed funding will advance research and initiatives with community impact across five universities.ResearchPress Release

More than $12.2 million in new federal funding will benefit California State University (CSU) projects, thanks to members of Congress and the work of CSU advocates. The congressionally directed funding was part of a “minibus" package of fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills signed into law by President Biden on March 8. 

Funded projects and their sponsors include: 

  • $5 million for Titan Gateway Bridge at Cal State Fullerton | Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-45) 
  • $3.4 million for capital improvements for the Child Development Center at Cal State Long Beach | Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42) 
  • $963,000 for the California Regenerative Aquaculture Hub at CSUN | Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32) 
  • $963,000 for the Strength United's Domestic Violence Community Policing and Advocacy Project at CSUN | Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) 
  • $963,000 for the Tech and Workforce Hub Project at Cal State San Bernardino | Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) 
  • $​963,000 for the Transmission Electron Microscope at San Diego State University | Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) 

"This visionary funding package is a wonderful example of how, with the support of our California congressional delegation, we can develop innovative and effective programs that benefit not only our students, but also our campus communities and our state," said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “We are grateful and deeply appreciative of the trust these members of Congress place in the CSU, as well as their partnership in helping advance our mission of elevating lives through the transformative power of higher education." 

Building congressional support for CSU priorities is a top goal of the CSU's Office of Federal Relations, which serves as a resource to Washington-based policymakers, including the California congressional delegation, as well as to D.C.-based educational associations. 

The CSU's federal policy ​priorities focus on improving college access and timely completion through student financial aid including enhancing the Pell Grant program and fostering degree completion for California's diverse population including supporting federal policies that assist Dreamers.  

For example, in 2021-22, CSU students and their families benefited from more than $1.8 billion in federal financial assistance through Pell Grant awards, Work Study funds and student loans.



About the California State University 

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. 

A group of students walking on campus with the copy "News Update" across the center.
More Than $12.2 Million in Federal Funds Will Benefit CSU Communities
CSU-Chancellor-Mildred-García-to-be-Honored-as-Women’s-HERstory-Maker.aspx
  
3/22/2024 11:45 AMRuble, Alisia3/11/20243/11/2024 9:55 AMCalifornia Legislative Women’s Caucus recognizes García for groundbreaking achievements in honor of Women’s History Month. ChancellorPress Release

California State University (CSU) Chancellor Mildred García was honored today, March 11, by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus as a 2024 California Woman Making HERstory. The Women’s Caucus recognized García alongside fellow women HERstory Makers during special Women’s History Month commemorations on the floors of the State Assembly and State Senate at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.  

Chancellor García was celebrated for her groundbreaking role as the first Latina leader of the CSU system and the first Latina to lead a four-year public university system in the nation. She also served as the system’s first Latina university president at CSU Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012. And from 2012 to 2018 she was president of Cal State Fullerton. 

Prior to her appointment as chancellor, Dr. García served as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), where she was the first Latina to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. 

“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as a California Woman HERstory Maker alongside other remarkable women whom I deeply admire,” said Chancellor García. “I take seriously my role as the first Latina to lead not only the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year university system, but the first Latina to lead any four-year university system in the nation. It is my hope that everywhere that CSU’s students look on our 23 university campuses, they see opportunity, inclusion, and encouragement, and perhaps, their future selves.” ​

Learn more about CSU Chancellor Mildred García.



About the California State University 

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. 

chancellor garcia holding a plaque
CSU Chancellor Mildred García Honored as Women’s HERstory Maker
A-Fresh-Approach-to-Student-Wellness.aspx
  
3/12/2024 10:26 AMThropay, Janessa3/11/20243/11/2024 8:00 AMCSU CalFresh Outreach Weeks highlight the myriad ways the university addresses students’ basic needs.Basic Needs InitiativeStory
This February, the CSU’s 23 universities hosted multiple outreach events to raise awareness for the government nutrition assistance program CalFresh and help students navigate the process of applying for benefits. The program is the California adaptation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and provides eligible individuals with free money to spend on groceries and meals.

Each of the campuses leads their own outreach events with support from the Center for Healthy Communities at Chico State (CHC) and the CSU Office of the Chancellor. In 2023, CalFresh Outreach Week expanded to include a week-long celebration of events in the fall term.

CSU Basic Needs Initiative​ teams, including campus staff and student leaders, organize informative webinars and Q&A sessions about CalFresh benefits, hold virtual and in-person appointments to screen students for eligibility and offer help submitting applications. They also host activities on social media to dispel myths about benefits and reduce stigma surrounding seeking assistance. 

