The 'California State University' ('CSU') is one of three public higher education systems in the
state of
California, the other two being the
University of California system and the
California Community College System. It is incorporated as ''The Trustees of the California State University''.
The CSU system is composed of 23 campuses and has over 414,000 students supported by 44,000 faculty members and staff.
[1]
It is the largest system of postsecondary education in the
United States that does not include
community colleges.
[2]
CSU prepares about 60 percent of the
teachers in the state, 40 percent of the
engineering graduates, and more graduates in
business,
agriculture,
communications,
health,
education and
public administration than all other California
universities and
colleges combined. Altogether, about half the
Bachelor's degrees and a third of the
Master's degrees awarded annually in California are from the CSU.
Since
1961 more than 2 million
alumni have received a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from the university system. CSU offers more than 1,800 degree programs in some 240-subject areas.
History
Today's California State University system is the direct descendant of the
California State Normal School (now
San José State University), a
normal school established by the California Legislature on May 2, 1862. The California State Normal School was itself derived from the City of San Francisco's
Minns Evening Normal School (founded in 1857) a normal school that educated San Francisco teachers in association with that city's high school system. The system now considers its founding date to be that of the Minns School. A second California State Normal School campus was created in Los Angeles in 1882.
In 1887, the California legislature dropped the word "California" from the name of the San Jose and Los Angeles schools, renaming them "State Normal Schools." Later Chico (1887), San Diego (1897), and other schools became part of the State Normal School system. In 1919, the State Normal School at Los Angeles became the Southern Branch of the University of California (now the
University of California, Los Angeles). In 1921, the State Normal Schools became the State Teachers Colleges. By this time most of the campuses started to become identified by their city names plus the word "state" (e.g, "San Jose State," "San Diego State," "San Francisco State").
In
1935, the State Teachers Colleges became the California State Colleges and were administered by the California State Department of Education in Sacramento. The
Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960 gave the system greater autonomy from the State of California.
The postwar period brought a great expansion in the number of colleges in the system. Campuses in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Long Beach were added between 1947 and 1949. Then seven more were authorized to be built between 1957 and 1960. Six more campuses joined the system after the establishment of the Donohoe Higher Education Act in 1960 bringing the total number to 23.
In
1972 the system became The California State University and Colleges, and all of the campuses were renamed with the words "California State University" in their names. At some of the older campuses, alumni successfully lobbied the California Legislature to revert the schools back to their pre-1972 names: San Jose State, San Diego State, San Francisco State, etc. In
1982, the CSU system dropped the word "colleges" from its name.
Today the campuses of the CSU include comprehensive and
polytechnic universities and the only
Maritime Academy in the western United States that receives aid from the federal
Maritime Administration.
Governance
Responsibility for the California State University is vested in the 25 member
Board of Trustees, whose members are appointed by the
Governor of the State of
California. There are 5 ex officio Trustees; the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the CSU Chancellor. There are 4 special Trustees. The CSU Statewide Alumni Council appoints an Alumni Trustee. The Governor appoints a Faculty Trustee from nominees proposed by the Statewide Academic Senate. The Governor appoints two Student Trustees from nominees proposed by the California State Student Association. The Alumni and Faculty Trustees serve for two years. The Student Trustees serve staggered two-year terms. The sixteen remaining Trustees are appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the State Senate, and serve for eight years.
[3]. The Trustees appoint the
Chancellor, who is the
chief executive officer of the system, and the
Presidents, who are the chief executive officers of their respective campuses.
The
Academic Senate of the California State University, made up of elected representatives of the faculty from each campus, recommends academic policy to the Board of Trustees through the Chancellor.
Chancellors of the CSU
★ Buell Gallagher (1961-1962)
★ Glenn S. Dumke (1962-1982)
★ W. Ann Reynolds (1982-1990)
★ Ellis E. McCune [Acting] (1990-1991)
★ Barry Munitz (1991-1998)
★
Charles B. Reed (1998-current)
Faculty
During the fall 2004 semester the system employed 11,069 full-time faculty members. The vast majority, 68.3% were tenured or tenure tracked with 59.2% having tenure.
Professors comprised 86.6% of faculty members with a plurality, 43.6% being full professors. Associate professors consitituted 18.6% and Assitant professors 24.4% of faculty members while 13.4% were instructors and lecutrers. The percentage of full professors declined 31.4% since fall of 1999, while that of assitant professors has risen 57.4%.
