CSULB Plans ‘Laser Focus on Future’

Daniel Pineda

CSULB will be focusing on their plan to increase access to higher education and promote intellectual achievement, according to CSULB President Jane Conoley.

During the college’s annual convocation on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Conoley closely outlined what comes next for the institution’s Beach 2030 plan.

Beach 2030, according to Conoley in a letter on the CSULB website at csulb.edu/beach-2030/presidents-message-0, is an ambitious project that is designed to unite the university “to face the unprecedented challenges of an onrushing future.”

Beach 2030 is built around five strategic priorities that anchor the project’s many University Action Plans. These priorities include:

  • Engaging all students
  • Expanding access to higher education
  • Promoting intellectual achievement
  • Building community
  • Cultivating resilience.

During the annual CSULB convocation, Conoley delivered a speech, talking about the importance of the college adapting to change.

“Despite all the trauma of the past two years,” Conoley said. “It’s now more important than ever that we keep a laser focus on the future.”

According to the CSULB website, Beach 2030 was originally formed in 2018, just two years before the Coronavirus pandemic began, along with a rise in social injustice and economic disruption.

“The coronavirus pandemic has been called “our time in history.” It is clear that our time will be defined by disruption from all sides, by pressures foreseen and crises unknown,” Conoley said in her letter on the CSULB website. “I am inspired by how we have already leveraged our strengths and our history to rise to these challenges.”

During her speech at the convocation, Conoley also talked about the many projects on campus that have been started, in relation to the university’s action plans.

These plans, according to Conoley, aim to “reimagine faculty and staff, and build a future-ready university.”

One of the projects she mentioned was the Division of Student Affairs (DSA) and their work to increase counselors and piloting new outreach programs, to build a more equitable and empowering university.

“The Division of Student Affairs has done remarkable work in focusing on student mental health,” Conoley said in her speech, thanking the DSA team. “Our new ‘Healthy Living at the Beach’ plan is supported by a $400,000 grant to create the first mobile crisis unit in the CSU.”

Conoley added: “This means that a mental health professional will accompany our university police and emergency calls related to mental health.”

Conoley also recognized a major victory to the Beach 2030 plan, by announcing that CSULB’s Building Services and DSA team have successfully obtained $53 million in state funding for more affordable campus housing.

“The plan is to add another 450 beds, so we are truly student-ready in a very practical way,” Conoley said.

Conoley concluded her presentation by saying, while she only covered examples from two of the main action plans of Beach 2030, she hopes these examples inspire the audience and viewers watching her speech from home to think of their own ideas and projects that will help make Beach 2030 “an engine for change.”

She also talked about how important it is to have both students and faculty to not only be ready for the potential changes of the future on campus, but in the rest of the country, as well. Especially during a time when the country is facing major changes in its laws.

“It will take our collective wisdom to navigate the national turmoil we’re in, which will be manifested on our campus” Conoley said. “And to prepare our students to be forces of good across artificial boundaries of politics, color, religion and identity.”

For more information about the CSULB 2022 Convocation, you can visit the college’s website at csulb.edu/convocation. You can also find more information about Beach 2030 at csulb.edu/beach-2030.

Category:

Add new comment

Beachcomber

Copyright 2024 Beeler & Associates.

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced or transmitted – by any means – without publisher's written permission.