Provost's Message - December 16, 2020

December 16th, 2020

Message From Provost Jersky

Best of Colleges

This year, a year like no other, we wanted to highlight the best of each college. In spite of the difficult circumstances, each college provided impactful resources, timely programming and key initiatives for their students, faculty and staff. Here are some examples of their amazing work.

 

College of the Arts

  • Graduated 78.2% of its 2014 cohort within 6 years (273/349) and retained (combination of those who graduated plus those who are still enrolled) 80% of their 2014 cohort (80.2%)
  • Cole Conservatory YouTube Channel: In 2020, the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music YouTube channel, CSULBMusic, hit over 2.5 million views. 
  • CSULB Film Students Win Big in First Year Competing in International Festival: CSULB students earned three medals in the international College Photographer of the year competition. The competition features more than 10,000 multimedia projects, entered by 569 student filmmakers from 129 colleges and universities in 29 countries. 
  • Carpenter Center Arts For Life Anti-Racism Efforts:  The Carpenter Performing Arts Center began a weekly Wednesday discussion series focused on “Learning How to be Anti-Racist.” 
  • 24 Hours Animation Contest: This year’s theme, “How this pandemic has affected you,” welcomed 197 participating teams from 64 colleges and high schools and 11 different countries with more than 20 companies providing prizes and sponsorships totaling well over $160,000. 
  • Kleefeld Museum Photovoice Project: In collaboration with Drs. Brian Trimble and Beth Manke, the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum hosted the online exhibition of hundreds of students submitted images and corresponding text, 
  • Virtual Dance Festival Premiered in Fall 2020: Twenty undergraduate students in the Dance 498 Senior Seminar class, with guidance from faculty member Rebecca Lemme and others, created a successful two-night virtual dance festival with a fully narrated audio description version of the concert. 

 

College of Business

  • Money Magazine recently named the COB as one of the top 50 Best Colleges for Business Majors. 
  • Current 4-year rate for COB is 42.6%
  • This fall, the COB inaugurated the Apostle Incubator and Enterprise Lab, a new program that aims to nurture entrepreneurship on campus by helping students to develop their business ideas, incubate them, and determine their viability.  
  • This fall, to address social justice, the College of Business helped communities of color through:  
    • Marketing Department classes focused on social media marketing began working with minority-owned small businesses in Long Beach this semester.  
    • The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program’s students will volunteer to help clients in underserved areas in spring 2021. 
    • The Student Center for Professional Development’s (SCPD) Community Scholars Program is arranging to mentor high school students in predominantly minority neighborhoods in spring 2021.  
    • COB will launch a pilot program in spring 2021 that aims to empower minority business owners by offering online education on critical business topics.
  • Long Beach Small Business Monitor (LBSBM) - This year, they surveyed Long Beach small businesses to quantify the severe impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on their revenue and workforce. LBSBM seeks to provide an understanding of the expectations and desires of small business owners. 
  • The Beach Investment Group celebrates 25 years in 2020. BIG offers students the opportunity to learn first-hand, how to manage a portfolio with real assets.
    The COB hosted its first annual finance symposium, BeachFinRising 2020, in September. This virtual event brought together industry leaders, students, and others, to discuss current investment trends and strategies. 

 

College of Education

  • Graduated 79% of its 2014 cohort within 6 years (49/32) and retained (combination of those who graduated plus those who are still enrolled) over 80% of their 2014 cohort (83.9%)
  • New Equity and Diversity Committee: promotes excellence through equity-minded behavior, practices, and interactions, including professional development and new academic programs.  
  • CSU Center to Close the Opportunity Gap: dedicated to closing equity and opportunity gaps across the state. Housed at CSULB and is led in partnership with three sister CSU campuses. 
  • Caminos Project: An effort to diversify the educator workforce by outreaching to Latinx teachers through professional development and single subject credential programs.  
  • EdTech & Equity Mini-Conference: This first-ever conference focused on exploring intersections between online learning, and educational equity. Sessions provided a space for teachers to share through an equity-minded lens. 
  • This Fall semester, 355 student teachers were placed in over 50 urban school districts and charter schools, despite the pandemic. 

