News Releases

With yesterday’s passing of former Governor George Deukmejian, the state of California, the city of Long Beach and our campus lost a leader, a great public servant and a friend. He died in his Long Beach home at the age of 89.

Our campus benefited from more than his proximity to us. In addition to his visits, we also made great advances because of the vision, wisdom and generosity of the governor and his wife, Gloria. In the early 1990s, he served as voluntary chair for a fundraising committee to support our Disabled Student Services program, and in 2005 the couple donated $107,000 to establish the George and Gloria Deukmejian Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. He also was an inaugural member of the CSULB 49er Foundation, the board that promotes philanthropy and manages our endowment. And from an important historical/research standpoint, Long Beach State University became the home of the George Deukmejian Archives, which is located in our University Library. Dedicated in 2011, the collection encompasses more than 3,000 containers of documents covering his public service.

Today, Governor Deukmejian is being remembered by elected officials and other leaders for his dedication, an ability to make lasting friendships across the political aisle and his selfless service to the public. I echo those sentiments and thank him and his family – in particular, Gloria – for their support and friendship. We are a better Beach because of both of them.

In a comprehensive effort to bring together Long Beach State University alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends through its inaugural “Giving Day,” the campus was able to record gifts totaling more than $1.1 million from 1,550 donors.

“The generosity, the numbers of donors and the spirit of the day exceeded our expectations,” said Andrea Taylor, vice president for University Relations and Development. “Our goals were to connect with as many members of our Beach Family as possible, and we did that – we heard from alumni and friends from 43 states and two foreign countries. A related goal included increasing alumni and student participation. From that standpoint it was a big success – we had 230 student donors, which is significant when you consider the financial responsibilities that so many of them carry.”

Donors could give to any area of campus, four areas were highlighted – basic needs, Beach Fund, scholarships and Study Abroad, and gifts were accepted online throughout the day (March 15) and as well as at the on-campus Philanthropy Fair. Each of the initiatives benefited from individual as well as corporate gifts and matching challenges/gifts. These donors included SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, Associated Students Inc., the 49er Shops and alumni Kathleen Reams Hansen (1975, ’82) and Bob Summers (1983).

“The build-up through social media as well as the activities at the Philanthropy Fair raised awareness of the importance of giving and promoted the culture of philanthropy among our students, alumni, friends and campus employees,” Taylor said. “The university receives less than 28 percent of its funding from the state, making our fundraising effort important to help the campus maintain the level of excellence it has achieved. That was one of the most important messages that Giving Day allowed us to share.

“We began this effort saying, ‘If the entire Beach community came together for one day of giving, what can we do?’ Well, we’ve seen what we can do, and it is both gratifying and impressive.”

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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.

Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeff.Bliss@csulb.edu / 562-985-5109
 

WHAT: The annual CSULB Regional Economic Forum.

WHEN: 8-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 25.

WHERE: Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Seaside Ballroom, 300 E Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California 90802. (Map available here.)

WHY: The forum, led by Long Beach State University’s Department of Economics’ Office of Economic Research, provides attendees with insights into the economic challenges and opportunities facing the greater Long Beach region. The forum's presentations take a look at which sectors are succeeding as well as the state of the economy and its future possibilities.

WHO: Dr. Wade Martin, chairman of the campus' Department of Economics, organizes the forum. He can be reached at 562-985-5081.

NOTES: Long Beach State University President Jane Close Conoley will give the forum’s opening remarks. Registration for the event has closed (spots for members of the news media are still available).

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About the campus: Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility, and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.

About Propel L.A.: Through partnership with regional stakeholders, Propel L.A. "works to capture the power of many to propel economic impact and equity throughout L.A. County in ways that touch all residents. The group empowers organizations – as a connector and amplifier – to support their efforts to fulfill the goals and strategies of the 2016-20 Countywide Strategic Plan for Economic Development."

Two Long Beach College Promise alumni who participated in the “Reach Higher: Beating the Odds” Summit hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama on Thursday, March 17 in Washington, D. C. have returned to Southern California. Keyon Anderson and Dominique Vera, both of whom attended Long Beach Unified schools and graduated from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), spoke to summit attendees about the challenges they faced pursuing their education and how the city-wide initiative helped them to succeed.

The Long Beach College Promise, established in 2008, is a partnership among the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), Long Beach City College (LBCC), CSULB and the City of Long Beach to provide guidance and services to area students so they can move seamlessly from high quality early childhood education through high school, on to college and into the workforce. Support comes in the form of expanded access to preschool programs; college visits and college planning for elementary, middle and high school students; fee-free SAT testing; a tuition-free year at LBCC; guaranteed admission to CSULB for those who meet the eligibility requirements and more.

