Spring 2023

CEIE Renamed College of Continuing and Professional Education

The former College of Extended and International Education has been renamed the College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) after a collaborative process with internal and external stakeholders.

The name change, approved in August 2022, was prompted by the wider university’s strategic focus on cultivating lifelong learning to support students’ personal and professional development, as well as the transition of all university international education programs under the Division of Academic Affairs.

“The College of Continuing and Professional Education title is durable and sustainable for the long term,” Dean J. Kim McNutt said. “It is also consistent with the college’s mission of upskilling and reskilling the South Bay workforce through relevant, timely, and affordable education and training programs. CCPE is excited to embark on our next phase and build on our legacy at CSUDH.”

Since its establishment as a college in 2004, CCPE has delivered educational growth and career development for the South Bay region. CCPE now serves 12,000 students annually through its dynamic range of online and in-person programs, including certificate, credential, and individual courses, as well as customized programs for organizations through the Center for Training and Development.

Visit CCPE

CSUDH Launches New Filipino American Digital Archive

In March 2022, leaders of the Filipino community and local dignitaries joined CSUDH faculty and representatives of the university’s Gerth Archives and Special Collections to celebrate the launch of the CSUDH Filipino American Digital Archive. The event doubled as a chance for members of the local Filipino American community to bring in their own materials to add to the archive.

“With Greater Los Angeles being home to the third-largest population of Americans with Filipino ancestry in the United States, this new archive is an important addition to the Gerth Archives’ growing list of special collections that document, preserve, and make accessible the histories of the many cultures and people in the South Bay region,” said Gerth Archives Director Greg Williams.

CSUDH Assistant Professor of Asian-Pacific Studies Mary Talusan Lacanlale said the community was the impetus behind establishing the new digital archive. “Several years ago, members of Filipino American organizations in Carson approached Greg Williams and I about creating an archive to document the important work of the community in our area,” she recalled.

Lacanlale, Williams, and the staff at the Gerth Archives agreed and got to work setting up a database with initial contributions by local Filipino leaders. Community members are invited to bring their own photos, videos, meeting notes of organizations, and any other material they would like to submit to be preserved for safekeeping in the archives.

Among the first contributors to the archives were Florante Ibanez, author of Filipinos in Carson and the South Bay, and Linda Nietes-Little, founder of the Philippine Expressions Bookshop in San Pedro and an icon of the Filipino American community. Ibanez donated boxes of his photos, newsletters, and other collected items, and Nietes-Little donated memorabilia along with a collectible copy of Carlos Bulosan’s America is in the Heart.

Going Far Together

CSUDH Launches New Strategic Plan

The university’s new strategic plan was launched in March 2022. The wide-ranging plan positions CSUDH as a socially just, equitable, and inclusive model urban university, and will serve as a blueprint for the university over the next eight years. The title, “Going Far Together,” reflects how collectivism supports a learning environment in which everyone can thrive—an overarching theme woven throughout the document.

That sense of collective effort established the foundation of the strategic planning process itself, said Dean of Students Matt Smith, who, along with Dean of Undergraduate Studies Kim Costino, co-chaired the Strategic Planning Steering Committee that created the new plan.

“We were adamant about wanting this to be a collaborative process, and taking the time we needed to incorporate the voices of students, staff, faculty, our community members, alumni, local businesses, and educational institutions. We were really proud to include them,” said Smith in thanking the many campus partners, consultants, and volunteers whose input shaped the plan.

The March 3 kickoff event was nearly two years in the making. Despite some pandemic-induced delays, the process moved ahead in earnest Spring 2021 through a series of virtual focus group meetings with the campus community and external stakeholders. Attendees shared their views on what defines CSUDH, the university’s strengths and potential opportunities, and what CSUDH will need to achieve its promise.

“What came through very loudly and clearly from the beginning is the campus’ commitment to its history rooted in social justice and equity,” said Costino as she and Smith presented the strategic plan’s key themes, which are grounded in diversity, community, excellence, and sustainability.

