CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

'California State University, Long Beach' (also known as 'Cal State Long Beach', 'CSU Long Beach', 'Long Beach State', 'CSULB', 'LBSU', or 'The Beach') is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California in terms of enrollment. The University is located at the southeastern coastal tip of Los Angeles County, less than a mile from the border with Orange County. (Map)
Cal State Long Beach has received much critical acclaim from some of America's top college guides. It has been ranked as one of the top five public masters universities in the West by ''U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges Guide" for 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.U.S. News & World Report, August 17, 2008
CSULB was also ranked as the No. 3 best value public college in the nation by ''The Princeton Review''. The campus is featured in the "Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges" list in the 2007 edition of its book America's Best Value Colleges, released in March, 2006. More than 30 factors were considered to rate the colleges in four categories: academics, tuition GPA (the sticker price minus average amount students receive in gift aid scholarships and grants), financial aid (how well colleges meet students' financial need) and student borrowing.^[1]
In addition, Long Beach State is one of the West Coast's top universities/masters institutions in student body diversity and is home to the largest publicly funded art school west of the Mississippi. The university currently operates with one of the lowest student fees in the country at US $3,116 per year.^[2]

Contents

History

Puvunga

Academics

Academic department reputations

Admissions

Impaction

Student life

Associated Students

Union Weekly and The Daily 49er

Housing

KKJZ 88.1 FM

KBeach internet radio

Pow Wow

Campus

Public transportation

Athletics

Alma Mater

Notable People

References

External links

History

Established in 1949 by California Governor Earl Warren to serve the rapidly expanding post World War II population of Orange and Southern Los Angeles counties, Cal State Long Beach hasn't always been held in the same esteem as it is today. But over the years, CSULB has overcome its exceedingly humble beginnings and grown to be one of the state's largest and most well-respected universities.
At its inception, the institution was known as Los Angeles-Orange County State College. It consisted of 25 courses taught by 13 faculty members in two apartment buildings at 5381 Anaheim Road in Long Beach. In June 1950, the citizens of Long Beach voted overwhelmingly to purchase 320 acres as a permanent campus for the college, now known as Long Beach State College. The purchase price was nearly $1,000,000. Utilizing the new location, the school began to establish itself as a permanent presence in the area, and as a result its student enrollment grew rapidly.

By 1960, the student body had skyrocketed to more than 10,000 students, and by 1966 that number would reach 20,000. In 1964, LBSC changed its name to California State College at Long Beach in an effort to unify with the state system and enhance its prestige (it was renamed California State College, Long Beach in 1968).
In 1965, CSCLB hosted the first International Sculpture Symposium to be held in the United States and the first at a college or university. Six sculptors from around the world and two from the United States created many of the monumental sculptures seen today on the campus. The event received national media attention from newspapers around the country including the ''New York Times'', ''Los Angeles Times Magazine'', ''Art in America'' and a six-page color spread in ''Fortune Magazine''.
The school acquired university status in 1972 along with 12 other state college campuses. The promotion was decided by the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, according to total enrollment, size of graduate programs, complexity and diversity of majors and number of doctorates held by faculty at each college. CSCLB became CSULB.

Also in 1972, the campus became the home of the largest library facility in the then 19-campus CSU system: a modern six-story building with a seating capacity of nearly 4,000 students.
In 1995, President Robert Maxson initiated the privately funded President's Scholars Program providing selected qualified California high school valedictorians and National Merit finalists and semi-finalists with a full four-year scholarship package which includes tuition, a book stipend, and housing. Since the program's inception more than 600 students have accepted the scholarship.
As of Fall 2006, CSULB had 35,574 students in attendance, making it the second most populous campus of the CSU system (after CSU Fullerton with 35,921).

Puvunga

The campus is believed to be the location of an ancient Tongva village and burial site known as Puvunga and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as such. CSULB has challenged this designation, claiming they were not consulted when the application was filed. From 1992 to 1995, when the university attempted to build a strip mall on the last undeveloped portion of the campus, the Tongva people filed a lawsuit and initiated protest which involved physically occupying the land day and night to stave off bulldozers.^[3]
There were also lawsuits between Dr. Keith Dixon, professor emeritus of anthropology, the university, and the Tongva people concerning the improper storage of aboriginal remains and artifacts. All matters were put to rest when President Maxson promised that as long as he was president no development would occur at the site. He further stated he did not wish to make a more permanent agreement because he did not want to tie the hands of future administrations. To date, no development has occurred on this portion of the campus, although students are allowed to park on the unstable surfaces of the burial ground during the first two weeks of each semester and during finals week.