[4]
Endowment
The California State University's permanent, collective endowment has grown to $746 million U.S. dollars as of the close of the 2005-2006 academic year. In addition, each of the 23 campuses of the CSU raise their own funds through donations and other external funding, and each campus controls its own separate endowment funds not counted in the above endowment amount.
Link to CSU Endowment & Fundraising webpage
Campuses
The CSU is composed of the following 23 campuses listed here by order of the year founded:
| Campus | | Location | Founded | Enrollment(Fall 2006)[5] | Budget 2006-2007[6] | Athletics Affiliation | Athletics Nickname |
|---|
| San José State University | SJSU or San Jose State | San Jose | 1857 | 29,604 | 247,292,042 | NCAADivision I | Spartans (WAC) (see San Jose State Spartans) |
| California State University, Chico | Chico State | Chico | 1887 | 16,250 | 163,699,267 | NCAA Division II | Wildcats |
| San Diego State University | SDSU or San Diego State | San Diego | 1897 | 34,305 | 313,860,901 | NCAA Division I | Aztecs (MWC) (see SDSU Aztecs) |
| San Francisco State University | SF State, SFSU | San Francisco | 1899 | 29,628 | 248,490,280 | NCAA Division II | Gators |
| California Polytechnic State University | Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo | 1901 | 18,722 | 198,041,319 | NCAA Division I | Mustangs (Big West) |
| California State University, Fresno | Fresno State | Fresno | 1911 | 22,098 | 199,868,440 | NCAA Division I | Bulldogs (WAC) |
| Humboldt State University | Humboldt or HSU | Arcata | 1913 | 7,435 | 95,417,349 | NCAA Division II | Lumberjacks |
| California Maritime Academy | Cal Maritime | Vallejo | 1929 | 828 | 18,928,425 | NAIA | Keelhaulers |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Cal Poly Pomona | Pomona | 1938 | 20,510 | 198,917,543 | NCAA Division II | Broncos |
| California State University, Los Angeles | Cal State LA | Los Angeles | 1947 | 20,565 | 185,469,589 | NCAA Division II | Golden Eagles |
| California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento State, Sac State, CSUS | Sacramento | 1947 | 28,529 | 230,802,377 | NCAA Division I | Hornets (Big Sky) |
| California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State or 'The Beach' | Long Beach | 1949 | 35,574 | 300,837,800 | NCAA Division I | "49ers", "Dirtbags" in baseball only (Big West) |
| California State University, East Bay | Formerly CSU Hayward | Hayward | 1957 | 12,706 | 131,724,259 | NCAA Division III | Pioneers |
| California State University, Fullerton | Cal State Fullerton | Fullerton | 1957 | 35,921 | 261,349,127 | NCAA Division I | Titans (Big West) |
| California State University, Northridge | CSUN ("see-sun") or Cal State Northridge | Northridge | 1957 | 34,560 | 275,687,073 | NCAA Division I | Matadors (Big West) |
| California State University, Stanislaus | Cal State Stanislaus | Turlock | 1957 | 8,374 | 81,052,209 | NCAA Division II | Warriors |
| California State University, Dominguez Hills | Cal State Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CSUDH | Carson | 1960 | 12,068 | 105,947,348 | NCAA Division II | Toros |
| Sonoma State University | Sonoma State or Sonoma | Rohnert Park | 1960 | 8,274 | 81,076,854 | NCAA Division II | Seawolves |
| California State University, San Bernardino | Cal State San Bernardino | San Bernardino | 1965 | 16,479 | 147,737,249 | NCAA Division II | Coyotes |
| California State University, Bakersfield | Cal State Bakersfield | Bakersfield | 1965 | 7,711 | 77,360,795 | NCAA Division I as of June 2007Currently Division II | Roadrunners |
| California State University, San Marcos | Cal State San Marcos | San Marcos | 1988 | 8,734 | 79,882,615 | NAIA | Cougars |
| California State University, Monterey Bay | CSUMB | Seaside (formerly Fort Ord) | 1994 | 3,818 | 60,577,008 | NCAA Division II | Otters |
| California State University, Channel Islands | CSUCI ("see-sucky") | Camarillo | 2002 | 3,123 | 41,477,343 | None | Dolphins |
Off Campus Branches
A handful of universities have off campus branches that make education accessible in a vast state. Unlike the typical university extension courses, they are degree-granting and students have the same status as other California State University students. The newest campus, the California State University, Channel Islands, was formerly an off campus branch of CSUN. Riverside and Contra Costa counties, which have 3 million residents between them, have lobbied for their off campus branches to be freestanding California State University campuses. Total enrollment for all branches in Fall 2005 is 9,163 students, the equivalent of 2.2% of systemwide enrollment. The following are schools and their respective off campus branches:
★ California State University, Bakersfield
★
★ Antelope Valley (in
Lancaster, California)
★ California State University, Chico
★
★ Part of the