For example, Sacramento State held cooking demonstrations using items individuals can purchase with their CalFresh benefits, CSU Channel Islands hosted a CalFresh farmers market and raffles, and San Diego State implemented a social media CalFresh enrollment campaign using posts, stories and reels to highlight information and resources related to the program.

In addition to providing CalFresh outreach and application assistance, CSU campuses now accept, or are working toward accepting, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) to be used to purchase food on campus.​

Elevating Outreach

To recognize its leadership as content experts in CalFresh outreach, California Governor Gavin Newsom awarded the CHC a renewal of $3 million in funding in the 2022-23 state budget to continue supporting college students across California.

Its efforts brought an estimated economic impact of nearly $100 million to the state last year, according to the USDA SNAP Multiplier Effect. The CHC partners with all 149 California public college campuses and higher education basic needs leaders to uplift and expand food benefit application assistance, which strengthens regional and state economies.
 
Since receiving initial state funding in 2021, the CHC has been able to elevate its work, including the development of the CalFresh Outreach (CFO) Resource Hub. The hub provides best practices, live help desk support to campuses and assistance in implementing legislation.

Thanks in part to systemwide outreach efforts, nearly 23,000 students received assistance with CalFresh applications during the 2022-23 academic year.

Elevating CalFresh outreach was an overarching theme at the California Higher Education Basic Needs Alliance (CHEBNA) Summit held February 21-22, 2024, which brought together nearly 900 individuals who are working on basic needs throughout the state.

CHEBNA was established in 2016 by members of all three of California’s public higher education segments—the CSU, University of California and the California Community Colleges—to inform basic needs interventions, research and assessment, as well as to inform policy shaping best practices.

One of the key goals in conducting CalFresh outreach, says Emily Kass, systemwide manager for the CSU Basic Needs Initiative, is to help students understand the eligibility requirements, because many who are eligible think they are not. She says it’s also important to combat the stigma around applying for CalFresh.

“A student is not defined by whether or not they are experiencing food or housing insecurity—ultimately they're defined by being a student and a human, and basic needs are human rights,” Kass says. “It’s our job to figure out how we support students as an institution with these resources in order to promote their well-being as a student.”

Learn more about CalFresh eligibility and how to sign up by watching a tutorial from Cal State East Bay's Pioneers for H.O.P.E.

 

Fresh Food for Free

Supporting student wellness and basic needs is a key priority of the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025. Through the initiative, the university has made a number of resources, programs and services available to students to support them on their path to graduation. In addition to CalFresh outreach and education, the CSU has established a food pantry or food distribution program at each of its 23 universities. 

These food distribution programs continue to grow each year to meet students’ needs, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted them and their families. CSU Monterey Bay Basic Needs​ coordinator Robyn DoCanto says the number of visits to its food pantry, The Hub, has nearly doubled over the last two semesters. 

“We are serving 39% of the student population,” DoCanto says. “We’re feeding anyone on campus who needs it.”

The Hub at CSUMB is the nerve center for the university’s basic needs program. Located in the Student Center, it offers a variety of nonperishable grocery items, produce, grab-and-go snacks and prepared food. Students can also apply for CalFresh assistance, receive farmers market vouchers and get information about nutrition, housing and financial support programs. 

There is also a thrift shop section where students can find or donate clothing, and a food truck visits the Hub once every two weeks, providing students with free fruits and vegetables. 

Cal State Fullerton recently opened the ASI Food Pantry—a 1,400-foot space in the campus’s Titan Student Union that is twice the size of its original food pantry. The Pantry’s partners include the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, grocery stores like Ralphs and Sam’s Club, and CSUF Basic Needs Services.

Campus gardens and farms across the CSU also help address basic needs by providing fresh produce for students.

CSUF, for example, partners with the Fullerton Arboretum and the CSUF Campus Garden to provide thousands of pounds of fresh produce for The Pantry. Since opening its first location in August 2021, more than 3,300 students have accessed The Pantry, which has received more than 2,800 pounds of fresh fruit from the arboretum since the partnership started in early 2022.

CSUF senior Jade Fonseca, who volunteers at the arboretum, knows firsthand the benefits of having a campus food pantry with fresh-picked produce. In the past, she turned to The Pantry to help her with weekly groceries and learned about other resources that help students, such as food assistance programs and local food banks.

