Camarillo, Calif., Sept. 15, 2008—California State University Channel Island President Richard R. Rush placed an emphasis on the importance of partnerships in the University’s present success and future plans during his address to the University’s staff and administrators on Sept. 10.
Rush looked upon an audience that included members of each of the University’s divisions—Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, University Advancement, and Finance & Administration—and acknowledged the roles of division employees in the operation of the University.
“I speak to you this morning as essential partners in the creation of this University. Everyone here plays a significant leadership role in enabling us to be a special place because each of your responsibilities is necessary for us to excel,” he said.
The President explained that the partnerships that exist within the boundaries of the 826-acre campus provide the foundation for the University’s partnerships with others in the community, state, nation, and world.
“The learning success of children in our communities is said to be inferior to that of other countries, according to this survey and that. More appalling is the observable dropout rate which we experience along the pipeline of educational opportunity, seemingly more of a sieve than a pipe,” Rush said.
Recently, Rush accepted the chairmanship of the Ventura County Regional P-16 Council, which has the mission of increasing the number of college-bound students in the county and reducing the achievement gap of minority and low-income students. Rush, along with Chris Kimball, President of California Lutheran University, and James Meznek, Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District, will be partners in an outreach effort to area primary and secondary schools to encourage students to pursue higher education.
“It is my intention to involve all those organizations and institutions with a special or vested interest to work in a collaborative long-term effort with us to ameliorate an unacceptable loss of human potential,” Rush explained.
Continuing with theme of partnerships, Rush spoke of the early plans for conducting a feasibility study for a possible performing arts complex at the University. Partnerships the past year with the Rubicon Theatre have evolved into conversations about creating a theatre space on campus and in the community and how to maximize the venue’s potential for the entire region. The idea of partnerships and developing facilities to be used by the University and the communities surrounding the campus also is being applied to the discussions of an athletic and recreation complex.
Acknowledgement of the state’s budget stalemate was made in regard to the difficulty it is creating for the University’s planning purposes. Without a budget in place, there is no way for those who work in any of the University’s divisions to plan for the upcoming years. The outcome of the budget will dictate the growth of the University, from the most obvious—the number of students who can enroll and the number of academic programs that are available to them, to the long-term projects that will enhance the day-to-day campus operations.
On a brighter note, Rush applauded the work of staff members that has earned state and national recognition. Most recently the overall design of the renovated dining commons was recognized and praised in American School & University magazine; Santa Cruz Village was named as a “Dorm of Distinction” by University Business Magazine; an exterior lighting project in the South Quad earned an award for sustainability at a recent University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges sustainability conference; and CSUCI was among nine of the 23 California State University selected for inclusion in the Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities.
“Our reputation continues to grow across the region and the state,” Rush said. “…Ours is the responsibility to engage and to take our place beside that special company of universities which have been pathfinders and visionaries. Why? Because we expect it of ourselves, because our students and those we serve expect it of us, and because, as students are fond of saying, ‘We are CI.’”
The University has approximately 350 full-time employees, 89 tenure-track faculty members, and more than 200 lecturers. This semester nearly 3,500 students are enrolled and 800 are living in student residence halls on campus.
For media inquiries about President Rush’s address contact Ceal Potts, Communication Specialist at CSUCI, 805-437-8940 or cecilia.potts@csuci.edu.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.