Summer Sundial Recently launched programs in Academic Affairs and Student Development will try to more adequately prepare new CSUN students for the transition into college and help stave off what have historically been poor first-year retention rates. The two most visible programs for first-time freshmen are student orientation and the new Freshmen Connection program. Both have incorporated new elements as university officials have actively tried to make the First Year Experience more dynamic for students. “I hope (new FYE plans)… Read more

Louise Lewis wasn’t even thinking about retiring when she decided to take part in the Faculty Early Retirement Program. A colleague told her she should take a serious look at it. “The main reason I did it was a self-oriented one,” said Lewis, director of the CSUN art gallery. “I’m not certain that it will be around for the future.” FERP allows tenured faculty and librarians who are at least 55 to work half time for up to five years… Read more

A bill that would allow the California State University to offer new independent and joint doctorate degrees has cleared one of its final stages and will now face a vote in the state Assembly. State Senate bill 724, authored by Sen. Jack Scott, D –Pasadena, was approved by the Assembly Committee on Higher Education with a 5-2 vote July 5. If passed, the bill would allow the CSU to offer doctorate degrees in education, independent from the University of California…. Read more

Work, convenience, freedom, gas prices; students have many reasons for taking online classes. Sascha Jones, sophomore English and psychology major, works 40-plus hours a week, has a fianc?, a new puppy to take care of, and typically takes 18 units during the regular semester. With her busy schedule, Jones finds online classes very convenient. “Even though you have to teach yourself … it’s easier for me to concentrate,” said Jones, who will be taking five out of the nearly 70… Read more

Representatives from the California Faculty Association voted to increase faculty dues beginning in the June 2005 pay period. According to John Travis, CFA president and Humboldt State University political science professor, the CFA assembly overwhelmingly passed the increase of 1/10 of 1 percent for CFA members. The CFA represents more than 22,000 faculty members in the CSU system, including professors, lecturers, librarians, coaches and counselors. According to Cecile BenDavid, political action chair of the CSUN chapter of the CFA and… Read more

The presumed September reauthorization of the federal Higher Education Act will likely have implications for CSUN students who receive Pell Grants or Perkins loans, and especially those who take summer classes. Diane Ryan, director of FinancialAid and Scholarships, said that although the act technically expired approximately one year ago, its authority was extended and is now awaiting a more complete debate on what should and should not be changed prior to reauthorization. “The (1965) Higher Education Act is the landmark… Read more

Those walking into the Associated Students office in the middle of July may expect to hear the sounds of crickets chirping, as only a small percentage of CSUN students take summer classes every year. Instead, the office reflects a family gathering, with laughter and familiar faces showing up as constantly as the ringing of the office’s phone. One of the familiar faces, that of newly elected A.S. vice president Safa Sajadi, greets everyone she sees as she walks to her… Read more

A bill that would provide all California residents with health care at no additional cost to the state has been approved by the State Senate and has moved to the Assembly, where it will face a final vote before being sent to the governor. The California Health Insurance Reliability Act, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl, D –Los Angeles, “would insure every Californian with comprehensive health benefits while preserving each consumer’s right to choose his or her own doctor,” according… Read more

Eight leaders from the world’s wealthiest industrial powers held their annual meeting recently, and I’m left with one burning question: why? The G-8 Summit is a meeting where world leaders gather to discuss various issues and deal with some of the major economic and political concerns facing their nations and the rest of the world. British Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted this year’s conference, which was held in Scotland. Topics on the agenda included climate change, the threat of global… Read more