“I work a minimum wage job. I have to pay rent, bills and school expenses,” says Fonseca. “I don’t always have a lot of extra money for food. Thankfully, The Pantry has helped provide me with the food I needed.”

Halting Homelessness

In addition to ensuring students have enough to eat, CSU campuses have expanded emergency assistance for students facing housing insecurity. Each of the 23 universities provides housing support to housing insecure or unhoused students through emergency on and off campus placements and emergency grants to support housing expenses.

Eight campuses, including Chico State, have participated in the College-Focused Rapid Rehousing program since 2019, and they are collaborating with community-based organizations to assist with longer-term housing solutions. The CSU has awarded the participating campuses $220,000 each year through the program to support their efforts.

Working together with regional nonprofits Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT) and the True North Housing Alliance, as well as local property management companies, Chico State Basic Needs​​ provides students with transitional and permanent housing, as well as the rental assistance grants necessary to secure housing or prevent the imminent loss of housing.

For Chico State senior Kourtne Garrison, going to college and living in the dorms was supposed to be an escape from a tumultuous household. But when the pandemic hit in 2020, it forced her back home, where “everything came crashing down,” she says.

Garrison’s father kicked her out of their Sacramento home, leaving her with nowhere to go. When she was allowed to return, “I walked on eggshells. I feared for my safety, so that’s when I got in touch with Basic Needs.”

“My grades really slipped in that time, and I was in a bad mental state of mind,” the public health major says.

Her call to Chico State Basic Needs provided a bridge to a new start. A first-generation college student and an immigrant from Jamaica, Garrison has lived in a CHAT house since she left her father’s house during her sophomore year.

“It took a load off my shoulders—I have a place to go to, I have a bed to lie in, and I don’t have to worry,” Garrison says. “[Rapid Re-housing] gave me the opportunity to focus on my academics and my future.”


Learn more about CSU efforts to address student wellness on the Basic Needs Initiative website.
a smiling college student holding canned goods
A Fresh Approach to Supporting Student Wellness
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3/4/2024 10:00 AMThropay, Janessa3/4/20243/4/2024 4:10 PMImmersive on-campus arts experiences at Fresno State and abroad offer rare opportunities for students to live and work with some of the best artists in their disciplines.CommunityPress Release

​The California Sta​te University (CSU) is now accepting applications for its 2024 CSU Summer Arts program, which offers undergraduate, graduate and advanced practitioners a chance to live and study with world-renowned artists and CSU faculty in the fields of art, creative writing, dance, media, music and theatre. 

​The application deadline is April 15 for international courses and May 15 for courses at Fresno State.​

An immersive, multi-disciplinary arts experience, CSU Summer Arts will be held in two sessions at Fresno State: June 24 to July 7 and July 8 to July 21. In addition, three-week international courses will be offered in Italy (June 18-July 9), Germany (July 14-Aug. 4) and Mexico (July 15-Aug. 5).  

“Students tell us that Summer Arts was a truly transformative experience for them; one that expanded their knowledge, skills and appreciation of the arts in a very short period of time," said Ray Smith, CSU Summer Arts director. “Working closely with guest artists in an intensive environment accelerates the creative process, helping students master their craft while fostering lifelong friendships and professional relationships beneficial to their careers."  

CSU Summer Arts offers a wide array of creative learning and mastery opportunities in a close-knit and apprentice-like environment. Through the international courses, painters can master their art in Italy, actors can perfect their craft with renowned artists in Germany, and students can immerse themselves in the rich art, culture and history of Mexico. Courses on the Fresno State campus include process-oriented photography, hip-hop dance, animation production, musical scoring for screen and video games, Chicago-style comedy, and social action writing. 

Students can choose to attend one or both two-week sessions. At the end of the summer, students proudly showcase their artistic talents in free and open-to-the-public events. 

CSU Summer Arts is accepting applications now through April ​15 for international courses and May 15 for courses at Fresno State. Courses are open to students from community colleges, CSU and UC campuses and private colleges, or members of the community with the desire to master their craft. Students admitted to the program can earn up to six units of transferrable credit. Scholarships are available with a deadline of April 15 for priority consideration.  

For more information about CSU Summer Arts courses, registration, scholarships or public events, visit CSU Su​mmer Art​s​.​



About CSU Summer Arts 
CSU Summer Arts is a national and international program that provides innovative arts education, exhibition and performances that nurture the artistic spirit and enhance an appreciation of the arts. Launched in 1985 as a summer dance program on the campus of Cal State Long Beach, the Summer Arts' curriculum expanded the following year to include various arts genres. For more than 36 years, CSU Summer Arts has united artists and students, igniting passions and enriching lives through the arts.


