June 9, 2016 Commencement ceremonies, held over the next few days, are the successful culmination of our students’ hard work. It is also a time for all of us in the university to celebrate our students and the role we play in each student’s experience at Cal State LA, whether we work directly with students or work behind the scenes. As always, I am deeply appreciative of the work you do that leads to this important moment in students' lives. This academic year has been exciting, to say the least. We’ve had several executive searches, worked on a strategic plan, and put the finishing touches on many projects related to quarter to semester conversion, no small feat. As hard as we worked, we all know that there will likely be some remaining challenges, as we saw on the first day of fall registration in May. I am most proud of how quickly a team came together to meet this challenge and know that future unforeseen glitches will be resolved similarly. Fall semester will be here before we know it. Enrollment is strong for the fall, as you will read below. We are well on the road to becoming a destination campus. We’re looking forward to welcoming 50 new faculty members at Fall Convocation on Thursday, August 18. I hope you will join us that morning. I wish all a good summer!
Vice Provost Amy Bippus As we finish up our final spring quarter at Cal State LA, we are also well underway in the class registration process for our first fall semester. We expect to have about 28,300 students beginning classes in late August. At this point, all of our continuing students have had registration appointments. We will begin welcoming approximately 4000 new first time freshman and 3700 new transfer students for their orientation and advising sessions starting on July 6. Our college teams of professional and faculty advisors, led by our Directors of Student Success and Advising (SSA) in each college, will be on hand to help our new students get started on the right path. Projecting what courses and how many sections our students need under the semester model, adjusting to the composition of our incoming class of new students, and scheduling and staffing additional classes has been a challenge. None of this would be possible without Departments Chairs’ deep knowledge of their curriculum and extraordinary dedication to the success of our students. I want to express my sincere appreciation to the Department Chairs who have overseen the conversion of their curriculum and who have worked so hard for so long in planning and adjusting the schedule of courses for the fall. I hope all members of the campus community carve out time to rest and rejuvenate this summer –– we have 73 days until our first semester begins!
What percentage of first-year students responded “very much” or “quite a bit” when asked, about how much coursework emphasized evaluating a point of view, decision, or information source? Answer can be found at the end of this message.
We are pleased to announce that four graduate students mentored by Cal State LA faculty were selected to receive funding from the 2016-2017 CSU Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program. Samantha Lorenz (Faculty Mentor: Dr. James Brady) is pursuing a doctorate in Anthropology with a specialization in Bioarchaeology. Oscar Mejia (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robert DeChaine) is pursuing a doctorate in Communication with an emphasis in Media and Culture. Bryan Thorton (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lois Weinberg) is currently enrolled in the CSULA/UCLA Joint PhD program in Special Education with a specialization in Moderate-Severe Disabilities. William Wong (Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanne Altschuler) is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Social Work program at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. He completed his Master of Social Work degree at Cal State LA in 1999 and is currently a lecturer in our School of Social Work. The purpose of the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) is to increase the number of promising doctoral students who are interested in applying and competing for future CSU instructional faculty positions. The program seeks to accomplish this goal by providing financial aid in the form of loans to doctoral students with the motivation, skills, and experience needed to teach the diverse student body of the CSU. Faculty mentorship is a key component of the CDIP Program. All awardees and their faculty mentors must submit a Collaborative Plan of Support that detail academic activities designed to promote research and professional development during their doctoral education. The CDIP program provides student loans, up to $30,000, to selected individuals pursuing full-time doctoral degrees at accredited universities throughout the United States. After participants receive their doctoral degrees and obtain a qualifying instructional position in the CSU, a portion of their loan from this program will be forgiven every year of qualifying employment. We are proud to invest in our future CSU colleagues! Learn more about our recipients by reading their profiles.
Thank you to all who participated in this year’s Honors Convocation—faculty participation was truly amazing. Before the quarter ends, we want to know your thoughts on what Honors Convocation should look like in the future. Please take a few minutes and share your opinions by completing the Honors Convocation questionnaire no later than June 15.
Make an impact! Join in on a Cal State LA tradition this summer and volunteer to host an EPIC Summer Youth Employment Program participant in your department. In partnership with the City of Los Angeles and Para Los Niños, The Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good will sponsor an “Earn & Learn” program designed to provide community youth with a work-based learning opportunity, with a special college awareness theme. The program anticipates hosting 90 youth, ages 14-21, for a five week program beginning July 11. The goal of the program is to introduce young people to the workplace, encourage higher education, and engage our campus community in service to our community. Please contact Victoria Mosqueda if you would like to particpate in this program. Read more about our partners: Hire LA's Youth and Para los Niños
Answer: C 81% (Compared to 71% average CSU wide). You can read more in the National Survey of Student Engagement 2014. Contact the Office of the Provost with your comments and submissions here.
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