The five strategic themes are:

Thriving Students
Thriving Educators
Equitable Access
Culture of Care
Pillar of the Community

Each strategic theme includes a commitment statement, one or more goals, and a list of key activities to help achieve the themes’ goals.

“Collectively, the [key themes], along with the strategic commitments they support, are designed to reveal how we will intentionally work together to fulfill our vision of becoming a model urban metropolitan university,” Costino and Smith noted in their co-chairs statement in the plan.

President Thomas A. Parham praised Going Far Together for how it “articulates and reveals who we are at the core of our being.”

“You should see yourself reflected in these pillars,” he added. “This plan is unique to Dominguez Hills and represents the heart of what our campus aspires to be. The work is just beginning.”

Strategic Plan Website

ACEJMC Accreditation

Journalism Program Earns ACEJMC Accreditation

The CSUDH journalism program has earned a six-year accreditation by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC), the primary educational association of journalism and mass communication educators, students, and media professionals.

The multi-year effort was spearheaded by Nancy Cheever, professor and former chair of the CSUDH Communications Department. “My primary goal was to do it for the students, because it’s going to mean a lot for their success,” she said.

“Being able to put on your resume that you graduated from an accredited program is huge. It’s going to allow our students to get into better internships and get better jobs. It will also provide some prestige for our program, and hopefully will attract more students.”

“This accomplishment is yet another sign that our university’s academic core continues to improve and get stronger. It is a testament to the hard work and excellence of Dr. Cheever, the faculty, and her entire team,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham.

Staff of the student-run newspaper gathered at table.

“Earning ACEJMC accreditation here at DH is a game-changing moment,” added Tim Caron, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “This affirms the exceptional work that is being done by our faculty and students in the journalism program. In the current moment, there are few things more important than training high-quality journalists who are committed to fact-based inquiry and telling stories from diverse perspectives. I could not be prouder of our faculty and students for earning this distinction.”

ACEJMC’s accreditation process can often take several years and involves an in-depth self-assessment of a program and the development of short-term and long-term strategic planning to achieve and maintain the accreditation standards.

“The ACEJMC report was very positive,” said Cheever. “They found us compliant on all nine standards, which is very rare for a program getting its accreditation for the first time.”

The council voted unanimously to accredit CSUDH’s journalism program at their general meeting in Chicago, Ill., during the last week of April 2022. The accreditation will last a full six years.

“It was a lot of work, but we did it,” said Cheever. “The ACEJMC loves what we are doing with our curriculum and our program, which is wonderful.”

Students Approve New Health, Wellness, And Recreation Center

Student Approved

Students approve new Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center.

In April 2022, CSUDH students voted on a referendum to help fund a new on-campus Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center. The initiative passed, with 53% of Toros voting in support of raising student fees to invest in the proposed facility.

The four-story, 83,000-square-foot center will house basketball and volleyball courts, a rock-climbing wall, cardio workout equipment, an elevated jogging track, a dance studio, gender-inclusive locker rooms, and office space.

The facility will also include a satellite psychological services and mental health center, satellite student health center, healthy eating and nutritional counseling center, and stress-reduction and relaxation room. Funding for the $85 million project will come from the state of California (which has pledged a $20 million down payment), philanthropic contributions, and student fees.

After the successful vote, Vice President for Student Affairs William Franklin said, “This center will serve as a venue for education, where users develop positive self-esteem, enhance their social relationships, and build unique opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and community.”

In preparation for the referendum, Franklin and several student leaders traveled to student health centers across the CSU system to gain a better understanding of how such a space will impact the university.

Katrina Felipe (BA, ’22) was among the students who went on the fact-finding mission. “Being an integral part of the referendum meant a great deal to me because of the incredibly beneficial impact it will have on our campus,” she said. “Students will finally have a place on campus where they can focus on their physical, mental, and emotional health.”

The student referendum will raise the Student Body Center Fee by $215 per semester, and will be implemented once the facility is up and running. The project is scheduled for completion by Fall 2026.

More details about the project are available on the Health, Wellness, and Recreation Center page.