Accolades

• Julie O’Donnell, CSULB professor of social work who assists Stevenson-YMCA Community School in Long Beach in planning and evaluating its programs, was among the Stevenson team honored with a Coalition for Community Schools’ inaugural National Award for Excellence. Awards went to three schools and three communities who have “demonstrated excellence in their efforts to fulfill the vision and mission of a community school.”

• Diverse Issues in Higher Education recently ranked Cal State Long Beach sixth in the nation in conferring bachelor’s degrees to students of color. The ranking was part of the magazine’s 2006 special report on the “Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producers,” a list of the best minority degree producers among United States higher education institutions. It is the only national report on the ability of U.S. colleges and universities to award degrees to African-American, Latino, Asian-American and American Indian students.

• The United States Department of Education selected CSULB as one of 33 Hispanic-serving colleges and universities to share in grants totaling more than $20.5 million. CSULB’s $574,995 grant will improve the academic attainment of Hispanic and low-income students. Funds may be used for student support services, academic facilities and equipment, and faculty and academic program development. A Hispanic-serving institution is defined as having at least 25 percent Hispanic full-time equivalent enrollment of whom at least 50 percent are low income.

• The university’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program received a $139,411 grant through the Song-Brown program administered by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Aimed at encouraging program graduates to practice in designated underserved areas of California, it was one of 12 grants worth $1.35 million announced by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

• The L.A. Drama Critics Circle honored the California Repertory Company, affiliated with CSULB’s master of fine arts program in theatre arts, with its Polly Warfield Award for an excellent season in a small to mid-size theater. The award recognized the quality of Cal Rep’s 2005 offerings that included “The Cider House Rules, Parts I & II” and its original adaptation of the poet Charles Bukowski’s writings in “Love, Bukowski,” which also was nominated for Best Ensemble Performance and Best Adaptation.

• CSULB’s Department of Journalism was selected as the home base for the Southern California News Council (SCNC), an independent, non-profit organization to promote trusted journalism by investigating accuracy and fairness complaints against news outlets. Announced by the Minnesota and Washington News Councils in June, the SCNC at CSULB received a $75,000 startup grant given by the Washington and Minnesota councils from funds provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

• The Freeman Foundation awarded CSULB a $368,158 grant to address the urgent need for credentialed Chinese language teachers in California schools. “A recent survey found that 2,400 schools across the nation intend to offer Chinese language courses, and the introduction of Chinese AP courses in 2006 will only increase the demand for qualified instructors. Yet, nationwide, only a few programs to train Chinese language instructors currently exist,” said Professor Tim Xie of Asian and Asian American studies.

• Associated Students Inc. celebrated its 50th anniversary of providing a student voice within Cal State Long Beach governance. Founded in 1956, ASI now oversees an $8.8 million budget and an array of activities, including the University Student Union, AS Recycling Center, Soroptimist House, Isabel Patterson Child Development Center and recreational sports, in addition to supporting numerous campus clubs and organizations.