Report of the Chair

Since we last met, all of the trustees appointed last summer have received confirmation by the State Senate Rules Committee and the State Senate. Congratulations. That is the final step in the appointment process.

I would like to introduce and welcome Dr. Craig Smith as the newly appointed Faculty Trustee. Dr. Smith is professor of communication studies at California State University, Long Beach. He replaces Dr. Kathleen Kaiser who did an outstanding job representing faculty interests. Dr. Smith, would like to make some comments ...

We have some other new folks to recognize. On behalf of the entire board, I want to extend a warm welcome to Stanislaus president Ham Shirvani and to Monterey Bay's interim president Diane Cordero de Noriega. We are proud to have both of you join our executive group. I should note that Diane was recently named as one of the Top 100 Latinas by Hispanic Magazine. The magazine annually recognizes Latinas who have made significant contributions in their fields and have made a positive impact on the Hispanic community.

At today's meeting I bring attention to the fact that there is a new academic senate executive committee chaired by Marshelle Thobaben of Humboldt State; welcome and we look forward to working with you. Professor Thobaben, would your like to introduce your colleagues on the executive committee?

Also there is a new Board of Directors of the California State Student Association (CSSA) led by Julio Velazquez of CSU Sacramento. Mr. Velazquez, when you give your report in a few minutes, I would ask that you introduce your executive board.

And, I am pleased to welcome Dana Bezerra as Alumni Council president. Dana is an alumna of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and works in the San Diego area.

Now I would like to call on Larry Adamson to introduce the Alumni Trustee designee. Larry.

Thank you Larry, and Bob, we look forward you becoming a member of the Board of Trustees.

I would like Bill Hauck to convene the Committee on Committees to recommend the assignments of Bob Linscheid and Craig Smith to Standing Committees, and to recommend one or two additional trustees to the Committee on Campus Planning, Buildings and Grounds.

From April 30 to mid-June our campuses held commencement ceremonies to confer degrees on 82,000 individuals. We congratulate all degree recipients and urge that they use their higher education to participate in the California workforce and contribute to the advancement of society of this nation and California.

Yesterday we heard details of the state budget as it concerns the California State University. I thank Chancellor Reed, Executive Vice Chancellor West, their staff and others who worked to sustain our budget plan. There were some who criticized Chancellor Reed for signing the Compact, but in the end it resulted in a more favorable budget. In a few moments Chancellor Reed will provide additional comments about the budget.

Eighteen California State University campuses were listed in the May issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education as being among the annual "Top 100," a national list of colleges and universities that conferred the most bachelor's degrees upon Hispanics. CSU campuses consistently rank among the very top in the nation in this area. In addition, 12 CSU campuses were in the top 100 in awarding master's degrees to Hispanics nationwide. The five campuses not on the top 100 list are newer, smaller, rural, or specialized institutions.

In addition, another publication recently announced its top 100. Black Issues in Higher Education identified 14 CSU campuses as having conferred the most bachelor's degrees on minority students in 2003/04.

Because Monterey Bay President Peter Smith left office at the end of the academic year, we have yet another presidential search to conduct. I am appointing Roberta Achtenberg as chair of the selection committee and Trustees George Gowgani and Bill Hauck to serve on the selection committee. They will start their work in the fall and it is anticipated a conclusion will be reached in the spring.

Finally, this is the time of the year where under Trustee policy, the Board Chair approves and reports on the annual operating budget for the State University House. The 2005-2006 operating budget was approved in the amount of $62,721 with provisions for supplies, services, insurance, and utilities. The funding, all of which is non-state money, is derived from the proceeds of the sale of the previous State University House in Bel-Air. The trust fund is restricted to supporting the operation, furnishing, and maintenance of the State University House. When the trust was established in 1991, two spending rules were instituted to protect the corpus and ensure there are sufficient interest earnings in the future to cover operational and maintenance costs without using General Fund dollars. These two rules are reviewed every three years to determine if any modifications are necessary. If there are any questions from board members, I would be happy to answer them any time.

That completes my report. However, when Chancellor Reed reports on the education doctorate, I have something more to add.

Chancellor Reed, will you make your report.