Shasta College University Center, Redding
★ California State University, Fullerton
★
★ Irvine
★
★ Garden Grove
★ California State University, East Bay
★
★ Concord
★ California State University, San Bernardino
★
★ Palm Desert
★ San Diego State University
★
★
Imperial Valley (in
Brawley, California and
Calexico, California)
★ San Francisco State University
★
★
Cañada College (in
Redwood City, California)
★
★ Downtown Center (in
San Francisco, California)
★ California State University, Stanislaus
★
★ Stockton, California
[1]
★ Sonoma State University
★
★ Ukiah, California
Enrollment
650x545px
650x545px
650x545px
Laboratories and Observatories
Research facilities owned and operated by units of the CSU:
★
Desert Studies Center (managed by California State University, Fullerton)
★
★ Research consortium and field site
★
★
official website
★
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (managed by San José State University)
★
★ Oceanographic laboratory
★
★
official website
★
Mount Laguna Observatory (part of the Astronomy Department of San Diego State University)
★
★ Astronomical observatory
★
★
official website
Former Campuses
Former units and campuses of the CSU:
★ Los Angeles State Normal School ( State Normal School at Los Angeles) (founded 1882)
★
★ By state law, converted to
UCLA (
University of California, Los Angeles) in 1919
★ Santa Barbara State College (founded 1909)
★
★ By state law, converted to
UCSB (
University of California, Santa Barbara) in 1944
Differences between the CSU and UC systems
Both
university systems are
California publicly funded higher education institutions. Despite having fewer students, some individual UC campuses, as a result of their research emphasis and medical centers, have larger budgets than the entire CSU system. In reference to CSU's second-tier status, the State Librarian Emeritus
Kevin Starr has described the CSU as "in so many ways the
Rodney Dangerfield of public higher education."
[7]
According to the
California Master Plan for Higher Education (
1960), both university systems may confer
Bachelors or
Master's degrees as well as professional certifications, however only the University of California has the authority to issue
Ph.D degree (Doctor of Philosophy) and professional degrees in the fields of
law,
medicine,
veterinary, and
dentistry. As a result of recent legislation (SB 724), the California State University may now offer the
Ed.D degree (also known as the
Doctor of Education or "
education doctorate degree") to its graduate students as well as certain types of professional doctorate degrees (for instance,
audiology, etc.). Additionally, the California State University (CSU) offers Ph.D degree (Doctor of Philosophy) as a "joint degree" in combination with other institutions of higher education, including "joint degrees" with the
University of California (UC) and accredited private universities. This is why, for instance, San Diego State can qualify as a "Research University with high research activity"
(Carnegie Foundation link) by offering 16 doctoral degrees.
The CSU attempts to accept applicants from the top one-third of California high school graduates. In contrast, the UC attempts to accept the top 12.5%. In an effort to maintain a 60/40 ratio of upper division students to lower division students and to encourage students to attend a California
community college first, both university systems give priority to
California community college transfer students. The state, which funds all three institutions, encourages the practice because community colleges are cheaper to maintain.
Historically the requirements for admission to the CSU have been less stringent than the UC system. However, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has always had higher admissions standards than the rest of the CSU system. An ''impacted'' campus or major is one which has more CSU-qualified students than capacity permits. As of
2006, Long Beach, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo are impacted for both freshmen and transfers, while Fullerton, Pomona, and Sonoma are impacted for freshmen. Thus, these campuses have higher admission standards than the CSU minimum. In addition, some programs at other campuses are similarly impacted. Despite this, CSU undergraduate admissions are quantitatively based and generally do not include items such as personal statements, SAT Subject Test scores, letters of recommendation, or portfolios. In addition, there is geographic preference given to those residing within the commute area of the school.
[2] The California Maritime Academy uses a different admissions process from other CSU schools.
There are 23 CSU campuses and 10 UC campuses representing 414,000 and 191,000 students respectively. The cost of CSU tuition is approximately half that of UC. Thus, the CSU system has been referred to by California residents as "The People's University."