 

College of Engineering

  • Retained 92.2% of its Fall 2019 class after 1 year. This is the highest first-year retention rate for the college of engineering FTF.
  • Dean's Commission on Equity, Diversity, and Racial Justice: Interim Dean Tracy Maples established the commission, comprising students, faculty, and staff to ensure an engineering education is within reach of all who desire it. 
  • 100+ Women Strong: This new COE giving campaign provides resources to attract, nurture, retain, support, and promote women in engineering and computing through mentoring, personal development, networking, and career assistance. A virtual conference will be held in March. 
  • Record Research Funding: COE faculty authored and co-authored over 150 technical publications in 2019 and were awarded 37 external grants and contracts for a total fresh fund of over $8.1 million, despite the challenges of the pandemic. 
  • Diversity & Retention Statistic Gains: Placed 9th for Hispanic students and 14th for minority students overall in Diverse Issues in Higher Education's annual rankings. In Fall 2020, 39.3 percent of COE students were Hispanic/Latino, 29.3 percent Asian-American, 19.1 percent female, and 2.6 percent African-American. 
  • STEM Signing Day: During this inaugural CSULB event, hosted by the Boeing Company, 45 students from area high schools committed to study engineering at CSULB. Additionally, these students have the opportunity to be mentored by Boeing engineers. 
  • CSU Faculty Innovation & Leadership Award: CSULB Biomedical Engineering Chair Shadnaz Asgari was among the 25 faculty and staff recipients of a CSU Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award (FILA).
  • Women in Computing Recognized: COE student organization Women in Computing has received the CSULB Student Life and Development Silver Award for new student organizations. WiC's mission is to build a community to uplift and facilitate the next generation of women in technology. 

 

College of Health & Human Services

  • Had the largest number incoming class from the 2020 cohort 
  • Enrolled the largest incoming transfer class in Fall 2020 
  • Graduated nearly 90% of its Fall 2016 transfer cohort in 4 years or less (88.9%).
  • COVID-19 Community Service Efforts: 
    • Students, staff, and faculty members from CHHS volunteered to help repair 805 N95 masks for essential workers while Fashion Design and Merchandising Students designed and created fashionable masks for community members.
    • The Beach Buddy Program was introduced in partnership with CAPS to offer students a way to connect with other students for emotional support and mental health resources. 
    • The Speech and Language Clinic was among the first programs in the region to fully transition to teletherapy. They use "Zoom Telehealth" to provide HIPAA compliant speech-language sessions online. 
      College Health Science, Health Care Administration, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and other CHHS alumni have played a critical role in the fight against coronavirus. 
  • Black Health Equity Collaborative in Long Beach: The City of Long Beach partnered with the CSULB Department of Health Science to promote black health equity. Mayor Garcia has allocated one million dollars to address dramatic health disparities in Long Beach, with Dr. Amber Johnson leading the collaborative efforts.
  • CHHS Academic Advising Center: The Center reached 12,320 students through drop-in hours, appointments, workshops, and class visits.
  • Second Cohort of SCAN Health Plan Scholarship Recipients: 10 CHHS students received $50,000 in scholarships to sustain a pipeline of future professionals in the aging services field. 
  • Project Rebound: Professor James Binnall spearheaded the effort to bring Project Rebound to campus. This is a state-wide organization that helps formerly incarcerated students transition from prison to graduation. 
  • CSULB is No 1. in the nation for awarding family and consumer sciences/human sciences degrees to Hispanic students, according to the recent "Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics” listing published in Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine. 

 

College of Liberal Arts

  • 38 students from the 2016 FTF cohort graduated in 3 years (5.5% 3 year graduation rate). This is the most the college has ever graduated in 3 years or less.
  • Over half of all 2016 FTF graduated in 4 years or less. This is the highest FTF 4-year graduation rate among all colleges.
  • Graduated over half of the Fall 2018 Entering Transfers cohort within 2 years (59.6%). This was the highest 2 year graduation rate for the 2018 cohort among all colleges.
  • CLA Graduate Studies: German MA students Dionne Agawu and Courtney Yamagiwa began the English Teaching Associate program in Austria with the Fulbright Association.
  • PhD: German: Elaine Chen, Harvard University; Luke Beller and Glen Gray, Johns Hopkins University; Philosophy: Burgandy Basulto, University of Wisconsin; History: Chloe Wilson, UCLA 
    Awards: Linguistics graduate student Kari Spector was CSULB's nominee for the distinguished Master's thesis award in the category 'Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, and Business', WAGS/ProQuest.  
  • Internship Programs: 626 students completed an academic internship at 300 different organizations and agencies. 
  • The CLA Internship Program partnered with the City of Long Beach to support Census 2020 efforts, placing four CLA Promise Students in internships.
  • Over 200 students have participated in virtual professional development workshops 
  • Black Lives Matter and CLA Courses: In light of the recent protests and statements in support of Black Lives Matter and other anti-racist organizing efforts, CLA is highlighting how its courses incorporate issues related to Black Lives Matter. 
  • Beach Forensics Team: Despite the virtual format, the Beach Forensics team demonstrates a strong season, with students consistently achieving top ten spots.
  • Achievements in Faculty Publications: Despite the challenges of the pandemic, CLA faculty have been active researchers, scholars, and creatives, contributing meaningfully to their disciplines and enrich their teaching content and methods.  