Academics

CSULB is comprised of seven academic colleges:

★ College of the Arts (largest in the University)

★ College of Business Administration

★ College of Education

★ College of Engineering

★ College of Health & Human Services

★ College of Liberal Arts

★ College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
plus an Interdisciplinary Studies program.
Together, the colleges offer a total of 81 baccalaureate degrees, 67 master's degrees, 16 education-related credential programs, and three doctoral degrees (two joint and one free-standing).^[4]
The University's educational goals reflect its large population of students and faculty. Among the numerous classes and majors, Liberal Arts and Sciences represent the General Education (GE) core, while a variety of classes make up GE electives; students rarely study the same subjects as each other, but all GE classes focus on the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

Academic department reputations

CSULB is perhaps most well-known for its Engineering program. ''U.S. News and World Report'' has rated it as one of the Top 50 undergraduate programs in the nation, and even commended the University's programs for first-year students as "stellar examples of academic programs that lead to student success."CSULB News and Events: This Week @ The Beach. August 29, 2005 Long Beach's programs in Accounting, Business Administration, and Art are also well-respected in the industry.
In addition, according to the National Science Foundation, CSULB is the number one campus in the nation amongst Master's level universities for producing students who go on to earn doctoral degrees in the Sciences.The Beach Review, Fall 2006: Building the Foundation of Science. ''Public Affairs and Publications.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007

Admissions

'Fall Admissions Statistics'⁶

	2006	2005	2004
Applicants	63,165	56,724	51,753
Admits	33,468	31,098	27,789
% Admitted	53.0	54.8	53.7

For the Fall 2006 semester, Long Beach State received 62,531 applications for admission, including 42,850 from first-time freshman; both totals are the highest among all campuses in the CSU system. (San Diego State had the second most in both categories, with 58,934 and 42,054 respectively.)^[5] Long Beach offered admission to 33,468 (53%) of the applicants, and in turn 10,427 (31.2%) of the admittees accepted their offers. In all, the total application yield rate for the Fall 2006 semester was 16.5%.^[6] The average high school GPA of incoming freshmen for Fall 2006 was 3.35, and the average SAT score was 1014.^[7]

Impaction

Cal State Long Beach itself is an impacted campus as designated by the CSU system. As such, the University currently receives more eligible applications than the campus can accommodate, and therefore must restrict admissions beyond initial eligibility requirements (contrary to usual CSU practices.)
Moreover, the university has several impacted majors, i.e. majors in which the university receives more applications than there is space to accommodate. Impacted majors are authorized to use supplementary admission criteria and/or higher admission standards than the CSU minimum requirements in considering applicants to the program. These criteria are applied equally to continuing CSULB students and entering upper-division transfer students.
List of Currently Impacted Majors

Student life

CSULB hosts over 350 events annually, welcoming more than 150,000 patrons to its performance halls, conferences centers, and exhibit venues.

Associated Students

Associated Students Incorporated is the student government of the campus. ASI is a non profit corporation which represents the interest of the student body and operates the University Student Union (USU), the Isabel Paterson Child Development Center, and the campus Recycling Center. In addition, ASI sponsors a number of campus events and activities through mandatory student fees.

Union Weekly and The Daily 49er

The university has two newspapers: The Union Weekly (formerly The Long Beach Union Newspaper) and the Daily 49er. The first issue of the Daily 49er was published November 11, 1949. The Daily 49er currently publishes Monday through Thursday during the fall and spring sememsters, and once a week during the summer sessions. The Daily 49er was previously affiliated with the CSULB's Journalism Department, though it is now independent of the department. It has always been, however, a student-run publication. The Union Weekly, which is partially student-funded, publishes every Monday during fall and spring semesters, and has been a part of the Cal State Long Beach campus since 1977, when it was formed in response to the Daily 49er. The student-run Union Weekly focuses on being an alternative voice on campus and features a satirical section called The Grunion.

Housing

Cal State Long Beach operates eighteen residence halls which are divided into five communities: Parkside, Residence, Los Alamitos, Los Cerritos, and the International House. The unique International House pairs international students with U.S. residents. In August 2007, the CSULB Foundation began the process of purchasing the property leased to nearby Brooks College for future use as CSULB student housing. ^[8]

KKJZ 88.1 FM

The California State University Long Beach Foundation owns the KKJZ non-commercial broadcast license of 88.1 FM, a Jazz and Blues radio station. Global Jazz, Inc., an affiliate of Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters, Inc., programs and manages the radio station.

KBeach internet radio

Kbeach is a student-run internet stream that has had a presence on campus in various forms since the 1970s. The independent and mainstream music channel is streamed over the internet and piped into the student union.
Shows currently include and have included Headbangers Beach, Sex at the Beach, Metal Top Hat Radio, The Powerfuse, Pop Secret, and Brunch With Tiffany and Jessica.

Pow Wow

During March of every year since 1970, the University has hosted the largest pow-wow in Southern California. This free two day event, which attracts more than 6,000 persons each year, features Native American dancing, arts, craft and delicious native foods.

