CSU, Chico News

The Faculty Initiative for Transformative Learning (FITL), a faculty learning community at California State University, Chico, is bringing artist and professor Anne Beffel to Chico on Monday, Sept. 13 to speak on “Mindfulness in the Art Classroom: Exploring the Intersection of Art, Social Psychology and Contemplative Practice.” Beffel’s lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be held 5–6:30 p.m. in PAC 134.

Beffel is an associate professor at Syracuse University where she teaches Introduction to Time Arts and Contemplative Arts and Society. As an artist, Beffel intends to raise questions about social justice through her work. She uses digital media and “re-makes” everyday objects and gestures. For example, she has created and distributed thousands of soaps embedded with the phrase “I’m Sorry” as part of her Apologies Project and given away hundreds of “signal mirrors” as part of a September 11th memorial.

Beffel has earned degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa, and she has participated in the Whitney Museum Independent Studio Program in New York City. She has reached out to viewer-participants across social, economic and geographical divisions. Her most recent projects have been at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, the Gandhi statue in Union Square, New York City and Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle.

“Anne Beffel’s talk is particularly targeted toward faculty who are curious about incorporating mindfulness practices into their instruction,” said Margaret DuFon, a member of FITL. “While her field is art, faculty from any discipline will find her information on practices such as close-listening, self-observation, and the use of mindfulness practices to deepen engagement in the process of inquiry to be of use.”

In addition to faculty, DuFon believes that Beffel’s talk will be of potential interest for community members, especially those in the helping professions such as nurses, social workers, counselors and teachers.

FITL has been awarded a Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Impact Grant of $5,500 to implement the project titled “Transforming the Faculty, Campus and Community through Education in Contemplative Practice.” The project supports a program of speakers during the 2010–2011 academic year.

The next speaker in the series will be Steve Flowers, MS and MFT, with a presentation on mindfulness-based stress reduction on Thursday, Sept. 16, 4–5:30 pm in Selvester’s Café on the CSU, Chico campus. The talk is designed for anyone who would like to reduce the level of stress in his or her life.

For more information on this speaker series, contact DuFon at (530) 898-6151 or by e-mail.

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California State University, Chico has been named a Military Friendly School for 2011 by G.I. Jobs magazine, the premier publication for people making the transition from the military to civilian work, training or education. The schools on the list represent the top 15 percent of all colleges and universities in the nation in terms of their service to veterans.

Higher education institutions were chosen for the list based upon the comprehensive services offered to student veterans. CSU, Chico responded to the governor’s 2005 Troops to College initiative with several enhanced services, including the Student Veterans Center that opened in spring 2010.

Langwell outlined the services created by the Office of Veterans’ Affairs at CSU, Chico in response to the Troops to College initiative. The following enhanced services address the needs of returning Afghanistan and Iraq veterans:

• VEST (Veteran Education Support Team), comprised of 12 student service professionals on campus, collaborates with several veteran service agencies in the community.
• The CSU, Chico Student Veteran Organization was revived in 2004. It is an inaugural member of the Student Veterans of America, a national organization with approximately 265 current school memberships.
• The Student Veteran Center opened on campus to provide a visible and safe environment. Student veterans can enjoy camaraderie with other veterans between classes.
• A change in General Education criteria allows veterans to receive academic credit for military experience.
• A special dispensation from admissions closures was created for veterans. Student veterans are also given priority registration.
• Veterans have been invited to give presentations at the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) conference to promote awareness of veterans’ issues.
• Student veterans have participated in discussions as part of the Conversations on Diversity program.
• Official policy and procedures have been created for students called to active military duty.

“The recent influx of veterans from current global obligations is the largest since WWII,” said Larry Langwell, coordinator of Veterans’ Affairs at CSU, Chico and the Student Veteran Organization advisor. “More than 8 million veterans flooded the nation’s colleges upon their return to use the original GI Bill. Chico State responded to the return of veterans by creating the Vets Village in 1944. You can see Vets Village documented on our website.”

The Office of Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and the Chico State Student Veteran Organization (SVO) came into existence in the 1970s. The OVA has continued to serve student veterans since its inception, while the SVO has had periods of inactivity during the 1980s and 1990s.

OVA is operated by an all-veteran staff lead by Langwell. You can contact OVA by calling 530-898-5911 or e-mailing.

