California State University

Infobox_University
name = California State University
native_name =
latin_name =


image_size = 176px
motto = "Vox Veritas Vita" (Latin, "Voice Truth Life"-Speak the truth as a way of life.)
established = 1857
type = Public University System
endowment = US$874 million
staff =
faculty = 44,000
president =
provost =
student_body_president=
student_body_vice_president=
principal =
rector =
chancellor = Charles B. Reed
vice_chancellor =
dean =
head_label =
head =
students = 414,000
undergrad =
postgrad =
doctoral =
profess =
city = Long Beach
state = California
country = USA
campus = 23 campuses
free_label =
free =
colors = Red & White color box|redcolor box|white
colours =
mascot =
nickname =
affiliations = State of California, USA
footnotes =
website = [http://www.calstate.edu/ CalState]
address =
telephone =
coor =

Gallery

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
**Redding (affiliated with Shasta College)
*California State University, Fullerton
**Irvine
**Garden Grove
*California State University, East Bay
**Concord
*California State University, Fresno
**Lancaster
*California State University, San Bernardino
**Palm Desert
*California State University, San Marcos
**Southwest Riverside County
*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 [http://stockton.csustan.edu/]
*Sonoma State University
**Ukiah, California

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
** [http://biology.fullerton.edu/facilities/dsc/zzyzx.html official website]
* Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (managed by San José State University)
** Oceanographic laboratory
** [http://www.mlml.calstate.edu official website]
* Mount Laguna Observatory (part of the Astronomy Department of San Diego State University)
** Astronomical observatory
** [http://mintaka.sdsu.edu official website]
* T.S. Golden Bear
** The training ship of the California Maritime Academy

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. CSU's Chancellor, Dr Charles B Reed, pointed out when delivering his Pullias Lecture at USC, that California was big enough to afford two world-class systems of public higher education, one that supports research (UC) and one that supports teaching (CSU). However, student per capita spending is stretched far thinner at the CSU, and the lack of a research mission or independent doctoral programs under the California Master Plan leads to a perceived lack of prestige among some academics. [cite news | last= Lindelof | first= Bill | title= CSU budget plan might hike fees | url= http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/493053.html | date= November 15, 2007 | publisher= Sacramento Bee | accessdate= 2007-11-16] [cite news | last= Jaschik | first= Scott | title= Mississippi State in the Silicon Valley | url= http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/10/18/sjsu | date= October 18, 2007 | publisher= Inside Higher Education | accessdate= 2007-11-16] State Librarian Emeritus Kevin Starr has described the CSU as "in so many ways the Rodney Dangerfield of public higher education." [Kevin Starr, "Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990-2003" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), 583. ] 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 degrees (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 (Au.D), etc.). Additionally, the California State University (CSU) offers Ph.D degrees 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" [http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=13612&start=782| (Carnegie Foundation link)] by offering 16 doctoral degrees.

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 former California State University authorities as "The People's University." [cite news | last= Reed | first= Ann | title= Donald R. Gerth to leave the Sac State presidency after nearly two decades | url= http://www.csus.edu/pubaf/journal/spring2003/17gerth.htm | date= Spring, 2003 | publisher= Capital University Journal | accessdate= 2008-01-02]

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".

CSU has traditionally been more accommodating to the older student than UC, by offering more degree programs in the evenings and, more recently, online. In addition, CSU schools, especially in more urban areas, have traditionally catered to the commuter, enrolling most of its students from the surrounding area. This has changed as CSU schools increase enrollment and some of the more prestigious urban campuses attract a wider demographic. [cite news | last= Saavedra | first= Sherry | title= As SDSU evolves, demand for housing grows; University was built as commuter campus | url= http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070923/news_1n23house.html | date= September 23, 2007 | publisher= San Diego Union Tribune | accessdate= 2008-01-18]

Admission standards

Historically the requirements for admission to the CSU have been less stringent than the UC system. The CSU attempts to accept applicants from the top one-third (1/3) 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.

However, as of 2008 the following CSU campuses use "higher standards" than the basic admission standards because of the number of qualified students who apply to those campuses as first-time freshmen during the initial application filing period: [cite web
url = http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/campuses_that_have_higher_standards.asp
title = Campuses that have Higher Standards
accessdate = 2008-01-18
date = 2008-01-18
publisher = The California State University |]
*Cal Poly
*Cal Poly Pomona
*Fullerton
*Long Beach
*San Diego

Impaction

An "impacted" campus or major is one which has more CSU-qualified students than capacity permits. As of 2006, Long Beach, San Diego, and Cal Poly are impacted for both freshmen and transfers, while Fullerton, Cal Poly 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. [cite web
url = http://www.calstate.edu/ar/impactioninfo.shtml
title = Impacted Undergraduate Majors and Campuses in the California State University - 2008-2009
accessdate = 2008-01-18
date = 2008-01-18
publisher = The California State University |]

Special admissions process for the California Maritime Academy

The California Maritime Academy uses a different admissions process from other CSU schools. Because of the nature of its programs, the California Maritime Academy requires all applicants to complete a physical examination prior to enrollment. [cite web
url = http://www.csumentor.edu/planning/high_school/campuses_that_have_higher_standards.asp
title = Campuses that have Higher Standards
accessdate = 2008-01-18
date = 2008-01-18
publisher = The California State University |]

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 (Cal Maritime) and California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), 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 California State University identity has contributed to the CSU's perceived lack of prestige when compared to the University of California.cite book
last = Gerth
first = Donald R.
coauthors= Haehn, James O.
title = Invisible Giant: The California State Colleges
publisher = Jossey-Bass, San Francisco
year = 1971
id = 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 founding and charter member of CENIC, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California, the nonprofit organization which provides extremely high-performance Internet-based networking to California's K-20 research and education community.

NASULGC

The CSU is a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

tatewide University Programs

Agricultural Research Initiative

* [http://ari.calstate.edu 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

* [http://www.csuchico.edu/csuperb 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 [http://www.cpec.ca.gov/Publications/ListingByTopic.ASP California Postsecondary Education Committee (CPEC) Reports on CSU Statewide Nursing Program] for more information.

Pre-Doctoral Program

* [http://www.calstate.edu/PreDoc 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.
* [http://www.calstate.edu/hr/flp/index.shtml 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

:"See PSM degreeThe CSU intends to expand its post-graduate education focus to establish and encourage Professional Science Master's degree (PSM) programs using the Sloan model (see link for further discussion).
* [http://www.csuchico.edu/csuperb/PSM.pdf CSU Report of January 2005]
* [http://www.sciencemasters.com "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

External links

* [http://www.CalState.edu/ California State University]
* [http://www.calstate.edu/PA/info/milestones.shtml History of CSU]
* [http://www.calfac.org California Faculty Association]
* [http://csuerfa.org California State University Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association]
* [http://www.csustudents.org California State Student Association]