About the California State University 
The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.​

Students dancing on stage as part of the CSU's Summer Arts program.
CSU Summer Arts Program Accepting Student Applications
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3/11/2024 11:19 AMRuble, Alisia3/4/20243/4/2024 8:40 AMThe CSU celebrates its dedicated women leaders this Women’s History Month.LeadershipStory

At The Helm: Women Leaders of the CSU

The CSU celebrates its dedicated women leaders this Women’s History Month.

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2018 marked the first time in the CSU’s history when the majority of presidents were women. Once again, in 2024, women are at the helm of 12 of the CSU’s 23 universities. In addition, a woman is leading the entire CSU system, with Dr. Mildred García serving not only as the CSU’s first Latina chancellor, but as the first Latina in the nation to lead a four-year public university system.

“The California State University has a long and proud history of elevating diverse women to leadership positions,” says CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Our current women presidents and trustees continue to provide visionary, principled, bold and compassionate leadership as the CSU strengthens its position as the nation’s model for inclusive excellence and the preeminent university system for educating America’s new majority.”

This Women’s History Month, we honor their hard work and dedication to the CSU and its students, faculty and staff. Meet the women leading the CSU to a brighter future.


Mildred García

Photo of Mildred García  

Mildred García

Chancellor, The California State University

Mildred García began her tenure as the California State University’s 11th chancellor on October 1, 2023, after serving as president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The appointment marked a return to the CSU for García, who served as president of Cal State Fullerton from 2012 to 2018 and president of CSU Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012. A recipient of myriad awards and honors—including appointments to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the Committee on Measures of Student Success—García most recently received the Puerto Rican Heritage Award from Comité Noviembre.


Sylvia A. Alva

Photo of Sylvia A. Alva  

Sylvia A. Alva

Interim President, Cal State Fullerton

A product of the CSU having earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at Cal State LA, Sylvia Alva was appointed interim president of Cal State Fullerton in April 2023. Alva previously served as the CSU’s executive vice chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, where she oversaw the systemwide Graduation Initiative 2025—as well as dean of the College of Health and Human Development at CSUN and as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Cal Poly Pomona.


Erika D. Beck

Photo of Erika D. Beck  

Erika D. Beck

President, CSUN

Prior to her appointment to CSUN in October 2020, Erika Beck served as president of CSU Channel Islands for four years. Before joining the CSU, she served as provost and executive vice president at Nevada State College, during which time she was recognized as a Woman of Distinction in Education by the National Association of Women in Business Leaders in 2015 and as a Top Female Business Leader in Education by the Las Vegas Business Press in 2012.


Susan Borrego

Photo of Susan Borrego  

Susan Borrego

Interim President, Stanislaus State

In March 2023, Susan Borrego started as interim president of Stanislaus State. Before her appointment, she served in various roles at a collection of universities, including as chancellor of the University of Michigan-Flint, vice president for Enrollment Management, Planning and Student Affairs at CSU Dominguez Hills and vice president of Student Affairs at CSU Monterey Bay.


Soraya M. Coley

Photo Soraya M. Coley  

Soraya M. Coley

President, Cal Poly Pomona

The first woman and first African American scholar to be named president of Cal Poly Pomona, Soraya Coley was appointed to the position in September 2014. She has helped grow CPP’s legacy as the most diverse polytechnic university in the country and as a national leader in promoting social and economic mobility. In 2023, Coley received the American Council on Education Donna Shavlik Award for demonstrating a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education.


Jane Close Conoley

Photo Jane Close Conoley  

Jane Close Conoley

President, Cal State Long Beach

Since January 2014​, Jane Close Conoley has served as president of Cal State Long Beach. She was the first woman to be named a permanent president of the campus. Conoley has also held leadership roles at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Texas A&M University and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln—and is the author, co-author or editor of more than 120 books, articles, and book chapters.


Adela de la Torre

Photo of Adela de la Torre  

Adela de la Torre

President, San Diego State

With 30 years’ experience working in higher education, Adela de la Torre began her tenure as president of SDSU in January 2018, becoming the first Latina to hold the position. While leading SDSU, de la Torre has received numerous awards, including the 2022 Visionary Award for Innovation & Economic Opportunity from LEAD San Diego, the 2021 Eagle Leadership Award from the Latino Leaders Network and the 2019 Union of Pan Asian Communities 45th Annual Leadership Award.


