CSU, Chico News

The California State University, Chico Academic Advising Programs recently raised $32,000 toward scholarships for students who serve as Summer Orientation Peer Counselors.

A $20,000 surplus from past summer orientation programs combined with more than $12,000 from private donors was used to establish an endowment to secure scholarships.

In recognition of her recent retirement, one such scholarship has been established in the name of Caroline Aldrich-Langen, director of Academic Advising Programs for the last four of her more than 20 years at the university.

This scholarship will be awarded annually to one exceptional summer orientation peer counselor. The first scholarship, in the amount of $700, was awarded at Aldrich-Langen’s retirement party.

In addition to the Aldrich-Langen Scholarship, Academic Advising also awards the Academic Advising Summer Orientation Scholarship. This year three awards were given in the amount of $600 each.

The amount awarded will vary from year to year depending on the number and quality of applicants and funds available for awards.

Applicants must submit a statement describing their experience as a peer counselor, their contribution to the academic success and well being of fellow CSU, Chico students and their personal academic achievement. In addition, applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member who is not affiliated with Academic Advising describing the quality of the applicant’s contribution to the Summer Orientation program.

To qualify, applicants must have a minimum of one year of experience as a summer orientation peer adviser and at least one year left at CSU, Chico or another institution of higher education.

For more information or to make a charitable donation, contact Lance Hauer, associate director of Advising and Orientation, at 898-5712.

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Starting fall 2000, California State University, Chico has initiated “A Book in Common,” a program where faculty, staff and students read a single book over the course of the academic year they can discuss and use in classes and activities.

A committee earlier this year chose The Moon By Whale Lightby Diane Ackerman for the 2000-2001 common book. Ackerman, a poet, naturalist and author of A Natural History of the Senses,will speak at CSU, Chico Sept. 19 7:30 p.m. in Laxson Auditorium. The Moon By Whale Lightis a collection of nonfiction pieces on bats, penguins, crocodilians and whales.

The book is used by a number of departments this fall, including classes in philosophy, communication, English and social science. In addition, CSU, Chico’s General Studies Thematic Program, an interdisciplinary general education program, and university life classes, a freshman orientation course, are using the book.

Discussion groups in the university’s residence halls are also being organized by the residence hall directors.

Byron Jackson, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of undergraduate education, said the common book concept fits well into the CSU, Chico’s character. “The university is residential in nature, and we believe a common reading experience, a common intellectual experience, builds on that. Freshmen, in particular, need common experiences and ways to connect them to the university.”

Jackson said he was not aware of any other CSU campuses using a common book. He said other schools, including Butte College, have used the concept, and that it is typically found at institutions smaller than CSU, Chico.

To advertise the common book program, parents of incoming freshmen were given a letter about the program at summer orientation, and students were sent a flier about it over the summer.

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Live Scan, a system for the electronic submission of fingerprints and a subsequent automated background check, is now being offered by the California State University, Chico Police Department. This new technology has improved upon the traditional ink rolling method by reducing turn around time from up to six months to 72 hours.

Individuals requesting background checks from the University Police in the past had to get fingerprinted the old-fashioned way or go to the Chico Police Department or the Butte County Sheriff’s Department to use Live Scan. Now they can be scanned on campus at the University Police office on 2nd and Normal Streets.

“Community service is our primary function,” said Paula Carr, University Police sergeant. “Live Scan has made the campus more user-friendly and has helped us build a relationship with many of the departments. Rather than sending them off-campus, we could take on that process ourselves.”

Certain departments and programs, including the nursing department, credential program and CAVE, as well as various off-campus businesses require applicants to receive background checks before being accepted. Live Scan works in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the FBI to ensure these individuals are free of criminal records.

“This is going to be better for us,” said Susan Toussaint, director of the Associated Students Children’s Center. “It’s much more convenient that students don’t have to leave campus for fingerprinting.”

Appointments are available Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Applications with all required information should be submitted one to two days in advance.

University Police will charge an $8 processing fee for campus-related users and $10 for off-campus users. Applicants must also pay fees to the Department of Justice ($32) and, if applicable, the FBI ($24). All fees must be paid by cash or money order prior to service.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 898-5372.

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On Tuesday, September 19, 2000, the Center for Economic Development (CED) at California State University, Chico, in association with the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED), will be hosting the second Northern California CALED Chapter Meeting (NCCC) outside of the CALED annual conference. The meeting will be held at the Eureka Inn, 518 7th Street, Eureka, CA, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The meeting will feature three presenters who will give an update on regional and statewide development. The center and CALED expect a broad attendance by individuals and organizations interested in economic development in this region of the state. Topics to be covered include an update on CALED, The Trade and Commerce Agency in California’s New Economy, and an update on legislative activity affecting rural California. There will be round table discussion to identify goals of the chapter.