Campus

The campus spans 323 acres (1.3 km²) across 84 buildings and is located 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It has its own U.S. Postal Zip code: 90840. CSULB is located at 1250 Bellflower Boulevard. It is bounded by East 7th Street to the south, East Atherton Street to the north, Bellflower Boulevard to the west, and Palo Verde Avenue to the east.
The architecture of the campus is mostly of the International style (designed primarily by noted architect Edward Killingsworth) and is very minimalist, placing emphasis instead on the landscaping that surrounds it. This naturalistic, park-like layout has earned the campus numerous design awards, as well as other awards from gardening societies for its immaculately maintained grounds. Even the newer buildings are built in a very restrained glass-and-brick style. The integration of landscaping and architecture is perhaps most apparent at the school's theater complex, where a dense grove of ficus trees is planted in such a way that it forms a continuation of the pillar-supported canopy at the theater's entrance. The University's registration offices are located in the open courtyard of Brotman Hall, which is "roofed" by a similar jungle-like canopy. The Psychology building is also notable for its soaring, airy courtyard planted with tall Eucalyptus trees.
The University Student Union commons building, AKA "The U," is located at the center of campus and has the distinction of being one of the largest structures on any campus in California. Occupying roughly 180,000 square feet, The Union is a sprawling three-story glass building that establishes itself as one of the main venues on campus. In addition to housing numerous classrooms and offices, The Union offers many more casual attractions, including (but not limited to) a study lounge, a ballroom, a food court, a bowling alley, an arcade, and a movie theater.
CSULB is home to the renowned University Art Museum that ranks in the top 10% of the nation's 6,000 plus museums. UAM official website.
The University is also home to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, an artistic retreat of solitude and beauty. Among its many picturesque attractions, the Garden features a large pond populated with Koi. Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden official website.
49er basketball and volleyball games are currently played in the iconic, eighteen story Walter Pyramid (formerly known as the Long Beach Pyramid) located on north campus. The Pyramid is a state of the art sporting complex that can accommodate over 5,000 fans when including temporary seating and standing room. Two sections of interior stands are fitted with large hydraulic lifts which can lift the seating elements forty-five degrees into the air, creating room for five volleyball courts or three basketball courts.^[9] The Pyramid is also home to the Southern California Summer Pro League, a noted showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players. SPL Official Website
In the Spring of 2007, the student body voted overwhelmingly to approve the construction of a student recreation and wellness center on campus. Slated for completion by Fall 2010, the Rec and Wellness Center is to be an extensive all-purpose athletic center covering about 125,000 square feet on North Campus. Current plans include facilities for fitness programs and aerobics classes, courts for volleyball, basketball and badminton, rock climbing walls, an indoor track, a student lounge, and much more.

Public transportation

The campus is currently serviced by:
Long Beach Transit (routes 81, 91, 92, 93, 94, 171, 96 ZAP, and Passport D),
OCTA (routes 1, 50 and 60),
LACMTA Express (route 577X).