 

College of Natural Science and Mathematics

  • Retained over 90% of its Fall 2019 class after one year (90.6%). 
  • Take-home Lab Kits: Faculty and Staff in departments that offered lab classes constructed and delivered take-home lab kits before the Fall semester for students.
  • Shark Buddies, a CNSM Peer Mentoring program, was created for incoming freshmen. 
  • The Jensen SAS Center created a Peer Mentor program to introduce first-year students to effective study and time management, free tutoring services for all CNSM students. Peer Mentors work one-on-one with students in the Freshmen Scholars Learning Communities (FSLC), students in the NSCI 190-A course, and any CNSM student seeking assistance.
  • The Thrive Event Series: This year's theme was called “Strategies for Success: Online Learning.” 
  • Google Partnership: The Department of Physics & Astronomy partnered with Google Inc. to offer two full two-years Google Bridge Fellowships in the context of the IGEN APS Bridge Program. The Physics and Astronomy Department at CSU Long Beach is one of only 6 nationally funded Bridge Sites of the American Physical Society. 

 

College of Professional and International Education

  • Two new graduate programs launched: The Master of Science in Sustainability Management and Policy (MSSMP) and The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) program are now offered.
  • The Center for International Trade and Transportation (CITT) won a grant from the California State University Transportation Consortium to fund research on workforce development, including the impact of COVID-19. 
  • The first class of the Academy of Global Logistics (AGL) at Cabrillo High School graduated in June 2020. This program in partnership with the Port of Long Beach provides technical support, subject matter expertise for program development, and teacher training and support to students. 
  • CSULB’s American Language Institute (ALI) has developed a new online placement test for incoming degree students, to reduce barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  
  • CITT is piloting a 40-hour Sustainable Freight Foundations Certificate, designed to meet the expanding and changing job market as the California freight sector transitions to Zero Emission Vehicles. This course is in conjunction with the California Energy Commission and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). 
  • The CITT annual Town Hall meeting illustrated this year’s struggles of the industry and concluded with the annual presentation of their Domenick Miretti Award to Vivian Malauulu, a Long Beach Community College District Board President and local leader dedication to the community. 
  • CPIE’s department of Professional Programs and Workforce Development (OPWD) was recognized for their long-standing partnership in delivering Employment Training Panel (ETP) funded training with the South East Los Angeles County (SELACO) Workforce Investment Board.  

 

News

  • The Grunion Gazette: All About Gratitude

  • Join us for a conversation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, on Friday, Dec. 18, hosted by Chancellor Timothy P. White and featuring a Q & A with campus presidents. Watch the live stream from noon to 12:45 p.m. PDT. 

 

Academic Affairs News and Accolades

 

Grants and Gifts

Melawhy Garcia. Comprando Rico y Sano Eval 19. Center for Latino Community Health. CHHS. Unidos US. $13,899. 10/01/19 (October 2019 - November 2020). 

Melawhy Garcia. Eat, Play, Go! Healthy Families in Long Beach. Center for Latino Community Health. CHHS. USDA. $974,844. (November 2020 - November 2024).

Galen Pickett. Departamental Admissions Practices that Maintain Excellence and Diversity in the Face of Covid19. Physics and Astronomy. CNSM. Florida International University via American Physical Society. $7,857. (November 2020 - December 2021).

Cara Richards-Tutor. Measuring the Science Vocabulary of Latinx Students using Speech Recognition and automated scoring (MELVA-S). Advance Studies in Education and Counseling. CED. University of Texas at Austin via US Dept. of Ed. $27,460. (October 2020 - July 2021). 

Sabrina Alimahomed-Wilson. Matrix of Gendered Islamophobia: Muslim Women's Resistance and Social Justice Activism. Sociology. CLA. Association for the Sociology of Religion. $1,470. (September 2020 - December 2021).

Eun Jung Chae. High-Performance Air Sterilizer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HiPAS UAV). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. COEUC San Diego via NASA. $10,000. (November 2020 - December 2020). 

Adrea Balbas. Collaborative Research: Testing for large scale Hawaiian arch volcanism and associated magma sources. Geological Sciences. CNSM. NSF. $136,983. (December 2020 - August 2022). 

Laura Portnoi. MAESTRO's Cal State S4. CED Administration. CED. University Corporation at Monterey Bay via Us Dept of Ed. $1,331. (November 2020 - September 2021).

Laura D'Anna. Building Healthy Communities, Long Beach Evaluation. Center for Latino Community Health. CHHS. Community Partners. $25,500. (November 2020 - June 2021). 

 

 

Other News and Announcements​

 

Online Events

 

In Memoriam

George D. Demos, an Emeriti Faculty from the College of Business, has passed away. He will be remembered for his passion for teaching, and love for his students.

 

The next Provost’s Message will be Wednesday, January 20. Items for the upcoming message should be submitted by Friday, January 15 to aa-communication@csulb.edu. All submissions must include a hyperlink with a title.