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APRIL 29,2013
MONday
NFL draft follow up on page 3
MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2013
WWW.DAILYAZTEC.COM
VOLUME 99, ISSUE 108
Chancellor discusses plans for CSU budget
campus Stephanie Saccente Senior Staff Writer
California State University Chancellor Timothy White visited San Diego State on Wednesday to host an open forum for all members of the campus community. White discussed his plans to increase enrollment rates, staff and faculty salaries and undergraduate success. White said staff members haven’t received salary increases since 2007 and the faculty hasn’t had an increase since 2008. He said during this time of stagnant salaries, several thousands of university students have been added to schools with 7 percent fewer employees compared to six years ago. White said the current success rate in the CSU system is measured by graduation rates. Even with current circumstances, graduation rates have increased. “We have less people, more students, greater success, flat salaries and less money,” White said during the forum. “There are those out there who like to say we’re not doing our job … There’s an inconvenient truth of the facts against those assertions.” White plans to use the $125 million Gov. Jerry Brown proposed to keep the CSU system moving in a positive direction. If the budget holds, White said he would like to take the new resources and invest them in three areas: people, programs and purpose. White plans to reserve $38 to $40 million and create a modest
Navigating the way the moral compass sways for institutions is dependent on the circumstances. from MOB MENTALITY page 4
Aztec Diamonds on page 7
paige nelson , photo editor
Cal State University Chancellor Timothy White speaks to the SDSU community at an open forum. Chancellor White addressed his plans for the CSU budget.
salary plan for faculty and staff. “It’s not a lot of money for any given individual, but it is certainly my way of saying, good for you, good for us and let’s continue to work hard so we can get more investments and be able to do more on the salary side,” White said. White said money will be set aside to increase enrollment at SDSU and the other 22 CSU campuses. White said $8 to $9 million will also be used for competitions geared toward student success initiatives.
Campuses that don’t see significant growth will be able to compete for those resources and show how they plan to enhance student success. He also said it’s important for students to develop and hone their skills by pursuing opportunities that will better prepare them for future careers. With the recent celebration of The Daily Aztec’s centennial birthday, White emphasized the importance of having student newspapers in the CSU. “I’ve always loved the campus pa-
per … It’s the student voice, the student lens on the perception of what’s happening academically and financially on campus and in the community,” White said. “Sometimes students, student writers, student editors and student beat writers will see things that an older lens, if you will, wouldn’t see; and so I’ve always embraced that idea of student newspapers and their imCHANCELLOR continued on page 2
Aztec leaders awarded for diversity efforts Elisse Miller Staff Writer
San Diego State honored several Aztec leaders for their commitment to campus diversity last Wednesday at the ninth annual SDSU Diversity Awards celebration. Attendees were welcomed into a culturally diverse environment with music from South America, cuisine from around the globe and an American Sign Language translator. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Student Union, one of the first LGBT organizations to exist in the San Diego area, took home the Student Organization Diversity Award.
Diversity has been a part of the fabric of this campus for the last 116 years ... We think it’s part of the strength of who we are as a campus and as a community. educational opportunity programs assistant vice president
Reginald Blaylock
“I think the work that we’re doing is always changing, but we’re always just continuing what our main mission is, and that is to provide a safe space for everyone,” LGBTSU President Michael Manacop said.
Faculty Diversity Award recipient Nola Butler-Byrd expressed her excitement about the organizations because she says the LGBT community is an often-ignored minority group. “Cultural competency is really an important skill set for all of us to develop in order to make the world a better place,” Butler-Byrd said. “If there’s one thing I want to get across to everybody, it’s that we’ve come a long way. But we have a long way to go in terms of making the world a place where everybody has equal access and can become all they can be in society.” A total of five awards presented at the ceremony. Founder of the community-based program Embrace, Sean Sheppard won the Alumni Diversity Award. Director of Compact Scholars Jane Abbott won the Staff Diversity Award. Philosophy undergraduate Joshua Stutz, psychology undergraduate Karalani Cross and kinesiology master’s degree students Sarah Kirtland and Kayli Dalton were all recipients of the Student Research Symposium Diversity Award. The awards were designed by SDSU students and consisted of symbolic materials such, as bamboo and steel. Chief Diversity Officer Aaron Bruce hosted the night of celebration. “We are one of the top 20 ethnically diverse universities in the country. So it makes it very easy to
Five San Diego State Diversity awards honoring faculty, student, staff and alumni for diversity efforts.
have conversations about diversity when you have a diverse population of people,” Bruce said. “We have a great playground within the San Diego community that makes it really easy for people to engage in conversations and activities around diversity which includes not just race and ethnicity, but also religion, physical ability and sexual orientation.” Educational Opportunity Programs Assistant Vice President and Director Reginald Blaylock reflected on SDSU’s history as a diversity-rich campus. “Diversity has been a part of the fabric of this campus for the last 116 years,” Blaylock said. “We cel-
antonio zaragoza , editor in chief
ebrate our diversity. We think it’s part of the strength of who we are as a campus and as a community.” Associated Vice President of Student Affairs Eric Rivera said there’s no achievement gap at SDSU, meaning Caucasian students and minority students graduate at the same rate. “When we look at the number of, for example, Latino faculty or African-American faculty, compared to other schools, we’re in a great place,” Rivera said. “When students can look at those role models and see the light at the end of the tunnel, it makes a difference. No matter who you are, there’s a space for you at SDSU.”
SDSU strategic plan establishes campus priorities Dustin Reidinger Contributor
After months of planning and receiving feedback, San Diego State officials devised a plan that will establish the university’s priorities for the coming years. Building on Excellence focuses on three institutional goals for the university. The goals will focus on student success; research and creative endeavors; and community and communication. The planning process began last year in July and received input from the SDSU and San Diego community. Each of the five task forces focused on a specific area, and a steering committee integrated its recommendations into the plan. Associated Students President Rob O’ Keefe was one of the steering committee members who guided the planning process. “I think that the most important thing with the strategic plan was taking into account all the feedback from the university community,” O’Keefe said. “SDSU has such an impact in the San Diego region that we had to include SDSU alumni and the community.” O’Keefe said input from the community was important because of SDSU’s immediacy in the region and the number of alumni who live in the county. One of the initiatives in the strategic plan is to help the
from STRATEGIC PLAN page 2