This is President Jolene Koester's Blog. The following page is a three column layout with a header that contains a quicklinks jump menu and the search CSUN function. Page sections are identified with headers. The footer contains update, contact and emergency information.
Please note that the Campus Budget News FAQ has just been updated, as announced in a message to the campus community from Vice President for Administration and Finance Tom McCarron regarding the latest budget developments.
The Campus Budget News website has just been updated. A link has been added to a news release from the California State University about the California State University Employee Union agreeing to enter talks with the CSU regarding furloughs to address anticipated budget cuts in the system.
Please note that the Campus Budget FAQs, posted on June 9 at the Campus Budget News site, has just been updated.
As a reminder, due to the rapidly-evolving nature of the budget situation, the FAQs will be updated on a continual basis as new information becomes available. Check often for updates.
In recognition of the gravity of the current budget situation at the state level and at California State University, Northridge, a new campus website dedicated to this issue called Campus Budget News has been posted at http://www.csun.edu/presofc/campusbudgetnews.html. Check this website for the most up-to-date information available about the budget.
Cal State Northridge President Jolene Koester announced the new website in a recent message to the campus community, which also included an update about the budget situation. This message is posted here.
On Wednesday, June 3, Cal State Northridge held its 43rd Annual Staff Service Awards and Excellence Recognition Event. I always look forward to this celebration because it honors the staff of the University: the dedicated employees responsible for the outstanding day-to-day operations of Cal State Northridge who work in support of student learning and of the scholarship and teaching of our faculty.
Regrettably, an important meeting of CSU presidents with the Chancellor related to the state budget situation was called at the last minute that required me to miss this year’s ceremony. Nevertheless, though I could not attend personally, I wish to acknowledge the event and acknowledge the outstanding employees of our University.
The event traditionally honors employees who have reached milestone years of service in five year increments. This year staff who have served at Cal State Northridge for 5 years through 40 years were recognized. (A list of this year’s honored staff may be found here.)
As was mentioned at the event, the cumulative years of service represented by the nearly 300 people honored at the Staff Service Awards ceremony reflects an astounding 4000 years of service. However, it is not the length of service we recognize with these awards, but rather the years of genuine commitment to the mission of the University and to student success. Although each of us has specific tasks and responsibilities at the University, I take great pride in knowing that we are a community that works as a team with a shared focus on student learning and excellence.
The recognition ceremony also honors both individual and team achievement through several Merit Awards, a Team Award, and the Presidential Award, which annually recognizes a single employee for outstanding performance. The Merit Awards are a wonderful reminder of the diversity of important roles that exist at the University. Similarly, the Team Awards—this year’s honorees were the Subtropical Rainforest Team and the Oviatt Library Innovative Millennium Team—serve as wonderful examples of what can be accomplished with teamwork and innovation.
Finally, I am pleased to honor Ms. Estelle Hekkers as the recipient of the 2009 Presidential Award, who also was recognized at the ceremony for 35 years of service. As many people who have worked directly with Ms. Hekkers know (and there are many of us!), she is a “go-to” person at the University with extensive knowledge of University and system policies and a deep reserve of institutional memory. More important than knowing “the rules,” however, she also always knows how to get a job done and always does so with good humor and a positive attitude. She is an outstanding representative of all the men and women who commit themselves every day at the University to the success of students and the advancement of the institution, and well deserving of this award.
While I could not attend this year’s Staff Service Awards and Excellence Recognition Event, I salute everyone who was honored at the event, as well as the continued excellence and commitment of the entire staff at Cal State Northridge. My thanks to Provost Harry Hellenbrand who acted as my stand-in at the ceremony, and to the planning committee that made the celebration another joyous and fun-filled event.
This past weekend, the University held its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards gala. With commencement week now upon us, this memorable event last Saturday evening seemed a fitting time to remember the distinguished accomplishments and contributions of students from prior graduating classes who have contributed to Cal State Northridge’s growing legacy and reputation.
At the banquet, we had the privilege of honoring three very accomplished Cal State Northridge alumni: Mr. Harvey Bookstein, one of the state’s most respected accountants who established the Harvey and Harriet Bookstein Chair in Taxation and the Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation on campus; Dr. Debra Farar, past chair and current member of the Board of Trustees of The California State University, who is known nationally for her leadership on higher education issues; and the Honorary S. James Otero, United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
Each of the honorees spoke with great pride of being Cal State Northridge graduates. They spoke glowingly of their experiences at the University, acknowledging that Cal State Northridge faculty played key roles in preparing them for success after graduation, and that their education gave them the skills, knowledge and opportunity to excel. As we wind down our celebration of the University’s 50th anniversary and 50 years of life-changing opportunity, I know all of us associated with this great institution were proud and moved on Saturday night to hear in a very specific and personal way about how the University had made a difference in the lives of these outstanding individuals. It was a memorable and enjoyable evening, and the Cal State Northridge Alumni Association deserves recognition for a fine, stylish event.