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After attending a leadership boot camp in spring 2009, California State University, Chico student Tim Forrest was determined to use what he learned to make a difference in himself and in his community. This fall, three local families will benefit from Forrest’s continuing dedication to leadership and service.

On August 28, CSU, Chico students will join with Lowes employees and members of local churches to continue construction on three family residences that began in May 2010 at the Habitat Greens subdivision on the corner of East 16th and D Streets in Chico. On Sept. 18 and Sept. 25, the students will strap on their tools again, joining with others to complete construction of the three Habitat for Humanity homes this fall.

“We’re starting off this school year with a very big bang,” said Forrest. “We’ve gathered a variety of organizations throughout our campus to collaborate and build for our community.”

Working with Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Darlene Giampaoli and Construction Specialist Dan Braz, Forrest enlisted members of CSU, Chico’s College of Business Student Leadership Council, Cross Cultural Leadership Council, Student Veteran Organization, Greek fraternities and sororities and Wildcat Recreation Center to assist with the effort. “We expect to have a grand total of over 150 students participants over the next month,” said Forrest.

“Much of the credit for the partnership is owed to Darlene Giampaoli for her kindness and Dan Braz for volunteering his free time,” said Forrest. “Their goodwill, combined with the sponsorship of Pleasant Valley High School, is the driving force that enables ordinary people like you and me to truly make an impact within our community.”

While focusing his energy and enthusiasm on developing a strong partnership with Butte County’s Habitat for Humanity, Forrest has also participated in several leadership development programs. As one of four students selected to serve a one-year term as a Tomorrow’s Leaders Student Fellows for the College of Business, he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy’s 17th Annual National Character and Leadership Symposium near Colorado Springs, Colo., and a leadership training program at the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

As for future plans for the partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Forrest said, “We have a strong motivation to fundraise and execute our own Chico State Build by the end of the spring 2011 semester. This will require $40,000 to start the process and expenses throughout to complete the build. We are certain that our students have the right intentions and are eager to accomplish this.”

The Values-Based Leadership Boot Camp is an educational initiative of the Center for Values Based Leadership at CSU, Chico. It was established in 2008 by the College of Business to prepare a new generation of effective business leaders who are characterized by remarkable character, a dedication to serve others, and an unwavering commitment to uphold ethical practices in the workplace. Since its inception, the center has been supported by strong corporate partnerships—providing students with unparalleled opportunities to discover and develop their leadership skills. To learn more about the fall 2010 Boot Camp, contact Department of Management faculty member Bob Sprague 530-898-6124.

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Community members aged 60-plus or retired, and spouses of any age, are invited to sign up for classes at the California State University, Chico Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Fall Welcome and Class Sign-ups Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 10:00-11:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Masonic Family Center, 1110 West East Avenue, Chico.

The Fall Welcome and Class Sign-ups Meeting will offer an opportunity to meet OLLI officers and members. Class leaders will be available for questions about their classes and to sign up participants.

This fall, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will offer more than 40 peer-led classes, including books and literature, movies and opera, science, history, languages, media, writing, field trips and more.

OLLI is also proud to offer the Great Decisions Discussion Program from the Foreign Policy Association. This class provides OLLI members with an opportunity to engage in thoughtful discourse about current foreign policy challenges facing Americans today. Topics for this year include Kenya, China, Russia, special envoys and global crisis.

An annual registration fee of $65 allows members to take as many classes as they want for the full academic year. It also covers a newsletter and general meetings with interesting speakers.

Classes begin on Tuesday, Sept.7 and end on Friday, Dec. 17, 2010. Most classes meet weekly, but some are shorter in duration.

More information, including a full schedule of classes, is available at the OLLI website: http://rce.csuchico.edu/osher.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSU, Chico is affiliated with the national network of Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, a network of lifelong learning institutes, designated and funded by The Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco.

For more information, please contact the OLLI office at 898-6679 or e-mail olli@csuchico.edu.

California State University, Chico is ranked sixth among regional public universities in the Western United States in the 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” from U.S. News & World Report magazine.

U.S. News & World Report’s regional category, known as master’s level last year, includes universities that offer undergraduate and master’s programs but few doctoral programs. The magazine rated 572 universities in four geographic regions in this category and 1,419 colleges and universities in the U.S. overall.

