Report of the Chair

Before we begin the business of the Board this morning, I would like to pause in memory of Bill Dermody, who passed away since this Board last met. In a long and productive career, Bill served as the Chief of Staff to 4 of the 6 chancellors who have led this system and he was a valued and primary staff support to more than half of the people who have chaired this Board. His chair to my right is graced with a black ribbon and will hence forth be identified as the Bill Dermody chair. In memory of this very special staff member may we all rise for a moment of silence. Thank you.

I'd like to welcome two additions to our board of trustees, and to congratulate a returning board member. First, welcome to Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado as he attends his first CSU Board meeting following his recently swearing in as Lieutenant Governor. Next, I'd like to welcome another new member to our board, C.C. Yin who was just appointed by the Governor. C.C. is an engineer by training, and has owned and operated a number of McDonald's franchises in Solano and Yolo counties. Finally, welcome back to Trustee George Gowgani who was just appointed by the Governor to serve another term on this board. Congratulations George, and we look forward to working with all of you.

As many of you may be aware, there have been a number of hearings in Sacramento on California's Master Plan for Higher Education as it marks its 50th year in existence. I was part of a hearing regarding financing higher education, and made the point that timely enactment of the state budget is crucial for effective planning at the CSU. I also noted the importance of ensuring that students and their families are aware of admissions and preparation for collegiate coursework, and serving students by increasing degree completion rates and improving the transfer function.

On April 27, I joined Chancellor Reed and his colleagues from the other segments of public higher education to meet with legislators to advocate for our budget this year. We also met with the Governor and Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss. I know Chancellor Reed will provide more details on the day, but I want to congratulate Karen Zamarripa and her colleagues from the University of California and the Community Colleges for putting together what I think was a very successful day. We have heard from legislators that they were quite impressed to see a coalition from all segments of public higher education come to meet with them.

I had the privilege of attending the grand opening ceremony and reception for a new addition to the library at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The day also officially marked the university's 50th anniversary – on April 29, 1960, Governor Pat Brown signed the law creating a campus for the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. It is a wonderful addition and will be a welcoming place for students long into the future.

Finally, congratulations go to CSU Channel Islands as it has been named as a Hispanic Serving Institution by having at least a 25 percent Hispanic student population. The new designation will support Channel Islands institutional capacity to serve a growing Hispanic and economic diverse study body. Congratulations to President Dick Rush and his team at Channel Islands.

The CSU and At&T are once again taking to the road with the message of academic preparation and for the past several weeks, the bus has been on the road going to middle and high school students at nearly 40 stops statewide. Let's take a look at one of the stops along the road –(3 minute video of the San Jose Road to College stop).

This year's tour is made possible by $500,000 in funding provided by AT& T. I'd like to invite all of you after the meeting to Get On Board since the bus is here today in the employee parking lot.

That concludes my report.

Chancellor Reed, please give your report.