Berenecea Johnson Eanes

Photo of Berenecea Johnson Eanes  

Berenecea Johnson Eanes

President, Cal State LA

When Berenecea Johnson Eanes was named president of Cal State LA in September 2023, becoming the first woman with the title, it was a return to the CSU. Previously, she served as president of York College, City University of New York and as vice president for Student Affairs at Cal State Fullerton. In 2018, while at CSUF, Eanes received the CSU’s Wang Family Excellence Award for achieving transformative results in her role as a member of the CSUF president’s cabinet and as vice president.


Lynn Mahoney

Photo of Lynn Mahoney  

Lynn Mahoney

President, San Francisco State

Appointed in May 2019, Lynn Mahoney is the first woman to serve as SF​ State president in a permanent capacity. The California State Student Association named her the Robert C. Maxson President of the Year in 2021. Prior to her appointment at SFSU, Mahoney served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cal State LA and as associate vice president for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies at Cal State Long Beach.


Ellen J. Neufeldt

Photo of Ellen J. Neufeldt  

Ellen J. Neufeldt

President, CSU San Marcos

Ellen Neufeldt became the fourth president of CSU San Marcos in July 2019. Since then, she has championed making CSUSM a welcoming, inclusive and diverse campus. In 2022, she signed an MOU with the Coalition on Black and African American Education to increase educational access for historically underrepresented students. That same year, CSUSM received the Freedom Fighter of the Year award from the North San Diego County branch of the NAACP.


Vanya Quiñones

Photo of Vanya Quiñones  

Vanya Quiñones

President, CSU Monterey Bay

Before her appointment as CSUMB president in August 2022, Vanya Quiñones served as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Pace University and held various leadership and professorial roles during her 21 years at the City University of New York (CUNY) -​ Hunter College. A neurobiologist, biopsychologist​ and noted researcher, Quiñones has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles.


Cathy A. Sandeen

Photo of Cathy A. Sandeen  

Cathy A. Sandeen

President, Cal State East Bay

Cathy Sandeen is a two-time CSU alumna, having earned her undergraduate degree at Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University) and one of her master’s degrees at San Francisco State. Following an extensive career in higher education as both a faculty member and an administrative leader—including as chancellor of the University of Alaska Anchorage and of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and University of Wisconsin-Extension—she became CSUEB president in October 2020.


Cynthia Teniente-Matson

Photo of Cynthia Teniente-Matson  

Cynthia Teniente-Matson

President, San José State

The first Latina president in San José State’s history, Cynthia Teniente-Matson assumed the role in January 2023. Before her appointment, she was president of Texas A&M University - ​San Antonio from 2015 to 2023. From 2004 to 2015, Teniente-Matson served as vice president for administration and chief financial officer at Fresno State, where she had earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership.


chancellor garcia and cal state l a president berenecea johnson eanes
Women Leaders of the CSU
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2/29/2024 3:58 PMRuble, Alisia2/29/20242/29/2024 3:55 PMCalifornia State University among just seven selected by Lumina Foundation in national competition to transform how students get into college.AdmissionPress Release

The California State University (CSU) is one of seven winners of The Great Admissions Redesign, a competition by Lumina Foundation to revolutionize the admissions process and increase accessibility to higher education for all students. The CSU will use the $750,000 award to automate admissions to the CSU system through California's official K-12 college and career readiness platform.

“Lumina is thrilled by the number of outstanding applicants committed to revisioning the college admission process," said Melanie Heath, strategy director for Lumina. “As a winner of The Great Admissions Redesign, the CSU exemplifies leadership in streamlining procedures and promoting inclusivity, ensuring all students have equitable opportunities to pursue their educational goals."

Through The Great Admissions Redesign, Lumina is awarding $3.1 million in implementation and planning grants to the seven winners. More than 70 applications were reviewed in a rigorous selection process and using criteria including a commitment to ensuring fair and just outcomes for underrepresented students, simplicity and innovation.

With the grant funding, the CSU will partner with the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) to expand outreach and support to students in high school through CaliforniaColleges.edu, the State of California's official college and career planning platform. Guidance and support communications will be sent to 9th through 11th grade students. Qualified 12th grade students will be offered admission to most of the Cal State universities and the opportunity to apply to more competitive universities and impacted majors. The partnership will also include the electronic delivery of final high school transcripts.