When I look out this week at the many happy faces of this year’s graduating class, I will do so with the knowledge that our students have been given an education that is second to none, and with the pride that they, too, are now distinguished Cal State Northridge alumni. A future Distinguished Alumni Award recipient may even be among this year’s graduates!
The full text of the President’s message about the budget that was recently distributed to the campus community is now available at the following link:
http://www.csun.edu/presofc/presletters/presletter-05-2009-budgetupdate.html
In my previous blog marking the close of the academic year, I spoke about the many challenges we faced during the past year, as well as the achievements and events that made it so memorable. However, there are also many events and rituals that occur throughout every academic year which are unique to higher education. Such customs, which can be found in other fields and institutions in society, play an important role in people’s lives by providing a sense of order and continuity. I’m sure that the subject of academic tradition and custom at Cal State Northridge will be a theme I revisit often in this blog.
Of course, there is no annual tradition better known in higher education than the one Cal State Northridge celebrates next week: commencement. As its very name suggests, commencement marks not an ending, but a symbolic beginning for almost 10,000 students who will be awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees next week. It is truly fitting that we commemorate this new phase of our graduates’ lives in the spring, nature’s own traditional time of renewal and fresh beginnings.
With this in mind, I ask the entire campus community to join me in congratulating the Class of 2009 (many of whom are currently completing their final exams!) as they complete their studies and begin to assume their new mantle as Cal State Northridge alumni, and the community’s next generation of citizens and leaders. They have worked hard for this moment and they have been helped on this journey by all of you, as well as their families and friends. Commencement is a time to celebrate their many achievements as students here.
I hope everyone will have an opportunity to observe and attend a commencement. They are always joyful and celebratory, and a wonderful reminder of why our work at Cal State Northridge is so important.
And if you cannot attend personally, the ceremonies again will be broadcast live this year. Anyone interested in watching the ceremonies will find a link from the main page of the University website during commencement week. (Update: The direct link to commencement is here.) The full graduation schedule is available at the commencement website.
While the Honored Faculty Reception recognizes and awards individual faculty members for excellence and service, the focus of the event is to formally honor the esteemed faculty members who have been conferred emeritus status by me in my role as University President on the recommendation of their faculty colleagues. Emeritus status is granted to faculty in appreciation of service to the University and their contributions to their disciplines, the academic profession, and the State of California. Emeritus status is a mark of academic distinction that formally becomes part of a faculty member’s official title and forever affirms their legacy as a distinguished member of the California State University, Northridge faculty.
I congratulate our new emeritus faculty and look forward to personally recognizing them at the Honored Faculty Reception.
As we approach the end of the 2008-09 academic year and prepare to graduate a new class of students, I wish to express my appreciation to our faculty and staff for their continued outstanding work on behalf of the University and its students.
Looking ahead, I hope everyone will find time during the coming summer to enjoy themselves and spend quality time with friends and family. And as I traditionally mention before the summer break, please note that the President’s Annual Convocation to mark the start of the 2009-10 academic year is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, August 20, on the Oviatt Library Lawn. I hope everyone will take a few moments to note the date on your calendars.
While every year is eventful, this year seemed to have more than its share of uncertainty and challenges. The consequences and impact of issues such as the delayed state budget and the worldwide economic crisis, enrollment impaction, the Metrolink crash, wild fires, the arrest of one of our graduate students doing research overseas, concern over the H1N1 flu virus, and other events have affected us as individuals and collectively at the University. Such events are a powerful reminder that we, as a campus community, share a common purpose, and that the ability of the institution to meet such challenges depends on the strength and resiliency of its students, staff and faculty.
Of course, we also had much to be proud of this past year. Most memorably, we celebrated “50 years of life-changing opportunity” during 2008-09. We kicked off this milestone achievement with Founders Day in September and continued the commemoration with several subsequent events, which reached its apex at the wonderful Grand Reunion last month. Although commencement formally marks the end of our 50th year anniversary, I know we begin the next 50 years and beyond with a renewed sense of pride and appreciation for the important role Cal State Northridge plays in the lives of so many people as a regionally focused and nationally recognized institution.
Summer is the traditional time in education for people to re-energize and renew themselves, and to prepare for a new year devoted to helping students achieve their goals and reach their full potential. With this in mind, I wish each of you a productive and personally fulfilling summer.
A message from Cal State Northridge President Jolene Koester regarding preventive measures to protect the campus from swine flu infection was just distributed to the University community.
The full text of the message has been posted here.