Athletics

An NCAA division 1 member, Long Beach State has 18 sports teams and plays competitively in baseball, cross country, softball, track and field, and women's soccer, as well as both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf teams. The university is a founding member of the Big West Conference.
In addition to NCAA-sanctioned sports, Long Beach State also fields numerous competitive club sports teams, such as rugby, ice hockey, ultimate frisbee, soccer, crew, and many others.
In the realm of sports the school is referred to as "Long Beach State." The official name of Long Beach State sports teams is "The 49ers" in honor of the year the university was founded and for the prospectors of the California Gold Rush one hundred years before then. Unofficially, "The Beach" is used to refer to Long Beach State and its sports teams as it is the only university on the West Coast with the word "Beach" in its name. One can see the cheer "Go Beach!" written on many CSULB products around campus and on the large water tower near the entrance to the campus.
The Beach has several rival schools when it comes to sports. In addition to being located in close proximity to each other, Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton have competed heavily as conference rivals in baseball for nearly 20 years. More recently, specifically since 2006, Long Beach State and UC Irvine have participated in the annual "Black and Blue Rivalry Series." In this challenge, each school earns points for its collective conference championships and head-to-head victories against each other (across all NCAA sports in which both schools participate). The totals are added up at the end of the season and a winner is declared: Long Beach leads the all-time series 2-0. Finally, Long Beach State also has a long-standing "beach school" rivalry with UC Santa Barbara
Unlike all other Long Beach State sports teams, the baseball team unofficially goes under the moniker "The Dirtbags." Since the hiring of Dave Snow as head coach in 1989, the LBSU baseball team has become one of the most successful teams in the school's athletic history. The Dirtbags are consistently ranked in the national top 30 and have appeared in 16 of the last 19 NCAA tournaments. Along the way, the team has won 8 Big West conference championships, hosted 3 NCAA regionals (plus 1 super regional), and appeared in 4 College World Series.^[10] The school has also produced a number of prominent professional players over the years, including former American League MVP Jason Giambi and former American League Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby. Many more ex-Dirtbags have participated in the prestigious MLB All-Star Futures game, such as rookie phenomenons Jered Weaver and Troy Tulowitzki.^[11]
Long Beach State is home to one of the top women's volleyball teams in the nation. Seasonally ranked in the national top 25, the team plays one of the most competitive schedules in the nation year in and year out. Long Beach has won three national titles in women's volleyball (plus one in men's volleyball). In 1998 the women's team took the national #1 rank from Penn State and went on to win the NCAA finals as well as the World finals against China, claiming the #1 spot in the World.¹⁰ The LBSU men's volleyball played for the 2004 NCAA National Championship and finished 2nd in the nation. Additionally, in 2004 LBSU alumna Misty May won the Olympic Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball.
The women's tennis team has made quite a name for itself in recent years. Since 2002, Long Beach State has won 5 of the last 6 Big West Conference titles and appeared in as many NCAA tournaments over the same period.¹⁰ In addition, three 49ers (out of seven players total) were named to the first team All Big West Team star, including star player Hannah Grady who was named Big West Player of the Year for both her freshman and sophomore years in 2006 and 2007.
The LBSU Men's basketball team has also enjoyed success in recent times. In the 2006-07 season, the 49ers finished with a 24-8 (12-2) record, the Big West conference championship, and the school's first trip to the NCAA tournament in 12 years. Star guard Aaron Nixon was named Big West player of the year, as well as being named a selected as an AP Honorable Mention All-American. On April 6, 2007, it was announced that Dan Monson (formerly of Gonzaga University and the University of Minnesota) would become Long Beach State's next head Men's Basketball Coach, succeeding Larry Reynolds.
Long Beach State has had the honor of having at least one of its own athletes participate in every Summer Olympic Games since 1952, (the first Olympiad after the school's founding).^[12]
Long Beach has also had a number of nationally prominent coaches, including Tex Winter, Jerry Tarkanian and Lute Olson in men's basketball, George Allen in football, Frances Schaafsma in women's volleyball and basketball, Joan Bonvicini in women's basketball, and Jon Urbanchek and Don Gambril in swimming.
Long Beach State competed in Division I football for a number of years (1969-91), producing a number of professional players, including Terrell Davis and Mike Horan, among others. George Allen, the famed Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins coach, had a short one-year tenure at Long Beach State. Long Beach State discontinued its football program after the 1991 season due to budget constraints. Prior to going Division I in 1969 the football team competed in the old "College Division" of the NCAA from 1955 through 1968.
Alumnus John "J.P." Calderon competed in the 13th edition of the hit reality television show Survivor. Calderon, who is now a professionally ranked AVP player, graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2000 after playing on the nationally ranked Division I Men's Volleyball Team.

Alma Mater

Alma Mater Hail to Thee

And We Pledge Our Loyalty

To the College of Our Choice

Thee We Serve With Hand and Voice

Now and in the Future Bright

Citadel of Truth and Right

Honor, Glory and Renown

All are Thine Dear Gold and Brown
★ ^[13]

★ In the Spring of 2000, by student vote, the official school colors were changed from Gold and Brown to Gold and Black.

Notable People

Main articles: List of California State University, Long Beach people

References

1. The Beach Review, Spring 2006: Princeton Review Ranks Cal State Long Beach No. 3 Best Value Public College in the United States. ''Public Affairs and Publications.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
2. Fees and Finances - Basics. ''Division of Administration & Finance.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
3. Background on Puvunga and the Sacred Site Struggle. ''About Puvungna.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
4. Introduction to the Institutional Report: Overview of the Institution. ''College of Education.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
5. New Students Applications and Admissions, Fall 2006. ''CSU Analytic Studies.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
6. Admissions: Applications, Admissions, and Enrollment (by college). ''Division of Administration and Finance.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
7. College Preparation: High School GPA SAT Scores. ''Division of Administration and Finance.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
8. Press-Telegram, August 15, 2007
9. The Walter Pyramid. ''Long Beach State Athletics.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
10. Championship Teams. ''49er Historical Archive.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
11. Professional Alumni. ''49er Historical Archive.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
12. Olympians Associated with Long Beach State. ''49er Historical Archive.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007
13. Traditions. ''49er Historical Archive.'' Retrieved August 10, 2007

External links

★ California State University, Long Beach

★ The California State University

★ CSULB Institutional Reasearch & Assessment

★ California State University, Long Beach: At a glance - ''US News & World Report'' profile

★ California State University, Long Beach: Summary - ''Princeton Review'' profile