The CSU will also be expanding its Cal State Apply online application for admission to provide automatic admissions to most CSU campuses for high school seniors who have completed their application or are in the process of completing an application.

“The CSU is the engine of opportunity to a quality education that leads to a successful career, and we are grateful to the Lumina Foundation in helping us advance our outreach to prospective students across California," said April Grommo, assistant vice chancellor of Strategic Enrollment Management. “This generous award will advance strategies and partnerships including the California College Guidance Initiative to ensure more students are academically prepared to meet CSU admission requirements and go on to earn a CSU degree."

Additional grant recipients include the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and Northern Arizona University (all Implementation Grants); as well as the Louisiana Board of Regents, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Washington Student Achievement Council and Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (all Planning Grants).



About the California State University 

The California State University is the nation's largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are people of color, and nearly one-third of them are first-generation college students. Because the CSU's 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom. 

Students gathered together to take a picture on campus.
CSU Named as Winner of The Great Admissions Redesign Challenge
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2/27/2024 9:10 AMBeall, Alex2/27/20242/27/2024 2:40 PMUniversity leaders shared the benefits of a CSU degree with communities at more than 60 places of worship across California.Student SuccessStory

​On Sunday, February 25, the CSU partnered with African American faith-based organizations throughout California for the 19th annual CSU Super Sunday event. CSU system leaders, campus presidents, administrators and students visited places of worship—both in person and virtually—to share personal stories and important college-related information for Black and African American students. More than 60 faith-based organizations participated in the event, with additional activities taking place in the next three weeks.

CSU Chancellor Mildred García spoke during the services at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood.

“We want to build lifelong relationships with our Black students and their families and ensure that every Black student attains the life-changing benefits of a CSU degree," García told the congregation. “I hope you'll let nothing hold you back. Whether you're the first in your family to attend, looking to transfer from a community college or an adult who wants more for yourself through a certificate or degree, the CSU offers the programs and support you need to reach your dreams."

After the Super Sunday services, outreach directors and staff provided information on the CSU application and admission process, as well as scholarships and financial aid available to Cal State students.

CSU Super Sunday is a key element of the CSU's year-round efforts to engage with local faith-based communities to share a message of access and opportunity, and to provide prospective students and their families with important information about college preparation and admission.

Since its launch in 2005, more than a million people have participated in this signature awareness event for the CSU's African American communities. The CSU remains committed to closing equity gaps and ensuring that all Californians have the access and support needed to achieve a high-quality college degree as part of its Graduation Initiative 2025.

See how our universities participated in CSU Super Sunday 2024.

​CSU Chancellor Mildred García speaks at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood
CSU Reaches Out on Super Sunday 2024
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3/28/20243/28/2024 9:55 AMThe CSU is one of five public universities selected to receive larger grants from Mellon’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities initiative. The CSU is one of five public universities selected to receive larger grants from Mellon’s Affirming Multivocal Humanities initiative.
A group of diverse students smiling and sitting together.
CSU to Receive $1.5 Million from Mellon Foundation to Expand Ethnic Studies PathwaysDiversityPress Release
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3/27/20243/27/2024 8:50 AMThe California State University Board of Trustees has appointed Britt Rios-Ellis to serve as president of California State University, Stanislaus.
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Britt Rios-Ellis Appointed President of California State University, Stanislaus LeadershipPress Release
More-Than-$12.2-Million-in-Federal-Funds-Will-Benefit-CSU-Communities.aspx
  
3/11/20243/11/2024 10:40 AMCongressionally directed funding will advance research and initiatives with community impact across five universities.Congressionally directed funding will advance research and initiatives with community impact across five universities.
A group of students walking on campus with the copy "News Update" across the center.
More Than $12.2 Million in Federal Funds Will Benefit CSU CommunitiesResearchPress Release
CSU-Chancellor-Mildred-García-to-be-Honored-as-Women’s-HERstory-Maker.aspx
  
3/11/20243/11/2024 9:55 AMCalifornia Legislative Women’s Caucus recognizes García for groundbreaking achievements in honor of Women’s History Month. California Legislative Women’s Caucus recognizes García for groundbreaking achievements in honor of Women’s History Month.
chancellor garcia holding a plaque
CSU Chancellor Mildred García Honored as Women’s HERstory MakerChancellorPress Release
CSU-Summer-Arts-Program-Accepting-Student-Applications-2024.aspx
  