After a welcome by the First Lady and the Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, Ted Mitchell, Anderson participated on a panel moderated by Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, titled, “Beating the Odds, Changing the Odds - Life Stories”. He shared how his struggle to identify and then cope with his dyslexia severely affected his ability to achieve academically. It was through the attention of a caring teacher and the resources granted through the College Promise that Anderson gained the confidence and learning strategies he needed to go from feeling “disabled” to “abled” and earn a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from CSULB.

“National education leaders wanted to learn about how the Long Beach College Promise helped me and the importance of bringing similar initiatives to other cities and states,” said Anderson. “I’m hopeful that we are now not just talking about students beating the odds, but changing the odds.”

Later in the day, Anderson and Vera discussed their experiences during a breakout session titled, “The Principles in Practice: Case Studies”. Vera explained that as the daughter of hard working Ecuadorian immigrants raising two more daughters, paying for college was difficult. She believes the Long Beach College Promise gave her the first and second chances she needed to create a pathway toward a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – International Business from CSULB.

"The cost of a college education is a barrier many Americans face,” said Vera. “Speaking to the White House about how this initiative should be offered in every town is my way of helping every student achieve his or her dreams.”

Vera now works as a marketing and events specialist for Workbridge Associates in Los Angeles, while Anderson is the assistant director for the Long Beach California Student Opportunity and Access Program (CalSOAP). Anderson is graduating CSULB in May with a Masters in Social Work and will begin pursuing his doctoral degree in Education at the Rossier School of Education at USC in the fall.

Terri M. Carbaugh, who was tapped to lead a public engagement campaign for the Long Beach College Promise and serves as CSULB’s lead spokesperson and governmental relations representative, accompanied the two College Promise alumni on their trip to the nation’s capital.

“Keyon and Dominique are just two examples of the hundreds of students who have successfully moved through the Long Beach College Promise program,” said Carbaugh. “They were able to explain to education leaders in a way that others cannot just what bringing this initiative to other parts of the country can do for future students.”

You can find out more information about the Long Beach College Promise at: www.longbeachcollegepromise.org.

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NOTE: Photos and broll are available upon request.

About California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly-valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally-minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. CSULB values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.

When Long Beach State University’s Sistahs-On-Campus opened its recent art exhibit, “Nevertheless she persisted…,” the group celebrated the consecutive Black History and Women’s History months by spotlighting African-American women’s contributions to the campus and community.

The “Nevertheless she persisted…” exhibit featured photographic portraits and the inspirational quotes of honorees nominated by SOC for contributions to the campus in a variety of areas, including the community and athletics.

“The individuals featured in the exhibit were selected from a long list of women who have made contributions to the campus, and we’re excited to have been able to put on such an amazing event that celebrates both Black History and Women’s History months,” communications coordinator/career advisor Terri Armstrong said. “Sistahs-On-Campus plans to make the exhibit an ongoing event so that all of those women – some well-known, some unknown, some in memoriam and some currently on campus – can be recognized for their contributions.”

According to Armstrong, the 100-person-strong group was established in 2016 to create a network of support and empowerment for Long Beach State University staff who identity within the spectrum of the African diaspora.

“The group’s goals are simply to connect with new and current staff on campus and to share information on campus happenings and upcoming events,” she said. “We hope that our efforts help foster a welcoming climate for staff of color.”

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About the campus: Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2018) – Officials have cleared the Engineering buildings affected by Tuesday’s fire at California State University, Long Beach. All Engineering complex buildings will be open for business at their regular times on Wednesday morning (Feb. 28), and classes will resume as scheduled. The Engineering complex includes the following buildings: EN2, EN3, EN4, ECS and VEC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2018) – At approximately 1:23 p.m. today, the Engineering complex at California State University, Long Beach was safely evacuated following a fire on the first floor of the Engineering and Computer Science Building (ECS). First responders arrived quickly. The fire was immediately extinguished, and its cause is under investigation.

All classes held in an Engineering complex building are cancelled for the remainder of the day. The Engineering complex includes the following buildings: EN2, EN3, EN4, ECS and VEC.

Only the ECS building remains physically closed. If you need to retrieve personal property from the ECS building, contact University Police at (562) 985-4101.

To find out when classes are scheduled to resume, please visit the University Police homepage at:
https://www.csulb.edu/university-police or follow @CSULBPolice and/or @csulbNewsHub on Twitter.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2018) – Long Beach State University has been awarded a $442,000 subgrant from the California State University Foundation to support the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program. The fellowship is described as the “centerpiece” of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s initiative to increase diversity in the faculty ranks of U.S. colleges and universities, helping underrepresented students rise to the highest academic levels.

“Undergraduate research is a priority for our campus and is integral to our strategic plan,” President Jane Close Conoley said. “We are grateful for the Mellon Foundation’s generous support of humanities students through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program.”