CALED is the leading professional association for economic development in California. In Northern California, CALED has the NCCC, which encompasses 20 counties north of South Lake Tahoe, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Dan Ripke, director of the CED, said, “This will be the first time local economic development professionals in Northern California will have a direct opportunity to set goals and objectives for the chapter.”

The Center for Economic Development is a community outreach organization which is a part of California State University, Chico, Research Foundation. The center is a non-profit organization that provides technical assistance, applied research and capacity-building assistance to economic development and planning professionals in 20 Northern California counties. The clients served include economic development corporations, economic development districts, community development organizations, local, state and federal government offices, consulting firms, small business development centers, small businesses and local government officials.

Registration includes lunch and is $40 per person. The registration deadline is September 11.

For more information or to register, contact Katie Stenton at the Center for Economic Development at (530) 898-4598 or visit the center’s Web site at www.csuchico.edu/cedp.

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CSU, Chico’s College of Agriculture invites the public to join them at the Fall Festival 2000, held at the University Farm off Hegan Lane. The festivities kick off Saturday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. with farm tours and activities for everyone to enjoy. The rest of the day and evening include a wine and cheese tasting, dinner and no-host bar, dancing to Cottonwood, and an evening program featuring scholarship recipients and honoring the late Ken Bensel, this year’s Hall of Honor inductee and a longtime Ag professor and mentor. A silent auction will also be ongoing to raise money for scholarships.

The Fall Festival is an annual event that brings alumni, students and friends of the College of Agriculture together. Fall Festival is also a great opportunity for the public to visit the farm and see what the College of Agriculture and the University Farm have to offer.

Tickets are $15 general, $10 students and $5 for children under 12. Tickets will be sold at the door, or for more information call 898-6343 or 898-4597. Fall Festival is sponsored by the CSU, Chico College of Agriculture and Superior Ag.

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Bill Post was recently appointed to the new position as California State University, Chico’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

“The technologies we are charged with providing to the campus are becoming increasingly interdependent,” explains Fred Ryan, chief information officer and vice provost for Information Resources at CSU, Chico. “The interactions among them are increasingly complex, and decisions made in one area can have long lasting effects on other areas. Change has become about the only constant we see in our world within Information Resources. The future requires much more focused attention to technology, especially as it affects our primary academic mission. To provide this added attention, I added to Bill Post’s duties, effective August 1, the new set of CTO responsibilities.”

The CTO is responsible for analyzing, prioritizing and developing comprehensive technology plans and programs for the university, assuring that the interconnections and interactions between units effectively focus on university goals and priorities. Units reporting to the CTO include Computing Services, Communications and User Services, Instructional Media Center, and Academic Resources. The CTO reports to Ryan and has primary responsibility for ensuring that overall information technology architecture decisions advance the campus strategic plan.

Post came to CSU, Chico in 1978 as a library systems analyst. He served in a number of library-related positions including head of the library systems office, head of circulation and systems, head of automated and bibliographic services, and director of library collections. In 1996, Post’s title changed to director of academic resources with the creation of the Student Computing and Technology and Learning programs. In 1999, the Instructional Media Center was incorporated into Academic Resources.

His accomplishments at CSU, Chico include the implementation of one of the nation’s first online catalogs, chairing the Technology and Learning Committee as part of the President’s Task Force on the Future, chairing the Target 2000 Technology Committee, creating the Technology and Learning Program, and creating the Student Computing Program. He also wrote the successful grant ($428,000) to the California State University Chancellor’s Office that led to the establishment of a 24-hour student computing lab, a student help desk and classroom technology support. In May 2000, Academic Resources won a High Quality Learning Environment Award for its support of the campus teaching and learning community. Currently Post is leading the effort to convert Chico’s satellite courses to the Web and serves as chair of the Beyond 2000 campus technology planning committee.

Post earned his B.A. at Livingston College, Rutgers University, and holds an M.L.S. in Library and Information Science as well as an M.S. in Computer Science from San Jose State University.

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California State University, Chico ranks fifth among top regional public schools in the West in U.S. News and World Report’s 2001 rankings.

The results were posted today, Sept. 1, on U.S. News and World Report’s Web page. The results will be published in U.S. News and World Report’s magazine Tuesday, Sept. 5.

CSU, Chico was ranked sixth in 2000, fifth in 1999 and seventh in 1998 in the same category.

The top five rankings among best Western public universities are Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Western Washington University, Cal Poly Pomona, Montana Tech of the University of Montana and CSU, Chico, respectively.