3/4/20243/4/2024 4:10 PMImmersive on-campus arts experiences at Fresno State and abroad offer rare opportunities for students to live and work with some of the best artists in their disciplines.Immersive on-campus arts experiences at Fresno State and abroad offer rare opportunities for students to live and work with some of the best artists in their disciplines.
Students dancing on stage as part of the CSU's Summer Arts program.
CSU Summer Arts Program Accepting Student ApplicationsCommunityPress Release
CSU-Named-as-Winner-of-The-Great-Admissions-Redesign-Challenge.aspx
  
2/29/20242/29/2024 3:55 PMCalifornia State University among just seven selected by Lumina Foundation in national competition to transform how students get into college.California State University among just seven selected by Lumina Foundation in national competition to transform how students get into college.
Students gathered together to take a picture on campus.
CSU Named as Winner of The Great Admissions Redesign ChallengeAdmissionPress Release
CSU-Statement-on-Student-Assistants-Vote-to-Join-Employees-Union.aspx
  
2/23/20242/23/2024 1:00 PM​California State University students who work on-campus jobs under the student assistant classification have voted to join the California State University Employees Union.
Student walking on campus with the copy "News Update" across the middle.
CSU Statement on Student Assistants Vote to Join Employees Union Collective BargainingPress Release
CSU-Statement-on-CFA-Vote-to-Ratify-Union-Contract.aspx
  
2/19/20242/19/2024 12:45 PMOn February 19, the CFA announced that its members had voted in favor of the tentative agreement reached with the CSU in January.
Dumke Auditorium with the copy "News Update" across it.
CSU Statement on California Faculty Association Vote to Ratify Union ContractCollective BargainingPress Release
CSU-Engages-Faith-Based-Partners-for-Super-Sunday-Outreach-in-February-and-Beyond.aspx
  
2/19/20242/19/2024 8:25 AMAnnual statewide events seek to inspire a college-going culture among African American youth.Annual statewide events seek to inspire a college-going culture among African American youth.
Three Black students side-by-side for a picture at graduation.
CSU Engages Faith-Based Partners for Super Sunday Outreach in February and BeyondStudent SuccessPress Release
CSU-statement-teamsters-vote-ratify-2024.aspx
  
2/16/20242/16/2024 5:15 PMThe following statement can be attributed to the California State University Office of the Chancellor
CSU Statement on Teamsters Local 2010 Vote to Ratify Union ContractCollective BargainingPress Release
CSU-Extends-Intent-to-Register-Deadline-Due-to-Federal-Aid-Processing-Delays.aspx
  
2/7/20242/7/2024 8:40 AMThe California State University has extended the intent to register deadline for fall 2024 for new first-time, first-year admitted students in response to the further delays in FAFSA.
Multiple students walking on campus with the copy "News Update" across the center.
CSU Extends Intent to Register Deadline Due to Federal Aid Processing DelaysApplyPress Release
Wang-Family-Excellence-Awards-2024.aspx
  
1/30/20241/30/2024 2:00 PMWang Family Excellence Awards honor exceptional contributions in teaching, scholarship and service to CSU students.Wang Family Excellence Awards honor exceptional contributions in teaching, scholarship and service to CSU students.
The 2024 Wang Awardees portrait images side by side.
wang family excellence award logo
CSU Awards Faculty and Staff for Commitment to Student SuccessFacultyPress Release
csu-chancellor-names-vc-external-relations-comms_2024.aspx
  
1/30/20241/30/2024 1:35 PMCalifornia State University Chancellor Mildred García has appointed Greg Saks as vice chancellor to lead the CSU's Division of External Relations and Communications.
man smiling
CSU Chancellor García Names Vice Chancellor of External Relations and CommunicationsLeadershipPress Release
Cal-State-Fullerton-Presidential-Search-Committee-to-Hold-Open-Forum.aspx
  
1/23/20241/23/2024 1:55 PMThe California State University Board of Trustees is beginning the search for the next regularly appointed president of Cal State Fullerton.
Students walking on campus under archway that reads "California State University Fullerton".
California State University, Fullerton Presidential Search Committee to Hold Open ForumLeadershipPress Release
CSU-agreement-faculty-union-jan2024.aspx
  
1/22/20241/22/2024 9:15 PMCalifornia Faculty Association calls off strike effective immediately.California Faculty Association calls off strike effective immediately.
students on a college campus sitting around a tree
California State University Reaches Agreement with Faculty UnionCollective BargainingPress Release
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CSUSB-Hosts-Inaugural-Native-American-Indigenous-Education-Summit.aspx
  
