Under the Economic Knife: CSU’s Taking Deep Cuts

It’s no secret that education systems nationwide have taken some of the deepest cuts with the downturn of the economy. Protests have spurred from coast to coast amongst both students and teachers rallying against the draining of funds to our schools, which appears to have no end in sight.

    Email after email, students have been informed of the ‘possible’ increases in tuition that are to come with each new semester. Unfortunately most of these warnings have become a harsh reality, and students and teachers alike are feeling the impact.

    Just last Wednesday, students received news that a 32 percent increase in tuition may come into effect for the upcoming school year of 2011-2012. This decision was made by Cal State University officials as a way to prepare for a possible $1 billion cut in state funding to the 23-campus CSU system. President F. King Alexander told the Daily 49er in an interview that with such a significant cut there may be discussions to close California’s smallest CSU campuses.

    With so much already weighing in on students today, news of these rising costs have left many frustrated and some discouraged. Psychology major, Aimen Khouraki has been trying to get into an impacted biology course since he started a year ago. “I registered as soon as I could for the summer session and I am still wait-listed as 44th on the list,” Khouraki says, “and since they won’t open a new session I guess I have no other choice but to keep trying until I get in.”

    With classes already scarce and departments already so impacted, a prospective $68 million state cut to CSULB would undoubtedly mean even more reductions in classes and services for students and severe limitations for students seeking admission into the university.

    CSU's have already suffered dramatic reductions to their budget since the downfall of the economy. For 2009-2010, the state reduced the CSU budget by $57.1 million. The CSU Chancellor’s Office apportioned $44 million of that to CSULB. This led to $4.5 million in mandatory cost increases associated with health benefits, utilities, faculty salary programs, and new space adjustments. In total, CSULB’s budget problem was over $54 million. Academic Affairs was affected by a loss of $3.1 million due to enrollment downsizing as classes were eliminated and part-time faculty reduced.

Graph showing the rise in CSU tuition since 2001.
Taken from Daily49er.com

    It is not students alone who are upset by the reductions, as faculty and staff have also had to compromise their own workloads and take on classes so full at times students can barely find an open seat.

    “Instructors have had to rotate as student advisers since we cannot afford to have our own advisers in the department anymore,” said Karadjov, who is a Professor and Adviser in the Department of Journalism. 

    The protest, held on campus April 13, expressed these frustrations and concerns as nearly 500-600 faculty members and students gathered near the campus bell tower.

Faculty and staff members spoke to the enthusiastic crowd and encouraged students that it is their right to receive fair and affordable education.

    Protestors then marched on to Brotman Hall chanting slogans such as, "hey-hey ho-ho, budget cuts have got to go" and "they say cut back, we say fight back!"

These and many other students have expressed their concern and gathered at campuses nationwide to protest that cuts be taken from executives and administrators rather than faculty and staff, and that tuition not be increase.

Psychology major, Amanda Collings mentioned how glad she is to be graduating this year while looking on at the rally. “I think that I was lucky to get into the school when I did and I’m happy to be getting out when I am. "Tuition just keeps getting higher and higher and I feel sorry for everyone who is still here and still trying to get in.”

Students and teachers gather in protest at the CSULB bell tower.
Photo taken by Brittany Hays

    Right now the $500 million reduction proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown depends on the extension of three state taxes. If these taxes are not extended, CSULB will most likely face the $68 million dollar cut.

    President F. King Alexander told the Daily 39er that such a cut could ultimately result in the elimination of 5,600 courses and course sections, state funding for 13,300 students and a job reduction of 535 CSULB staff.

    In a nation that places such high value on higher education, it is still one of the first to be cut when the economy is struggling. It is difficult to ensure a prosperous future for our country, if the ones who will potentially be leading it can barely afford to make ends meet. With rising gas prices, high unemployment and rising tuition, today’s students are facing more pressures than ever before.

    Although we may not be able to turn the economy around, we still have a voice as generations of students before us, and by standing up for our rights we are at least one step closer to progress and change than we are doing nothing. At the end of the day, struggling students just have to remind themselves that that hard earned diploma will all be worth it.

