Goals for CSUN: Strive for Excellence, Serve the Community

After nearly three decades of service in higher education--first as a faculty member, then an administrator and now as a university president--I remain more convinced than ever of one thing: A university campus such as Cal State Northridge must be the most splendid place in the world.

Where else does one find such opportunities to awaken the joys of intellectual discovery, to harness the energies that will help shape our future and, just as importantly, to use this vast resource of knowledge and talent for the enrichment of the surrounding community?

Though sometimes obscured by the storms of the moment, this truly is the exciting work that is undertaken every day at the university. It is the opportunity to pursue these goals that drew me to seek the presidency of this institution, the main higher education resource for our region.

Far more than a 353-acre collection of classrooms, buildings and facilities, CSUN must be the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley region and serve as a bright light of educational opportunity for local residents.

For all these reasons, the university is a public asset that deserves to be treasured by its community. I am honored to have been chosen to help safeguard, nurture and enhance this institution as its fourth president. These duties I assume with great enthusiasm, optimism and honor.

In the months since my November appointment by the Cal State University Board of Trustees, I have had a wonderful opportunity to delve deeper into the rich mosaic that is the university, meeting with faculty, staff, students and community members. You are the lifeblood of the institution.

Just from these early encounters, I have emerged with a strong sense of the quality, diversity and depth of the university’s endeavors. In truth, the university is so large--with 28,000 students, nearly 4,000 employees, nine colleges and about 50 academic departments--it is an awesome challenge just to comprehend its impact.

In our academic programs, we prepare society’s future professionals--our teachers, therapists and performers, our scientists, engineers, executives and others--graduating about 5,000 a year. Through the learning process, our students also greatly give back to the community as volunteers, interns and such.

But it doesn’t stop there. Our faculty members also provide important research and consulting expertise, from helping track the region’s shifting ethnicity to working with local business owners on economic initiatives. Then there are the university’s vast cultural and artistic offerings available throughout the year.

As president of CSUN, an important facet of my job will be to help the broad community come to a greater understanding of the university’s reach and impact. And, likewise, we in the university family must help the institution become more responsive to the needs of its community.

One of my most important goals is to develop expanded university-community connections. Like most other CSUs, CSUN is a regional institution, and its programs will continue to reflect the economic, social and cultural needs of this unique region.

Having spent my professional life on university campuses, I also have a deep and abiding belief in the transforming power of higher education. I see that power every day in the lives of our students and in my own life too, where I was the first person in my family to attend a university.

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Thus, another of my priorities in the years ahead will be ensuring that the university provides the most access possible to higher education for the residents of our region, regardless of their background. A Cal State education remains one of the most affordable and high-quality university programs anywhere in the United States.

But to maximize our value, we will have to explore some new approaches in the future, such as expanding state-supported (low-fee) summer programs, offering more courses during nontraditional times or for different lengths than the traditional semester, and enhancing our use of technology. In pursuing these and other objectives, we will be building on the important progress already made in prior years under former President Blenda J. Wilson and, during the past year, by interim President Louanne Kennedy, who has been an exceptional leader and friend to me during the recent transition period.

These are certainly exciting times around the campus. A more than $400-million recovery from the 1994 Northridge earthquake is nearly complete, enrollment demand is strong, and we expect to receive a very positive 10-year reaccreditation of the university’s programs.

Now in its 42nd year, the university is still young, vital and developing. We will never be perfect. But with the dedication of our students, faculty and staff, the good will of our more than 130,000 alumni and the support of our many friends, we will continue to serve our community and ever strive for excellence.