3/28/20243/28/2024 2:55 PMThe event provided attendees a space to discuss challenges within higher education for Native communities.DiversityStory
CSUSB president at podium
CSUSB Hosts Inaugural Native American/Indigenous Education Summit
CSU-Celebrates-the-Life-of-Stephen-Weber.aspx
  
3/26/20243/26/2024 3:45 PMFormer president of San Diego State University passes away at 82.LeadershipStory
Stephen Weber walking at a graduation ceremony.
CSU Celebrates the Life of Stephen L. Weber
Counted-Data-Collection-on-Student-Parents.aspx
  
3/25/20243/25/2024 1:50 PMTo comply with a recent California bill, the CSU is now collecting data on student parents—which will help the university better serve this group.Student SuccessStory
Student in graduation regalia with child
Counted: Data Collection on Student Parents
Invest-in-CSU-Invest-in-CA-Communities.aspx
  
3/25/20243/25/2024 8:00 AMCSU chancellor calls for predictable funding in 2024-25 California state budget.BudgetStory
four people standing in front of a California flag
Invest in the CSU; Invest in California’s Future
Journeys-to-Leadership.aspx
  
3/21/20243/21/2024 10:45 AMThe live conversation on April 2 will highlight powerful stories of overcoming obstacles.LeadershipStory
chancellor mildred garcia and board of trustees chair wenda fong
chancellor mildred garcia and board of trustees chair wenda fong
“Journeys to Leadership” Event Will Feature CSU Chancellor, Chair
CSU-Hosts-Inaugural-Undocu-Student-Summit.aspx
  
3/20/20243/20/2024 11:15 AMThe Undocu Student Summit brought together more than 250 CSU students from across California.Student SuccessStory
CSU Hosts Inaugural Summit for Undocumented, Mixed-Status Students
A-Fresh-Approach-to-Student-Wellness.aspx
  
3/11/20243/11/2024 8:00 AMCSU CalFresh Outreach Weeks highlight the myriad ways the university addresses students’ basic needs.Basic Needs InitiativeStory
a smiling college student holding canned goods
A Fresh Approach to Supporting Student Wellness
women-leaders-of-the-csu.aspx
  
3/4/20243/4/2024 8:40 AMThe CSU celebrates its dedicated women leaders this Women’s History Month.LeadershipStory
chancellor garcia and cal state l a president berenecea johnson eanes
Women Leaders of the CSU
CSU-Reaches-Out-on-Super-Sunday-2024.aspx
  
2/27/20242/27/2024 2:40 PMUniversity leaders shared the benefits of a CSU degree with communities at more than 60 places of worship across California.Student SuccessStory
​CSU Chancellor Mildred García speaks at Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood
CSU Reaches Out on Super Sunday 2024
CSU-donor-support-2022-2023.aspx
  
2/26/20242/26/2024 2:45 PMPhilanthropic support underscores value of CSU to create long-lasting success for students, their families and communities.PhilanthropyStory
CSU Receives $557 Million in Charitable Giving for 2022-23
New-Computing-Center-Expands-CSU-Research-Capabilities.aspx
  
2/26/20242/26/2024 8:20 AMThe Technology Infrastructure for Data Exploration (TIDE) project at SDSU will give CSU researchers access to new high-performance data processing capabilities.TechnologyStory
rendered image of servers with TIDE logo
New Computing Center Expands CSU Research Capabilities
cultivating-potential.aspx
  
2/21/20242/21/2024 8:00 AMIn celebration of Black History Month, the CSU's African American university leaders reflect on their journey and inspiration.LeadershipStory
Cultivating Potential
CSULB-Alumna-Caitlin-Dickerson-Pulitzer.aspx
  
2/19/20242/19/2024 8:00 AMAward-winning journalist Caitlin Dickerson shares how her CSU education inspired her career.AlumniStory
caitlin dickerson
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Alumna Brings News Stories to Life
Black-History-Month-2024-at-the-CSU.aspx
  
2/6/20242/6/2024 12:20 PMSee how CSUs are celebrating Black History Month this year.DiversityStory
Black History Month at the CSU
What-is-Social-Mobility-Anyway.aspx
  
2/6/20242/6/2024 8:00 AMLearn how higher education is a primary driver of improved socioeconomic status.Social MobilityStory
Cal Poly Humboldt student at graduation holding her daughter.
What is Social Mobility Anyway?
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