U.S. News publishes a top 10 list of regional public universities for each region. CSU, Chico was ranked sixth on the list last year and has made the list of top Western universities every year since 1998.

“The fact that Chico State is ranked among the top public universities in the West year after year speaks to the outstanding quality of our faculty, staff and students,” said CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg. “The Chico community and the North State can be proud of Chico State and how highly it is regarded by our peers and compared with other universities.”

Schools ranked above CSU, Chico in 2011 are unchanged from last year: Cal Poly, SLO (ranked 1), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (2), Western Washington (3), CSU, Long Beach (4) and Evergreen State College (5).

U.S. News rates schools based on peer school assessment, retention of students, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving rate and faculty resources, which includes factors such as class size, student-faculty ratio and proportion of professors with the highest degree in their fields.

The rankings of colleges and universities are available in the U.S. News & World Report magazine and at its Web site, www.usnews.com.

California State University, Chico will greet new and returning students this week with a series of events called Wildcat Welcome designed to help students feel connected to the campus and the greater Chico community.

Fall 2010 classes at CSU, Chico start Monday, Aug. 23.

Two highlights of the week, both on Friday, will be the Wildcat Student Welcome on the Kendall Hall lawn and the Wrectacular in the Wildcat Recreation Center.

President Zingg and other campus leaders will address new students and their parents at the Wildcat Student Welcome at 9:30 a.m. Friday. At 10 a.m., students will go to academic department meetings and parents will be invited to a reception in the newly renovated Student Services Center Plaza.

“We have always had an event introducing new students to Chico State and letting them know what a special place this is,” said Larry Bassow, coordinator of Wildcat Welcome. “This year we are adding some new events, and a few surprises, to make this week a real celebration.”

Wrectacular, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, will feature music, food, fun activities and free things from approximately 70 exhibitors representing local businesses, nonprofits and national companies.

Rick Scott, director of the Wildcat Recreation Center, said Wrectacular is modeled after Caltopia, a successful event hosted each year for students and the community by Cal Recreational Sports at UC Berkeley. “Even though this is our first year doing Wrectacular, I expect it to be very popular,” said Scott. “People who come over will have a great time.”

Other important events during Wildcat Welcome include orientation sessions for new students throughout the week and students moving into the residence halls Tuesday through Thursday.

CSU, Chico’s new Sutter Hall, opening this fall for the first time to student residents, will be the site of an ice cream social Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Sutter Courtyard.

For entertainment, Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of “Loveline” and “Celebrity Rehab,” will give a free talk and take questions Friday night, 7 p.m., in Laxson Auditorium. On Sunday night, the recreation center will host a Dive-in Movie at 8:30, where campus community members are invited to watch a movie in the pool on a space-available basis.

Bassow is particularly excited about an event Saturday, Aug. 21, called Lead Cat, where approximately 60 new students will attend a leadership training. “Summer Orientation staff have identified incoming students that show potential to be campus leaders,” Bassow said, “and so these students have been invited to a training that will let them hit the ground running.”

Bassow said Wildcat Welcome is bringing back a tradition from a number of years ago called University Days. Students will be encouraged with posters, buttons and coupons to go downtown and patronize local businesses.

For more information about Wildcat Welcome, and a schedule of all events, go to the website.

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Teacher PD-INC, a collaborative professional development project, recently funded through the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) for $1,010,000 will serve 120 teachers in the inland California region. Lead partners are Yuba City Unified School District and California State University, Chico. The three-year project is part of CPEC’s Improving Teacher Quality Program.

Teacher PD-INC is designed to assist teams of teachers, primarily from high-need schools, obtain professional development that will address a particular question or problem directly related to the teacher team’s classroom practice. The goal is to help the participating teachers make significant educational reforms that will increase student achievement in their classrooms and schools. Teacher teams will be recruited across grade levels and subject areas.

Project co-directors are Michael Kotar, Education; Julie Monet, Science Education and Geological and Environmental Sciences; and Karen Hackett Villalobos, director of the Tri-County Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Program. Additional partners are CSU, Fresno; CSU, San Bernardino; and CSU, Bakersfield, as well as BTSA programs near those CSU campuses.