Psi Chi - Behind Psych Day 2011

Psych Day 2011
Photo taken by Brittany Hays

On Wednesday, April 27th the Psychology Department held its annual Psych Day, an event intended to foster and generate student enthusiasm for psychology. Activities for the day included poster contests, guest lectures, workshops, graduate school fairs and games.

The event is held every year during spring semester through Psi Chi, an international honor's society within the psychology department. Membership in Psi Chi offers students the opportunity to network with other peers in the field and helps to promote member research in psychology. It is an earned honor to be a member of Psi Chi, and requires selection based upon criteria determined by the National organization. These include:

• 12 semester units in Psychology
• Status as a Psychology major or minor
• An overall GPA of at least 3.0 for all college-level courses
• Psychology GPA of at least 3.4 (in the Psych major)
• One time processing fee of $60 (Dues are spent according: $45 for lifetime national membership, $5 for Long Beach Chapter, $10 for the chapter activity fund)

Psi Chi welcomes psychology students
Photo taken by Brittany Hays

Psi Chi is also recognized by the United States government as meeting one of the requirements for entrance at the G5-7 level in the Federal Service. (G5-7 stands for a grade level along the Federal Government pay system.)

Christina Siu, Psi Chi President at CSULB, says that Psych Day is the biggest even that Psi Chi holds each year. She has been an active member in the society for four years, and president for a year. Responsible for club management, scheduling and directing activities, Siu says that she has surprised herself in gaining this title. "I've always been the more quiet and timid type, and would have never thought I would be a president of a society," she says. "Although there are a lot of responsibilities and have definitely been challenges, I feel that the challenges that I have faced have really helped me grow."

"Being part of a society helps you to meet and network with other people in your field and gain experience that can really make a difference," Siu says.

Psi Chi accepts applications for membership online once every Fall and Spring semester. To find out more please visit https://sites.google.com/site/psapsichi/join-psichi. The deadline for accepting applications is Oct 15th, and should be turned into PSY 100.

CSULB Headquarters for Research and Study - Inside the Campus Library

Open to not only CSULB faculty, staff and students, the campus library is a community resource to all visitors, providing access to a variety of materials and services.

CSULB Library. Photo taken from csulb.edu.

Although it seems in today's world that almost anything you would find in a library can be found on the internet, it is reassuring to know, for those of us who still do utilize such resources, that the campus library still sees a significant number of students and visitors throughout the year.

Journalism Major and Creative Writing Minor, Paul Leigh, has been a part of the CSULB library staff for three years now, and assures me that the library sees a lot of traffic throughout the school year. Working as a shelver for the library, I'm sure this is something that he would especially know.

With a staff of about 13, Leigh says that he really enjoys working at the library, as they are very flexible and considerate of his school schedule. "It's also really convenient since it's on campus," he says, "so it makes it easier to work in-between classes."

Operating hours for the library are:
Monday - Thursday 7:45 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Friday 7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 12:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

The library consists of four floors; the Lower Level and 1st floor are intended for the use of the services provided on those floors (reference, reserve, current periodicals, media, computing) and are not designated as quiet study areas. Floors and areas which are designated for quiet and group study are as follows:

Group Study:

3rd Floor study room

Spidell Technology Center, south wall

Quiet Study areas:

2nd floor study room

4th floor stacks, perimeter carrels

Although there are a number of services and resources available through the library, there are certain services available only to faculty, staff and students which are not available for visitors. These services include:

• interlibrary loan (Illiad) and LINK+ services
• Information Commons computer lab
• access to Course Reserve materials
• course specific instruction
• remote access to our licensed databases

Leigh reports that the busiest times for the library are usually around 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., and the weeks leading up to and during finals week. "It can get really hectic as many books are left out of place throughout the floors," he says. "Sometimes patrons even get mad when the book they're looking for is not there."

When asked if there are any recommendations or requests that he would give to those visiting the library, he strongly suggests that people go to "Coast" and look for the "call number" of the book they are looking for before asking where the book is. "People come in all the time asking where they can find certain types of books and just figure we know where they are."

The library is scheduled to be open 24 hours a day beginning May 8 until May 20 for finals week. The Starbucks inside of the library will also be extending its hours from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. 