Among both public and private western universities, CSU, Chico is in the second of four tiers of institutions. In this category, universities are not numerically ranked. Other universities in the second tier include Weber State, Texas Wesleyan, Central Washington and nine other CSU campuses: Sonoma State, Humboldt State, San Jose State, San Francisco State, CSU, Fresno, CSU, Fullerton, CSU, Sacramento, CSU, Long Beach and CSU, Stanislaus.

The four public universities in the top tier of all public and private western universities are Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (ranked fifth), Western Washington (18th) and Cal Poly Pomona and Montana Tech (tied at 26th).

U.S. News uses academic reputation, faculty resources, student selectivity, institutional financial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni giving rate as general criteria for judging schools. U.S. News has been ranking colleges and universities since 1983.

U.S. News places institutions into four categories: national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional liberal arts colleges. The regional schools are divided into one of four geographic areas: north, south, midwest and west. The categories are based on Carnegie classifications published by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Institutional characteristics, such as the number and type of degrees granted, determine a school’s classification.

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Mervyn’s California recently recognized California State University, Chico as one of its most fruitful recruiting sites with a $10,000 award.

Five thousand dollars will be allocated to the Career Planning and Placement Center and $5,000 to the College of Business’ department of management. Both recipients will use the award to improve facilities for students.

“This is the largest award the department has ever received,” said Department of Management chair Julie Indvik. A task force has been implemented to determine how the money should be spent to best serve students. Ideas under consideration are scholarships, guest speakers and expenses for the newly formed Corporate Advisory Board.

Jamie Starmer, career counselor, cited critical equipment upgrades and increased staffing as possible improvements for the Career Planning and Placement Center as a result of the gift.

Starmer and Indvik accepted the award at Mervyn’s’ 2nd Annual College Recruiting Conference Aug. 17. Eight other colleges from around the nation received awards including UC Davis, UC Los Angeles, San Diego State University, Arizona State University, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin and Oklahoma State University.

Noele Winans, director of Career Planning and Placement, said Mervyn’s has recruited at CSU, Chico every year for the last 29 years that she has worked there and that CSU, Chico graduates traditionally make up the largest group of trainees in Mervyn’s new college hire training programs.

Mervyn’s California will be included in the roster of more than 100 companies scheduled to attend CSU, Chico’s Fall Career Fair to be held Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Shurmer Gym.

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California State University, Chico alumni of Lambda Pi fraternity have pledged $5,000 to the Jackie Faris-Rees Institute for Student Leadership and will present the first installment of $1,000 in the next two weeks. Lambda Pi will continue to give $1,000 annually over the next four years.

Lambda Pi, a local fraternity established 56 years ago, has undergone some changes this year. After selling its residential house, the fraternity became a non-profit organization. Revenue generated from the sale of the house, as well as donation drives through alumni, have allowed Lambda Pi to commit $4,000 to academic scholarships which will be awarded to members each year, in addition to their Jackie Faris-Rees Institute gift.

When asked why they chose the Jackie Faris-Rees Institute, Larry Bassow, alumnus and staff adviser for Lambda Pi, replied, “Lambda Pi is in the business of creating strong leaders.”

The institute, which was created last April, aims to fund leadership building retreats and seminars for CSU, Chico students and alumni, as well as for high school students. Jackie Faris-Rees was an alumna and former student body president of CSU, Chico. Chela Patterson, program director for the institute, says that Faris-Rees “personified student leadership.” Faris-Rees, a Chico Unified School District board member and well-known community leader, died earlier this year.

For more information about the Jackie Faris-Rees Institute for Student Leadership, contact Patterson at (530) 898-5396.

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The Environmental Resources Program at California State University, Chico was renamed The Bidwell Institute for Applied Environmental Research on July 1.

David Brown, professor of hydrology in the Department of Geosciences, will serve as scientific director for one year. Jennifer Rotnem, former coordinator of environmental projects for the College of Natural Sciences, will serve as managing director.

The institute will retain the primary function of linking faculty to off-campus environmental resources and coordinating on-campus programs, while shifting its focus to applied research and re-emphasizing student involvement.

The institute, although already up and running with a scientific director, manager, and proposals, is still in the developmental stage in many areas. The vision for the collaborative endeavor involving four colleges is that the institute will provide an umbrella of services and support to faculty and specific research centers.

Several center propositions are being considered, including a center for water and watershed science. The existing Geographical Information Center and the California Wastewater Training and Research Center will find homes within the Institute.

Roger Lederer, dean of the College of Natural Sciences, and managing dean of the institute said, “The institute has no agenda except encouraging faculty and students to become involved in the local and wider community in the scientific aspects of environmental issues. We want to provide good, reliable data and information to those agencies and individuals that are responsible for making decisions and educate students along the way.”

For more information, contact Jennifer Rotnem, 530-898-4035.

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