Research into the effectiveness of teacher-driven professional development will be conducted simultaneously in collaboration with similarly funded projects at UC Davis/Humboldt State University, UCLA and UC Riverside.

“Teachers PD-INC and the entire Teacher Based Reform Initiative (T-BAR) is an exciting California-originated professional development approach,” said Kotar. “It recognizes teachers as professionals capable of making creative, data-supported choices to improve their practice and the overall education of their students. This grant has given us, and our partners, an opportunity to participate in a type of teacher professional development that we have long wanted to institute.”

“Often missing in more traditional models of professional development are tools for helping teachers to transfer their learning to their classroom practice,” said Monet. “T-BAR fellows will model the role of teacher as researcher, while they conduct action research on their proposed reform. The goal is to provide teachers with the tools to successfully continue modeling the learning experiences of the professional development long after the funding has ended.”

The inland region of California covers 33 counties from San Bernardino to Modoc and Siskiyou Counties.

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The Department of Economics, California State University, Chico, presents guest lecturer Robert Leeson, currently the Visiting Professor of Economics at Stanford University and a Hoover Institute Fellow, on Tuesday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. in Holt 170.

Leeson was appointed as an adjunct professor in the Notre Dame School of Business in 2008. His articles have appeared in a number of the world’s leading journals, including the Economic Journal, Economica, The Australian Quarterly and History of Political Economy.

Leeson was ranked 17th (jointly with Nobel Laureate Paul Samuelson) in the list of the world’s top 500 economists on the basis of the number of journal articles included in the ECONLIT database of the American Economic Association.

Milton Friedman made Leeson his de facto literary executor by granting permission to reproduce all his books, articles, correspondence and diary entries in “Milton Friedman’s Collected Writings.”

This lecture is free and open to the public.

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Pick-your-own-peaches at the University Farm, California State University, Chico, is anticipated to begin (depending on weather) on Aug. 23. This is several weeks behind the usual beginning of the season and a week behind first estimates. There are peaches picked by students that are ripe now and available at the farm office.

“We’ve had a cool summer,” said Dave Daley, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and University Farm administrator, “so the peaches are ripening almost three weeks late. People have been calling us since July to see when the peaches would be ready. Many have made it a family tradition and return year after year.”

Peach picking at the farm is open to the public and usually runs for three weeks, with several varieties ripening at various times. Red Haven peaches, picked by students, are ripe and available now. Three other freestone varieties, O’Henry, Fay Elberta and J. H. Hale, will be available for picking.

Picking will begin at 7 am, Monday through Friday, and end at noon. Ladders and picking buckets will be supplied by the farm, but pickers will need to bring their own transport containers. Agricultural students are available to answer questions and help where needed.

The peaches are $1 a pound when picked by customers and $1.25 a pound when picked by students. There is no limit on quantity. A certified scale is available to weigh the fruit.

Daley said that they are trying to schedule picking on at least one Saturday for those who can’t come during the week.

To verify that picking has begun, call the University Farm office at (530) 898-6343. The farm is located on Hegan Lane in Chico. Directions can be found at http://www.csuchico.edu/ag/farm/index.shtml.

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California State University, Chico’s Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) has received a LEED Gold rating from the Green Building Certification Institute for the facility’s sustainable and environmentally-conscious features.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides a standard of measurement and a framework for assessing green buildings in areas such as energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Among the features that helped the WREC achieve LEED Gold status were control of pollutants during construction, the use of natural light in the building and the installation of low-flow showerheads in the locker rooms.

WREC Director Rick Scott said the rating was expected but still very important to receive. “It demonstrates our commitment to sustainability,” he said. “People here are very excited to hear this news.”

Scott said there are not many university recreation centers with LEED Gold ratings. “We’ve had people from other campuses tour the WREC to see the facility, and they’re amazed at what we have to offer,” he said.

In June, the WREC retrofitted 25 of its 29 elliptical exercise machines so that users can generate electricity while they work out.

Other resource and energy saving features in the WREC include waterless urinals and a solar pool heater. Scott said the pool heater alone will save the WREC $80,000 to $90,000 a year in energy costs.

CSU, Chico students approved a fee supporting the WREC in a special election in 2005, and the facility opened in August 2009.

The WREC will have a big event Aug. 20, called “Wrectacular,” as part of the University’s Wildcat Welcome festivities for new and returning students.

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