California State University, Northridge

The California State University, Northridge (CSUN), is a state-funded university in Northridge, California, USA. It is part of the California State University System, and was formerly the San Fernando Valley State College. CSUN hosts the International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities each year. One of the few remaining orange groves in the San Fernando Valley is found on campus. The large eucalyptus trees at the edge of the campus have survived development attempts by campus designers.

Academics

On May 1, 2005, the L.A. Daily News reported that CSUN will be lowering its general education credit requirements from 58 credits to 48, in order to improve the university's embarrassingly low on-time graduation rate. In 2003, only 3.8 percent of the student body graduated within four years, and only 32 percent graduated within six years.

Library

The Oviatt library serves the campus, as well as surrounding community colleges.

The Communications Studies department also has a library, the Aronstam library, devoted to communication studies research and scholarship for undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members.

Northridge earthquake

This campus was heavily damaged by the 1994 earthquake, including entire sections of the main library, art building, etc., but classes continued in alternative structures. The art courtyard survived.

CSUN sculpture

Travellers approaching the campus from the east, (via the San Diego (405) Freeway, for example) will see an abstract sculpture at the edge of the orange grove at the southeastern corner of the campus, which can be read from several directions as an acronym for the university. This sculpture is an impossible shape, and does not read as CSUN from a northwest view (However, that area is covered with trees and is not often walked upon).

Traditional festivities

Native Americans have used the campus to converge on for ceremonies, on a yearly basis.

The Drama department celebrates year-end by staging the local version of Yosemite's Bracebridge Dinner.

Community services

• KCSN radio
• Communicating Common Ground
• Communication for Youth Institute

The Communicating Common Ground project is designed to alleviate tensions between the Latino/a and Armenian student populations. The community service learning project represents a coordinated effort between CSUN's Communication Studies department and Grant High School.

C.S.U.N. Speech & Debate

The C.S.U.N. Speech and Debate Society is an intercollegiate forensics program committed to excellence. The team is comprised of both policy debate and individual events and travels throughout the state and country.

Notable alumni

• Stephen Bollenbach – President of Hilton Hotels
• Richard Chapleau – 1995 California Teacher of the Year
• Bill Griffeth, Sue Herera, and Ron Insana – all from the cable TV station CNBC
• Florence Griffith Joyner – Olympic Athlete
• Adam Kennedy – Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Linda Lingle – Governor of Hawaii
• Cheech Marin – Actor (Cheech and Chong)
• Jeri Taylor – Co-creator of Star Trek Voyager
• Alex Yemenidjian – Chairman/CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

Athletics

CSUN fields 18 sports at the NCAA Divison I level. CSUN fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming, track and field, and volleyball. CSUN has a men's baseball team, and women's softball, tennis, and water polo teams.

CSUN was a member of the Big Sky Conference until 2000. It joined the Big West Conference in 2001. It also dropped football in 2001. The football team played at the North Campus Stadium.

Points of interest

• California State University at Northridge Botanic Garden

External links

• School website: http://www.csun.edu/
• CSUN Library: http://library.csun.edu/
• Matador athletics: http://www.gomatadors.com