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate fellowship prepares students to succeed in the humanities by supporting their path through undergraduate education, graduate school and ultimately full professorships. It allows students to engage in research while simultaneously removing financial barriers, enabling students to devote themselves to academic training.

Guided by principal investigator Angela M. Locks, the fellowship program’s focus will include financial support, mentoring, student support networks, rigorous undergraduate research opportunities and graduate school preparation. The leadership team also includes Daniel O’Connor, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Margaret Black, associate dean of the College of the Arts. Mariah Proctor-Tiffany, College of the Arts faculty member and scholar of the history of medieval and Islamic art, will serve as the faculty coordinator and Elizabeth Nuñez as the program coordinator.

Each year, the campus will select four new fellows from applicants in the rising junior class. The newly selected cohort of fellows will join previous cohorts as they prepare for entry into doctorate programs and eventual careers as scholars and faculty members.

Leveraging the strength of the California State University system, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded the CSU Foundation more than $2.2 million. Funding was also awarded to other CSU campuses, including Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Los Angeles and San Bernardino, creating a consortium of Southern California campuses for a greater impact on the region.

Visit here to learn more about Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and eligibility.

Inaugural undergraduate fellows will be selected during the Spring 2018 term. All fellows will work with a member of the faculty on humanities research projects, participate in a summer research program with other fellows across the CSU consortium and continue their research activities during their final two years.

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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2018) – Long Beach State University was named among the top 100 public colleges and universities in the 2018 Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges rankings, which also cited its low “average debt at graduation” – $15,165.

“We are always proud to be included in Kiplinger’s rankings,” President Jane Close Conoley said. “This listing further underscores the fact that our graduates receive a world-class education, and that they do so without shouldering many of the financial burdens that other college students face today. I am pleased that the results of focusing on opportunity and access are recognized.”

The full rankings are now available online at kiplinger.com/links/colleges and appear in print in the February 2018 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. Introduced in 1998, the rankings combine public schools, private universities and private liberal arts colleges into a single, comprehensive list. Kiplinger also ranks the 100 best values in each category. The analysis is based on objective measurements of academic quality and affordability.

“Our rankings, which weigh affordability alongside academic quality, are a great resource for students and their parents when sorting through college choices,” said Mark Solheim, editor of Kiplinger’s magazine. “We start with a universe of nearly 1,200 schools. We then rank [them] based on cost and financial aid data.”

At Kiplinger.com, visitors have access to the “Find the Best College for You” tooland other resources that let readers sort by admission rate, average debt at graduation and other criteria for all schools, plus in-state and out-of-state cost for public colleges. Also online: archives of past years’ rankings and an FAQ on the ranking methodology.

Six public California universities were listed ahead of Long Beach State University’s No. 70 in the overall nationwide ranking: UC Berkeley (No. 5), UCLA (No. 6), UC San Diego (No. 20), UC Santa Barbara (No. 22) and UC Irvine (No. 26). Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (No. 27) and San Diego State (No. 87) were the only other California State University campuses in the top 100.

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About the campus:Long Beach State University is a teaching-intensive, research-driven university committed to providing highly valued undergraduate and graduate degrees critical for success in the globally minded 21st century. Annually ranked among the best universities in the West and among the best values in the entire nation, the university’s eight colleges serve more than 37,500 students. The campus values and is recognized for rich educational opportunities provided by excellent faculty and staff, exceptional degree programs, diversity of its student body, fiduciary and administrative responsibility and the positive contributions faculty, staff, students and more than 300,000 alumni make on society.

About Kiplinger:For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation's first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation's first personal finance magazine.

Vice President of Student Affairs Carmen Taylor on Sunday issued the following communication to students:

Dear Students,

University Police today issued a timely warning to alert the campus community about a suspicious man who followed a student into a residence hall. He then engaged in inappropriate behavior and fled the area. Our student is working with the authorities to help identify the individual in question.

If you have not seen the timely warning, please take a minute to review it here. The warning contains information on how you can take steps to protect yourself and assist police in bringing the suspect in for questioning.

Your safety and academic progress are my top priorities. This incident serves as a reminder of the need to be mindful of your surroundings. Should you become uncomfortable or fearful, please remove yourself from the situation and report suspicious behavior to police. Additionally, never allow a stranger to follow you into a residence or locked hall.

Anyone with information about this reported incident is encouraged to contact UPD Detectives by telephone at (562) 985-4101, or if you wish, provide information through the UPD Tip line at (562) 986- 5131.

To learn more about steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe, click here.

Respectfully,

Carmen TaylorVice President Student Affairs

As president of Long Beach State University, I have seen firsthand how the decision to end the DACA program (unless Congress acts) is causing unnecessary anxiety for the more than 1,000 hard-working Dreamers at our campus. Read more.