CSU, Chico News

California State University, Chico has received a $5,000 grant from Target in recognition of its efforts in volunteerism through SIFE – Students in Free Enterprise. This grant will be used for SIFE’s Wise Kid/Healthy Kid program, in which SIFE helps 4th, 5th and 6th graders learn entrepreneurial skills. Full Story

California State University, Chico is among the U.S. leaders in the quality of its study abroad program, according to a new national ranking of student participation.

According to the Institute of International Education, the leading nonprofit educational/cultural exchange organization in the United States, CSU, Chico ranks second among master’s-level institutions for the number of students studying abroad for one year or longer.

CSU, Chico had 191 students studying abroad for a full academic year in 2006-07, the most recent year that national data was available. Only two other master’s-level institutions sent more than 100 students abroad for a year: Touro College in New York City, ranked ahead of Chico with 300, and San Francisco State, ranked behind Chico with 188.

The prior year, CSU, Chico had 100 students studying abroad for one academic year, earning the University a number-four ranking among master’s-level schools.

Susan Place, dean of CSU, Chico’s School of Graduate, International and Interdisciplinary Studies, said a full academic year is the “gold standard” in study abroad programs because students gain significantly more when they go beyond a one-semester experience. Long-term duration of study abroad experiences is considered a barometer of the programs’ quality, she said.

Only one doctoral-level university in the country had more full-year study abroad students than Chico: New York University, with 230. By contrast, UC Berkeley had 105 students and University of Michigan had 89.

For the 2006-07 year, CSU, Chico had 398 total students studying abroad.

Place said CSU, Chico is bucking a national trend of shorter duration study abroad experiences. In 2006-07, 55 percent of U.S. students studied abroad for eight weeks or less.

"Students who study abroad for a year definitely stand out from their peers in class,” Place said. “They are more academically and socially mature than most of their peers, and add a highly valued dimension to in-class discussions."

Tasha Dev, CSU, Chico study abroad coordinator, said language fluency and overall learning is greatly enhanced by a full year abroad. She said the biggest regret for students who stay abroad for only one semester is that they didn’t stay longer.

The study abroad data was contained in the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors Report, which tracks more than 200,000 U.S. students from approximately 3,000 accredited U.S. colleges and universities.

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Due to a campus clerical error, the number of long-term Study Abroad students was reported inaccurately to the Institute of International Education. CSU, Chico sent 111 students abroad for at least one year in 2006-07, placing third among master's-level institutions. Correction posted Dec. 16, 2008 Full Story

This two-hour program on Saturday, Dec. 6, 1–3 p.m., in Selvester’s Café on the California State University Campus, will provide you with tastes of delicious dishes using local ingredients from the Saturday Farmers’ Market. Students from the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences (NFSC) will provide information and free breakfast and lunch samples to show you how you can eat locally on $10 a day. Full Story

Five public relations seniors were awarded the fall 2008 Jack Rawlins Environmental Prize for their Energy Conservation Awareness Campaign. Seniors Ashley Gunther, Elise Watkins, Emilie Johnson, Jessica Mindt and Katelyn Davis created an awareness campaign to educate California State University, Chico students about the importance of energy conservation. In addition to the $6,000 prize, which the students will share, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has offered to pay for the expenses of the campaign. Full Story

Timothy Sistrunk, PhD, Department of History, is the first recipient of the Paul Persons Sustainability Award, presented at the This Way to Sustainability IV awards dinner on Friday, Nov. 7. The award is given to a faculty member who best integrates sustainability into his course curricula. Full Story

A coalition of county, community and California State University, Chico organizations has planned a full day of information and activities to observe World AIDS Day on Monday, Dec. 1. City Council members and others will speak at a candlelight vigil and memorial walk (rain or shine) that begins at 6 p.m. in front of the Bell Memorial Union on the CSU, Chico campus. Full Story

Ballroom Dance Night has been a tradition at California State University, Chico for more than 50 years. This year’s dance night will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 7–10 p.m. in Shurmer Gym. Although most attendees are students from CSU, Chico’s ballroom dance classes, others from the University and larger community are welcome. Full Story

The American Indian Club at California State University, Chico has organized a month-long series of activities, events and an art exhibit to raise public awareness of Native American culture, in general, and of the rich contributions of local indigenous peoples, specifically. Full Story

Students with disabilities from Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Glenn, Tehama and Shasta counties will participate in the 8th Annual Adapted Physical Education Sports Day on Friday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Acker and Shurmer gymnasiums at California State University, Chico. Full Story

The Fourth Annual This Way to Sustainability Conference will be held Nov. 6–8 (with a Student Convergence on Nov. 9) at California State University, Chico. The conference, co-sponsored by CSU, Chico and Butte Community College, is now the largest conference of its kind in the country. It will feature five keynote speakers and more than 90 workshops on a wide range of environmental and sustainability-related topics. Full Story