Current Vol. 7 No. 4

The Future Is Now

A year of historic firsts culminated just a few weeks ago with the inaugural commencement at California State University Channel Islands. The ceremony marked a milestone for this University and also symbolized the tremendous effort made by so many people that led us to this point in our journey. This was a year filled with great progress and many notable accomplishments. We made tremendous strides in the further development of our curriculum, recruited additional highly qualified faculty and staff, and remained on target with major construction projects such as the Science Building, scheduled to be completed in just a few weeks. Work has also begun on the first student-housing complex and will reach completion in the fall of 2004. As with many new endeavors, this was also a year of challenges. When we opened our doors last August, no one could have foreseen that within months the world would be involved in a major armed conflict. This event affected many Ventura County families, including those from the CSU Channel Islands community, as loved ones were suddenly deployed half a world away. Here at home, we have prepared for the impact the state budget may have on institutions of higher learning throughout California. Key University volunteers and I have traveled to Sacramento to visit with our legislators. We have stressed that it is imperative that we maintain adequate levels of funding. With the struggling economy, we will likely be sought out by great numbers of students in the coming years. Students will be searching for the highest quality education possible, but it must be affordable and accessible. So as issues swirl around us, many of which may be out of our control, our job is to stay deeply focused on our mission. It is incumbent upon us to build on the educational foundation that has been laid in recent years, first by CSUN and now by the dedicated faculty and staff of CSUCI. So we pause for a moment to relish the accomplishments that were celebrated on May 23rd, and with great enthusiasm we now look to the future. With clear anticipation, we now set our sights on and direct our efforts toward the fall of 2003 as we prepare to greet thousands of students ready to learn and eager to excel, including the first freshman class of California State University Channel Islands.