Report of the Chair

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to extend a hardy welcome to Jon Whitmore who joins us today for his first meeting of board since he assumed the presidency of San José State on August 1. Welcome, Jon. I hope the greater San José community has been a welcoming one as well for you and your family.

Dr. Whitmore commented that he and his wife, Jennifer, have been extended a warm welcome both 0n- and off-campus.

Chair Bleich continued his report. Six CSU campuses – Cal Poly, Fresno, Long Beach, Monterey Bay, Pomona, and San Diego sent a total of 15 student-athletics or alumni athletes to the Beijing Olympic Games. We call your attention to:

• Misty-May Treanor, an alumna of Long Beach State, who won a Gold Medal in women’s beach volleyball;
• Long Beach alumni Tom Hoff, Scott Touzinsky, and David Lee were part of Team USA’s Gold Medal men’s volleyball team;
• Stephanie Brown-Trafton, an alumna of Cal Poly, won the Gold Medal in the women’s discus throw;
• members of the USA Silver Medal women’s volleyball team included Tayyiba Haneef and Danielle Scott, both alums of Long Beach State;
• members on the USA Silver Medal softball team included Fresno’s Laura Berg and Long Beach’s Tairia Flowers;
• competing on the Silver Medal men’s water polo team was Long Beach’s Guy Baker;
• Cal Poly Pomona alumna, Kimberly Rhode, won the Silver Medal in women’s skeet; and
• San Diego’s Stephen Strasburg was a member of the Bronze Medal baseball team.

Humboldt State women’s volleyball coach, Sue Woodstra, was the assistant coach of the TEAM USA women’s volleyball team that took the Silver Medal.

Continuing on the theme of student contributions, last month, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen presented the California State Student Association with the Medallion Award on behalf of the National Association of Secretaries of State. The Medallion Award Program recognizes individuals or groups who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to furthering the mission of the National Association of Secretaries of State within their home State. Award recipients must have an established record of promoting elections through voter education and participations; civic education, through teaching and promotion; and service to state government relating to the duties of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Now I would like to quote Secretary Bowen:

"The California State Student Association has developed some very innovative strategies for registering new voters and encouraging them to cast ballots on Election Day. CSSA and other students have done phenomenal work to help register 31,000 CSU students to vote in the last two general elections," said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California's chief elections officer.

Congratulations to the CSSA for organizing so well and being good citizens.

Next Monday, California State University, Northridge and President Jolene Koester have a very busy schedule planned to celebrate Founder’s Day and the 50th anniversary of the Northridge campus. A luncheon will celebrate returning alumni, faculty and staff; a walkway will be dedicated in honor of President James and Mary Cleary; and the “50-year club” will debut for alumni from the classes of 1956, 1957 and 1958. I remind everyone that Northridge began with some 2,500 students and has since grown to over 35,000 students making it one of the state’s largest institutions.

CSU Stanislaus is beginning its celebration of 50 years since its establishment in 1957 and its formal opening of classes for 756 students in 1960. Over the years, the institution has grown to 9,000 students. CSU Stanislaus has in excess of 30,000 proud alumni. New facilities continue making the campus appealing to students who prefer a university experience that is student-friendly, has classes that allow the students to know their faculty members and other students, and provides the opportunity to graduate in four years. President Ham Shirvani will oversee the university’s celebration with its first annual fund-raising Gala on Saturday, October 25. This kicks off a series of special events to be held over the next two years and culminating in 2010.

The U.S. News & World Report released its 2008 college rankings in late August. Another ranking, the Princeton Review, also includes several CSU campuses in the Best in the West category. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni can be proud of the representation of CSU campuses in the various categories.

The California State University Maritime Academy is hosting the 9th Annual General Assembly of the International Association of Maritime Universities on October 19 - 22. This general assembly will attract representatives from 38 countries. Naturally, we are proud that our Cal Maritime is the host institution.

A few days following, on October 22 – 24, the East Bay campus is hosting a conference on Earthquake Hazards in the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area. The earthquake conference is co-sponsored by state and federal agencies, UC Berkeley, and professional societies.

The first phase of student housing at Poly Canyon Village has opened. This phase accommodates 1,500 students. When the project is completed in 2009, the complex will have a total of 2,661 beds, bringing Cal Poly’s student housing capacity to 6,200 beds – making it the largest in the CSU system. President Baker and staff are congratulated in housing a large portion of the students on-campus, thus being good neighbors in San Luis Obispo.

Students at Humboldt State were greeted this fall by the opening of the long-awaited Kinesiology and Athletics Complex. This facility replaces the out-dated Forbes Center. It houses a new pool, dance studio, classrooms and labs, faculty offices, and a refurbished gymnasium. I am certain these facilities will be popular and well-used.

Trustee Guzman remarked that this November is the 40th anniversary of the student strike at San Francisco State. Two outcomes of the strike were the establishment of the SFSU School of Ethnic Studies and a greater effort to increase access to underrepresented students. She said several events were planned for San Francisco State to celebrate the events of 40 years ago.

Chair Bleich continued. That is my report. Now, I turn to Chancellor Reed for his report.