For those looking to attend Summer Session, 2011, library hours are as follows:

Sunday - Closed

Monday - Thursday - 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Friday - 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday - 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

* Closed July 4th in observance of Independence Day.

Easing in Incoming Freshman

Incoming freshman take a tour around campus.
Photo taken from CLASC website.

As incoming freshman at CSULB, I'm sure everyone remembers the assessments, orientations and tours before finally taking that seat in our first official classes. With all of the nerves and anticipation of embarking on this new journey however, it may have been unlikely that too much thought was really put into who the actual individuals are who guide these freshman through their new university halls.

The Learning Alliance at CSULB is an academic learning community that helps to familiarize incoming freshman with the university through personalized attention from peer mentors and faculty.

Katie Becker,Communication Major and Spanish Minor at CSULB, has been a Peer Mentor for the Learning Alliance for a year now. As a Peer Mentor, Katie helps teach a seminar to incoming freshmen on ways to adapt to college life (both socially and academically). She also assists in academic advising and learning about the potential benefits of being a part of the College of Liberal Arts.

During the semester, Katie teaches in class to new freshman twice a week. In these classes they teach advising workshops and also hold out of class events for people to help them get to know each other better. Peer Mentors conduct out of class meetings to prepare for the different classes and activities that will be held throughout the year.

"I love being a peer mentor for the Learning Alliance because it's really fun to get to know the new freshmen and help them get acclimated to college life. Everyone else in the organization is really nice also so it's fun," says Becker. "Anyone can apply to be a mentor in the alliance now so I recommend people try it out! Its a great experience and really rewarding."

The Learning Alliance community currently consists of more than 800 students, and welcomes a new class of 200-250 first-year students every year. If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a member you can find more information on http://www.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/alliance/prospective/.

A Life in Journalism - Dr. Chris Kardjov

While waiting for the final panel of speakers to begin on Journalism Day, I ran into professor Karadjov, with whom I had a very pleasant and informative conversation with. Dr. Chris Karadjov, Assistant Professor and Adviser in the Department of Journalism, has been a member of the CSULB faculty for six years. He currently teachers four courses in the department and also helps to advise students on their student career paths in the field. 

Professor Karadjov.
Photo taken from csulb.edu

Born in Bulgaria, Karadjov began his career in journalism during a very historical time in history, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He not only worked as an investigative reporter for the Bulgarian government during this critical period, but also worked for 24 Hours, a popular Bulgarian daily paper. 

Karadjov started as an investigative reporter by his fourth year of being a journalist. As it is a very competitive field, he said that it's important to develop the necessary and basic skill-sets of writing first - then work your way up. "Everyone has to start at the bottom and sacrifice doing work or writing on topics that they may not be pleased with," he said. "You have to work hard and have a lot of patience to get to where you want to."

Karadjov completed his master’s in journalism/mass communication at Sofia University in Bulgaria in 1995. It was also during this period that he began his work as a journalist and wrote and edited for several newsrooms. Karadjov then moved to the United States in 1996 where he started work as an international journalist for the Dallas Morning News. He went on to begin his doctorate in mass communications at the University of Florida in 1997. He completed in 2001 and remained active in writing for several local and international outlets.

Karadjov began his career as a professor at the State University of New York, where he taught several courses in journalism from 2001-2005.

Toward the end of 2005, Karadjov became a professor at California State University, Long Beach. He currently teachers Global News Media, Reporting and Information Gathering, Investigative Reporting, Mass Communication Research Methods, Mass Communication Theory. He is also a very active member of several professional journalism and political organizations and remains involved with studying Eastern European media through lectures, papers, and publications.


"One of the key elements of being a journalist," says Karadjov, "is having curiosity."

A Day of Guidance for Aspiring Journalists

Students and teachers gathered at the USU Ballrooms Thursday, April 21, to listen to established professionals offer advice and answer questions about careers in non-profit journalism and public relations.

