Provost's Message - May 2022

Celebrating Commencement 2022

This week we had the honor and privilege of celebrating 11,169 new CSULB graduates as they walked across the stage to receive their hard-earned degrees!  In no uncertain terms, Commencement was the ultimate highlight of my first year as Provost at The Beach.

At the same time, my heart was heavy with news of the shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Laguna Woods, California. These horrific attacks were targeted violence on Black and Asian communities and the losses felt by these communities are felt by us all. We mourn with them and stand unified in our mission to fight the evils of systemic racism in this country.

When I look at the faces of our graduates, I believe they have the sensitivity and desire to make this world better. The Class of 2022 has shown incredible spirit and resilience, achieving their academic goals while also navigating a worldwide pandemic. As we continue to traverse this new era, our students continuously prove that they are prepared to take on new challenges and excel in the world. Their bright hearts and minds will go into society and leave it better than they found it.

Thank you to our incredibly hardworking faculty and staff who have helped shape our graduates as they go out into their prospective fields and pave the way for the future generations.  Commencement reminds us of WHY we do what we do.

GO BEACH!

Annoucements

Dr. Malcolm Finney has been named Interim Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs, effective June 1, 2022. In this role, Dr. Finney will collaboratively oversee the academic personnel processes, policies, and procedures for faculty at CSULB. Dr. Finney has been the full-time Director of the Faculty Center since 2019. Under his leadership, the Faculty Center provides support and resources to enable faculty to thrive in teaching, scholarship, and service. In this role, Dr. Finney has promoted an ethos of civic responsibility among faculty while attending to their socio-emotional well-being. Under Dr. Finney’s direction, the Faculty Center has demonstrated a commitment to Equity at The Beach through the development and support of workshops to provide and enhance culturally responsive pedagogy. Led by Dr. Finney, the Faculty Center collaborates with employee affinity groups and Faculty Equity Advocates to focus on identifying and addressing challenges. As director, Dr. Finney promotes opportunities and coordinates existing professional development services to build an inclusive campus community, enhance student learning, and facilitate faculty research and creative activities. We looking forward to working with Dr. Finney in this new capacity and hope you will join us in congratulating and welcoming him to this leadership role.

Dr. Anna Ortiz has been named Interim Dean for the College of Education, effective June 6, 2022. Dr. Ortiz has been a student development educator in the classroom as a professor or as a practitioner in the field for over 30 years. Her research interests center around college student development, primarily in the areas of ethnic identity development, multicultural education, and professional issues in student affairs; having authored a range of publications including books, articles and book chapters. She received her doctorate from UCLA and has served on the faculty at Michigan State University. At Long Beach, she serves on the faculty of the Student Development in Higher Education and Educational Doctorate Programs and led the Educational Doctorate for 10 years. She was also instrumental in the creation of the Educational Leadership Department, serving as Department Chair for two terms. Dr. Ortiz is dedicated to Equity at The Beach and currently serves our campus as co-chair of the President’s Equity and Change Commission and as an active member in the Faculty & Staff Affinity Groups at CSULB. She also serves as a Faculty Equity Advocate for the College of Education. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ortiz to the leadership team and hope you join us in congratulating her on this appointment.

2022 University Achievement Awards

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2022 University Achievement Awards. Their remarkable efforts are outstanding examples of the exceptional faculty at The Beach! For a full list of winners, click here.

News and Updates

Register Now for Fall 2022 - Current CSULB students can now register for Fall 2022 classes! Register now to ensure you have a spot in your preferred classes. Be sure to review and resolve any holds prior to registering. Get started at my.csulb.edu.