Points of Pride
also see Honorable Mentions
1. Thirteen CSU Stanislaus students receive Noyce Scholarships in first year of program
The first in a series of scholarships totaling $896,000 have been awarded to CSU Stanislaus students through Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship grants. CSU Stanislaus plans to award scholarships of up to $30,000 each over the next five years to students who plan to become science and mathematics teachers at “high-need” secondary schools. The scholarships, given in increments of $10,000, can be awarded during students’ junior, senior, and/or teaching credential years. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the program calls upon award recipients to give back by working two years at a high-needs junior high or high school for every year a recipient is awarded a scholarship. Given that most San Joaquin Valley schools meet the high-need criteria, award recipients can serve their own communities, which will have a lasting impact on the region, said Dr. Juan Flores, who helps run the scholarship program, titled, “Teachers from the Valley for the Valley.”
2. New stadium attracts prestigious sports championships
Two important sporting events will take place at California State University, Stanislaus, as the University’s new recreation complex continues to attract championship competitions. CSU Stanislaus will host the 2011 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship, which will be held May 26 to 28, 2011, at the Al Brenda Track Facility on the Turlock campus. The three-day event is expected to attract more than 1,000 student-athletes from across the nation. In addition, the 2010 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships have been awarded to Cal State Stanislaus for the second year in a row. The eight-team event will be contested November 5 to 7, 2010 at two-year-old Warrior Stadium. The Al Brenda Track and Warrior Stadium are part of the Student Recreation Complex, which opened in 2009 and was financed by student fees that CSU Stanislaus students overwhelmingly approved in a May 2006 vote.
3. CSU Stanislaus again recognized for excellence by prestigious publications
California State University, Stanislaus receives high praise for its student retention and graduation rates in the new edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 373 Colleges,” which includes the University among its list of best institutions in the country for undergraduate education – the fifth straight year the University was recognized in this manner. CSU Stanislaus is also one of 120 colleges to be included in The Princeton Review’s “Best in the West” section. Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two Canadian colleges are profiled in the book, which is The Princeton Review's flagship college guide. The University was also ranked 16th among public universities in the Western region and 48th out of 84 public and private universities in the region by U.S. News & World Report. This is the 15th year in a row the University has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, which takes a comprehensive look at how institutions of higher education compare based on indicators of excellence gathered from more than 1,400 colleges and universities in the United States.
4. University recognized nationally for community service
CSU Stanislaus has been recognized twice nationally for its active involvement with the region it serves. It is one of only four universities in the California State University system and one of an elite nationwide group of 119 colleges and universities that have been added to the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement listing which recognizes the community connection activities of the nation’s higher education institutions. CSU Stanislaus students and faculty engage the communities in the region through a variety of programs and issues such as literacy development, public policy, at-risk youth, healthy families, homelessness, science education, environmental sustainability, and diversity. The University currently offers more than 50 courses per year that include service learning components which encourage students and faculty to become active participants in the community. More than 2,000 students have had the opportunity to participate in community activities that include a variety of volunteer activities and services totaling more than 30,000 hours of service annually. For the third straight year, CSU Stanislaus was also named to the Presidents Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in February 2009 by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The University was one of 11 CSU campuses selected for the award out of a field of more than 500 colleges and universities that submitted applications.
5. Report finds CSU Stanislaus boosts regional economy by $169 million annually
California State University, Stanislaus generates a total impact of $169 million annually on the regional economy and $268 million on the statewide economy, according to a new report on the California State University system’s fiscal influence on the state. The report, “Working for California: The Impact of the California State University System,” also underscores the long-lasting value of a CSU Stanislaus education, concluding that nearly $667 million of earnings by alumni is directly attributable to their college degrees and creates an additional $1 billion of industry activity throughout the state. Specifically, the report cites that annual spending of $150.2 million generates a total impact of $169 million on the regional economy, and nearly $268 million on the statewide economy. In addition, CSU Stanislaus’ impact sustains more than 2,000 jobs in the region and more than 2,300 jobs statewide. Each year, the economic impact of CSU Stanislaus generates more than $8 million in local and nearly $15 million in statewide tax revenue. The report also observes that CSU Stanislaus “improves life in the San Joaquin Valley region through research, arts and community service.”