CSU and UC use the terms "president" and "chancellor" internally in exactly opposite ways: At CSU, the campuses are headed by "presidents" who report to a systemwide "chancellor"; but at UC, they are headed by "chancellors" who report to a systemwide "president". Both usages are found in similar systems in the other U.S. states.
CSU has traditionally been more accommodating to the older student than UC, by offering more degree programs in the evenings and, more recently, online.
Campus Naming Conventions
The UC system follows a consistent style in the naming of campuses, using the words University of California followed by a comma and the name of its declared home city. Most CSU campuses follow a similar pattern, though several are named only for their home city, such as San José State University. A few schools follow neither pattern, in particular the California Maritime Academy and California Polytechnic State University, the only campuses whose official names do not reference their location in California. Some critics, including former California State University, Sacramento president Donald Gerth, have claimed that the weak CSU identity has contributed to the CSU's perceived lack of prestige when compared to UC.
[ Invisible Giant: The California State Colleges, , Donald R., Gerth, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 1971, ISBN 0-87589-110-1 ]
Research and Academics
AAU and AASCU
The
University of California and most of its campuses are members of the
Association of American Universities (AAU), while the California State University (CSU) and several of its campuses (including
San Diego and
San Jose) are members of the
American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).
CENIC
The CSU is a member of the
Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC).
NASULGC
The CSU is a member of the
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
Statewide University Programs
Agricultural Research Initiative
★
California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI)
:A comprehensive applied agricultural and environmental research program joining the CSU's four colleges of agriculture (at
San Luis Obispo,
Pomona,
Chico and
Fresno) and the state's agriculture and natural resources industries and allied business communities.
Biotechnology
★
California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology
:Managed by the
San Diego and
Chico campuses, the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB) provides vision, leadership, and support for
biotechnology education and research throughout the CSU to promote biotechnology in California. CSUPERB was created in 1987 and designed to channel CSU system-wide resources and catalyze
interdisciplinary, inter-campus,
synergistic endeavors involving
Biology and
Chemistry departments as well as
Engineering,
Agriculture and
Computer Science. The interdisciplinary nature of biotechnology includes areas such as
bioengineering; agricultural biotechnology; human pharmaceutical and health applications; environmental and natural resource biotechnology; molecular ecology; marine biotechnology; and
bioinformatics and computational biology as they are applied to molecular questions. CSUPERB also recognizes basic research in the molecular and cellular life sciences as contributing to biotechnology, and serves as the official liaison between the CSU system and industry, government, the
Congressional Biotechnology Caucus, and the public arena in all biotechnological matters.
Nursing
★ Statewide Nursing Program
:Headquartered and administered at the
Dominguez Hills campus, the CSU Statewide Nursing Program offers registered nurses courses available throughout California that lead to Bachelors' and Masters' of Science degree in
Nursing (awarded by the closest participating CSU campus). See also
California Postsecondary Education Committee (CPEC) Reports on CSU Statewide Nursing Program for more information.
Pre-Doctoral Program
★
California Pre-Doctoral Program
: Designed to increase the pool of potential faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of California State University students who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages.
★
Chancellor's Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP)
: Provides financial and other assistance to individuals pursuing doctoral degrees. The program seeks to provide loans to doctoral students who are interested in applying and competing for California State University instructional faculty positions after completion of the doctoral degree.
Professional Science Master's Degree
The CSU intends to expand its post-graduate education focus to establish and encourage "Professional Science
Master's Degree" programs. The programs will be established using the
Sloan model (see link for further discussion).
★
CSU Report of January 2005
★
"Sloan model for Professional Science Master's Degree" programs
See also
★
California Community Colleges
★
California Master Plan for Higher Education
★
California State Employees Association
★
California State University Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association
★
California State University Police Department
★
Colleges and universities
★
List of colleges and universities in California
★
University of California
References
1. Student Enrollment at the CSU
2. CSU Facts 2006
3. http://www.calstate.edu/PA/info/BOT.shtml
4. CSU Human Resources. (Fall 2004). Profile of CSU Employees: Fall 2004.
5. http://www.calstate.edu/PA/info/enroll.shtml
6. http://www.calstate.edu/budget/2006_07BudIndex/2006-07_final_budget_allocations_memo.pdf
7. Kevin Starr, ''Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990-2003'' (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), 583.
External links
★
California State University
★
History of CSU
★
California Faculty Association
★
California State University Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association
★
California State Student Association
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