The event ran from 9-2:30 p.m. beginning with a keynote speech by Mark Katches, editorial director of California Watch, on "Non-profits and the New Era of Collaboration." It was then followed by several morning and afternoon panels which covered topics such as "Can non-profit journalism succed?"; "Opportunities/challenges for non-profit PR"; "Marketing Yourself: Portfolio/Resume/Website Building"; "Job Interviews," and "Networking." Students were free to sit-in on any of the offered panels and ask the speakers any questions on the topic.

The afternoon panel that focused on the subject of "Job Interviews," by Sue Schmitt, editor and general manager of Press-Telegram and Sunny Yu, PR manager of Molina Healthcare, offered helpful advice and tips to students on preparation for interviewing for potential jobs.

One of the first points that both speakers wanted to address is the misconception that older, more "experienced" applicants are more worthy of landing a job. “I actually tend to higher individuals straight out of school,” said Schmitt. “They are usually more eager and motivated to fulfill the position.” Both speakers admitted that the hardest part of interviewing is actually getting the interview in the first place.

They continued by sharing their personal advice to students on what they look for in their applicants, and the do's and don'ts of interviewing.

Both speakers stressed that presentation and being prepared are critical when trying to make a good first impression. “The first thing that you want to make sure is that you focus your material and resume towards the job you are applying for,” said Yu. Students sometimes end up trying to over-compensate for their lack of experience and fill their resume’s with jobs irrelevant to what they are looking for. “Usually less means more,” said Schmitt. Being knowledgeable and curious about the business and position says more than people know. It is also important that questions go both ways in an interview, and that the interviewee is able to back-up what they have on their resume. You never want to get caught in a lie or embellishing your experience.

You should also be wary of not only what you say during the interview, but also before the interview. “Students don’t realize this, but what they say in front of the receptionist or secretary while they wait for the interview is usually relayed back to the interviewer,“ said Yu. At the end of the day someone with a good, positive attitude will probably outshine someone with a negative attitude. Students forget that people also know people, so be careful what you do and say.

Scmitt and Yu covered several other valuable tips which were met and reciprocated with a good number of questions from the eager, wide-eared students.

Watch part of the "Job Interview" panel here!

Stepping Forward in Fitness & Health - The Student Recreation and Wellness Center



Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Photo taken by Brittany Hays

 Since its opening in the fall of August 2010, the Student Recreation and Wellness Center has become a very popular resource for students looking to get in their daily work-out between their busy lives of classes and work. The 126,500-square-foot facility offers students with weight and fitness machines, cardio theater, a wellness center, rock-climbing wall, indoor running track, basketball/volleyball/badminton courts, multi-activity courts, outside recreation pool and spa, sand volleyball, racquetball courts, health-food shop, personal trainers and group fitness classes.

The idea for the center started nearly a decade ago by a group of students who thought California State University, Long Beach needed a place for students to work-out, socialize, relax and lounge. When the center was put on a referendum in 2007 it was approved by nearly 75 percent of student voters, thus allowing for the construction of the $61 million facility.

CSULB President F. King Alexander expressed to BeachPride his excitement for the center upon its approval. "This will not simply be a place to exercise.  It will be a place where people will build lifelong friendships and networks; a place where students, faculty and staff exchange ideas and help one another; a place our graduates will fondly remember when thinking back to their collegiate days, and it will be a place that helps us fulfill our promise to our students to give them a comprehensive collegiate educational experience, one that we all know extends beyond the classroom.”



Inside the REC Center. Photo taken by Brittany Hays

 Only eight months into its opening, it seems the center has gained all of the success and popularity that was anticipated. Rafael Romero, a student and building manager of the center, has been working at the facility since its opening and believes the center has been every bit successful as hoped for. "We get nearly 1,000 students in and out of the center every day - we count the number of people coming in six times a day and it usually averages to about 200 every time."

With six departments and 180 employees, Romero says that he thoroughly enjoys his job. "Everyone is really friendly and easy to get along with and the center is very flexible in working with and around my school schedule." Although he admits that the center is still young and they face new challenges every day, he feels that everything has been going very well, and encourages that everyone come in to check out the new facility the university has to offer.

The center is open:

Monday - Thursday - 6 a.m. - 12 a.m.

Friday - 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday - 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday - 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.