6. Becoming a leader for being green
With the awarding of a “Silver” rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and a Green Rating from the Princeton Review, CSU Stanislaus is building a reputation as an environmentally-friendly campus. The state-of-the-art Nora and Hashem Naraghi Hall of Science, completed in 2007, became the first building in Stanislaus County to earn a rating from the USGBC, which rates buildings for environmentally-friendly features. Princeton Review gave the University high Green Rating marks for its growing commitment to sustainability and green technology. An Ecology and Sustainability Master of Science degree program launched in 2007 is the first of its kind in the CSU system, and CSU Stanislaus is home to the Endangered Species Recovery Program that focuses on animals and plants all over California. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is also a partner in the annual Bioneers Conference, and will participate as a partner for the fourth year in a row in October 2010.
7. CSU Stanislaus faculty members named to prestigious endowed professor positions
Dr. Elmano Costa was recently named the Christie Sue Whalen-Saxton Professor of Teacher Education. This endowment was established through a major gift of $400,000 from the estate of Kenneth and Shirley Whalen in the memory of their late daughter to support and enhance teacher-training programs. Ms. Whalen-Saxton received her B.A. degree in 1977 and her teaching credential in 1979 from CSU Stanislaus. Dr. Peggy Hodge, a professor and chair of the Department of Nursing, was named the Marian Palmer Professor of Nursing. Palmer served on the California State University, Stanislaus’ Foundation Board of Directors for a decade and was also a founding member of the Emanuel Medical Center Auxiliary, one of the largest hospital volunteer groups in the region. Another endowed chair, the Foster Farms Endowed Chair in Business Economics, is being made possible by a $500,000 contribution from Ron Foster, President and CEO of Foster Farms. Endowed professorships represent a long-term private investment in the future of the University. The first CSU Stanislaus endowed chair was established in 2002 in Agricultural Studies.
8. CSU Stanislaus draws praise in renewal of accreditations
Following a successful visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) review team in March and an intensive multi-year process, CSU Stanislaus celebrated a strong evaluation in July 2010 with a full reaccreditation of its academic programs. CSU Stanislaus was commended by the WASC team in its follow-up report for the University’s innovative and effective method for conducting its accreditation review, and for broad engagement and commitment to the success of students by faculty and staff. Also drawing praise were the faculty development program, academic assessment practices, and creation of the Student Success Committee that has improved academic attainment. The CSU Stanislaus College of Education also completed a successful bid for national and state reaccreditation with the official approval of the program’s quality from a pair of accreditation agencies. A joint accreditation team from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the California Commission on Teacher Education (CTC) visited CSU Stanislaus for five days in April, seeking input and asking questions.
9. University helps set standard for CSU Graduation Initiative
A long-term graduation initiative launched by the California State University system in January to increase graduation rates and help underrepresented students finish college can look to CSU Stanislaus for how to make that happen. The CSU’s graduation initiative calls for CSU campuses to raise six-year graduation rates by eight percent by 2016, as well as cut in half the existing gap in degree attainment by the system’s underrepresented students. CSU campuses already in the top 25 percent of the system, which include CSU Stanislaus, have committed to increasing an additional six percent, as well as cut in half the gap for underserved students’ degree attainment. Cited for its high student retention rate of more than 80 percent and among the CSU leaders on graduation rates, CSU Stanislaus developed a plan in 2005 that has helped a majority of students attain their degree goals. Focusing on helping students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, through a number of special first-year programs and intensive communication with students, the University has emphasized student success and the results have been positive. CSU Stanislaus has been cited in national reports for providing a high quality education while graduating a comparatively high percentage of students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds whose entering test scores are lower than average.
10. 50 years of academic excellence celebrated
California State University, Stanislaus celebrated 50 years of excellence in higher education with Founders Week in September. Special events, an art show, concerts, and other community-wide activities helped to cap three years of celebrating the University’s 1957 founding and 1960 opening. “Since the first classes began 50 years ago, CSU Stanislaus has been a place for students to abandon hesitation, explore the depths of academia and take charge of their own path in life,” said CSU Stanislaus President Hamid Shirvani. “Founders Week is a celebration of the University’s long history of academic excellence. It’s a time to honor those who have helped this institution flourish, not out of interest in personal legacy, but because they believed in generations beyond their own.” CSU Stanislaus was founded in 1957 and conducted its first classes at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in September 1960, opening at its present University Way site in 1965.