Graphic by Maya Uribe
By Miggy Aguilar and Melisa Rodriguez
To mark the beginning of the fall semester, the University held the President’s Convocation, featuring President Richard Yao, on Aug. 23, 2024. Interim Provost Jessica Lavariega Monforti opened the event, speaking on behalf of President Yao and highlighting his dedication to the CI community and students. Following this, Eleanor Fishburn performed a traditional Chumash blessing by waving an eagle feather over a burning sage to honor the east, west, south, and north. She shared significant words, saying: “The spirit of the world is in the wind,” and we can feel it here in our community at CI. Furthermore, new campus leaders were welcomed to CI, and promoted faculty were recognized. President Yao also extended his congratulations to various staff, faculty, students and award recipients, expressing gratitude for their contributions to CI’s campus community. A key theme throughout the convocation was enhancing unity and satisfaction among the university’s staff, faculty and students. The beginning of President Yao’s speech focused on the topic of building a culture of care quoting the book “Daring Greatly,” by Brene Brown.
Several concerns were highlighted by staff, faculty and students before the president’s convocation address. “I think it’s going to be really important for the president to be transparent about where we are with our budget and enrollment and to really be able to provide all of us employees with kind of the outlook for where we’re going to be not only this year but next year and what are the things we can do to prepare,” Credential Counselor Nitzia Castaneiro said. “We know that budget cuts are going to be coming in the next several years, so how can we prepare to be able to manage and continue to provide the same services and support to our students?” Concerns about budget and enrollment appeared to be at the forefront of discussion with many staff and faculty. Others cited a need for a sense of cohesiveness within CI’s campus community when asked for potential solutions to the community’s concerns for this academic year. “I think for our campus community to stay strong, we are strong, we’re unique, and to have the sense of pride that we are CSU, but we are CI, that we have power, and that power comes from us, from working together,” Tiina Itkonen, professor of education and political science, passionately suggested. President Yao continued by discussing priority areas for 2024-2025, starting with free speech and academic freedom. Great news was shared that CI’s accreditation status has been reaffirmed until spring 3032. Lavariega Monfroti led the accreditation efforts along with many others. However, enrollment management and budget cuts remained the big topic of concern for attendees. Figures shown by President Yao displayed a 6 percent decrease in student enrollment to fall 2024, a 6 percent decrease in 2024 first-time first-year students and a 6 percent increase in new transfer students. Within Ventura County, CI saw a 4 percent increase in admitted students, a 5 percent increase in yield, and a 6 percent increase in new transfer admissions. President Yao then put forward his plans to address these challenges through a new customer relationship management system (CRM) which serves to maintain data and communication with prospective students and their families from first contact until enrollment and attendance at CI. There is a one-time budget cut imposed on the CSU of $75 million and a 3 percent relocation reduction that equates to a $1.3 million cut.
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President Yao expressed that CI’s budget will be a challenge in the future and followed with six recommendations and commendations from the WSCUC that he stated “was reaffirming to know that CI is on the right track.” These endorsements underscore CI’s progress and alignment with key standards, providing both validation and a foundation for addressing upcoming financial hurdles now that they have been acknowledged.
President Yao also alluded to long-term efforts including the Town Center Revitalization Project, which would presumably involve expansions of and changes to the businesses and resources offered in the Town Center housing community. A strategic plan was outlined aiming towards transformative growth towards 2030 and beyond that emphasizes commitment from President Yao to enhance the learning opportunities that will prepare students for real-world challenges. Additionally, fostering continuity and collaboration through supporting our faculty as artists, scholars and teachers is also a key component for providing the necessary resources and environment for professional and creative growth. Central to the academic plan that was shown is motivation towards enrollment growth, improved graduation rate and better post-graduate outcomes as a result of the statistics gathered from this past year. The strategy emphasizes how to best aid current programs in direct response to meeting the evolving needs of our region and year. This ensures that CI remains both responsive and relevant to the demands of the local and broader community.
President Yao then announced the creation of the CSUCI Inaugural Homecoming, which would involve various events on campus from Oct. 21 to 26 including a performance featuring singer, drummer and record producer Anderson .Paak from Oxnard, California. “I just received the word that we can make the announcement. Anderson .Paak is coming to CSU Channel Islands,” President Yao revealed with enthusiasm. It was also noted that this performance would take place in collaboration with the .Paak House initiative of The Brandon Anderson Foundation, .Paak’s own 501(c3) nonprofit organization. After several faculty acknowledgments and award announcements, Outgoing President’s Faculty Fellow and professor of psychology, Professor Melissa Soenke, was invited to the stage to share survey responses with the audience addressing levels of satisfaction in higher education amongst staff and faculty at CI. Soenke highlighted that 74 percent of faculty and 81 percent of staff were satisfied with their work, indicating that despite widespread concerns the majority of professionals at CI were proud of their contributions to student success outcomes. “We can all take responsibility for improving it at an individual level,” Soenke recognized regarding the sense of unity emphasized throughout the convocation. The convocation serves as a foundational event for President Yao to reinforce CI’s mission, celebrate its community and inspire collective effort toward the upcoming year’s objectives. As the University evolves and grows, it is crucial to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of various projects and individuals. President Yao closed the convocation by noting that today marks a new beginning. CI is committed to shaping a brighter future by respecting its past and continues to emphasize high-quality education for its students. For more information about the President’s Convocation, you can visit: https://www.csuci.edu/president/communication.htm
