Recently in Cal State, Dominguez Hills Category

Students at the California Academy of Math and Science, the highly regarded magnet school in Carson, pleaded with LAUSD board members on Tuesday to let three core teachers remain at their campus.

The school district has allowed the three instructors -- Greg Fisher, Michael Denman and Vanessa Cerrahoglu -- to teach at CAMS for years on leaves of absence. Now, because LAUSD does not want to be on the hook for their expensive lifetime retirement benefits, the district is recalling the three.

CAMS, run by Long Beach Unified, accepts students from 11 local school districts. More than a quarter are from LAUSD.

Here's my story on the conflict from a couple of weeks ago. There are 175 reader comments, many of them very thoughtful.

At a board meeting Tuesday, nine CAMS students and alumni explained that they saw the three teachers as integral to the school. (The video is posted here; it's near the end of the meeting.) Several speakers teared up as they spoke.

"You're destroying our school ... it breaks my heart," said student Sylvia Alvarez.

In response, Chief Operating Officer Jim Morris repeated an explanation that he offered me: This is a policy decision needed for financial reasons. Teachers have been recalled for the past two years. He said their retirement benefits cost the district about $250,000 per employee.

"it really is an issue for us of disadvantaging students in LAUSD -- to the tune of about $250,000 for every employee who is on leave to another district and eventually retires from LAUSD," Morris said.

Board member Yolie Flores-Aguilar called for Morris to "explore any other options."

"it's obvious to me that children - students - are benefiting. Yet we have a financial challenge with this," she said.

I'll try to keep you posted. The "Save CAMS!" Facebook group is here.

If you happen to be near the Carson campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills tonight or tomorrow, you may want to stop by the student union, where a group of students will be undergoing a 24-hour letter writing campaign. Their goal: To get President Obama to speak at the university's 2010 commencement ceremony, which will take place at the Home Depot Center on May 21.

The event is organized by student Khaleah Bradshaw and the group got started at 3 pm this afternoon. Events - talent shows, Wii competitions - will be taking place throughout the night. I also heard they're pouring free coffee, courtesy of Starbucks.

Here's a link to their Facebook page.

The Pacific Islander American Youth Summit: Navigating and Empowering a Healthy Generation will begin at 9 a.m. in the Loker Student Union tomorrow.

Here's the press release:

Concerned with the health and well-being of Pacific Islander American youth, the California State University, Dominguez Hills School of Health and Human Services has teamed up with members of the Pacific Islander community to present the "Pacific Islander American Youth Summit: Navigating and Empowering a Healthy Generation" on Friday, Nov. 13 in the Loker Student Union on campus.

Organizers say this summit represents a call to action for fundamental improvements in programs and services to address the unmet needs for Pacific Islander American youth in the Los Angeles region. The topics covered will focus on education, health, youth violence, cultural identity, and leadership.

More than 200 youth and 100 adults are expected to take part in the summit, providing government and community leaders an opportunity to learn first-hand the key issues facing Pacific Islander American youth and engage in a dialogue with them on how their voices can be heard. The overall goal of the summit is to empower youth to live healthier, active lives, and to mobilize adult participants to identify the challenges facing this segment of the population and explore opportunities to impact health care reform at national and state levels.

The summit is being sponsored by WalMart, CSUDH School of Health and Human Services, Pacific Islander Health Partnership, and Tongan American Youth Foundation.

Cal State Dominguez Hills is located at 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson, 90747

And the nations largest public university system is looking to cut more. Spring admissions have already been eliminated and university officials are expected to ask Sacramento lawmakers to restore $804 million in lost funding. The California State University Board of Trustees is expected to vote on an annual budget Nov. 17. If funding is not restored by the state, fee increases, program cuts and more faculty furloughs could be implemented.

Overall, university officials said they are looking to trim enrollment by 40,000 students across the 23-campus system.

Here's an article about how students are responding at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

And here's the press release from the Chancellor's Office.

Here's the release:

California State University, Dominguez Hills will host former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 30 in the Loker Student Union, Room 326-327.

Before his departure from the Los Angeles region tomorrow, the former mayor of Atlanta, U.S. congressman and civil rights leader alongside with Martin Luther King Jr. was invited to stop by the South Bay campus to speak to students about ongoing current events and issues affecting our nation. This lecture is open to all students, faculty and staff. There will be time for a question and answer session with Ambassador Young after his brief lecture.

This unique speaking engagement was agreed upon earlier this week, and faculty and staff are encouraged to inform their students about this extraordinary opportunity.  
For more information, please contact David Gamboa, Director of Government and Community Relations at CSU Dominguez Hills, at (310) 243-3819.  

Students looking to attend a CSU university and their parents will be able to meet college reps Saturday, August 29 at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

The third annual "CSU Super Saturday" college fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sculpture Garden at the university.

Representatives for all 23-campsus will be in attendance and provide potential students with informative workshops and materials on financial aid, the addmission process, and tips for college success.

The program will feature music and food. Parking will be free. California State University, Dominguez Hills is located at 1000 E. Victoria Street in Carson.

The California State University system announced today that it will put off sending bills to students whose state-backed scholarship funding is delayed due to the budget crisis in Sacramento.

The state has told California universities and colleges that there may be a delay in sending out Cal Grants in the coming spring semester, CSU said in a press release today.

CSU will not seek payment for the State University Fee ($3,048 for the 2008-09 school year) until the Cal Grants are released.

One variety of state funding to students -- called Cal Grant B's -- provide a stipend to students. Cal State will seek to provide " short-term emergency loans to needy students on a case-by-case basis," the release said.

CSU is not in a position to automatically cover these cash stipends to students until the (California Student Aid Commission) actually distributes the funds.

About 65,500 CSU students -- about 14.5 percent of the student population at the 23-campus system-- get Cal Grant funds, the release stated.