SANTA BARBARA, CA - UCSB has long had a ‘campus’ in the heart of Ventura. The Ventura Center has for decades been a vibrant outpost of UCSB’s globally recognized academic excellence.

On March 13, 2014, from 5:30-7:00pm, UCSB Extension will open the Ventura Center doors for a community information session where attendees are encouraged to ask questions, mingle with their academically-inclined neighbors, and learn what it means to have a world-class university at their disposal, and in the heart of Ventura. From 5:30 to 6pm there will be general information and light refreshments. From 6 -6:45pm there will be five separate breakout sessions to drop in on for subject area- specific information, each representing a UCSB Extension Program; Human Resource Management, Financial Planning, Paralegal Studies/Mediation, Accounting, and Project Management.

“UCSB is within your reach at the Ventura Center, “ says Dr. Michael Brown, Dean of Extension. “The Ventura Center has the resources of a world-class university – accessible, affordable, and convenient – to serve your professional and academic goals. Come and see what we have to offer you.”

UCSB has had a presence at 3585 Maple Street in Ventura since at least 1975, when that space was called the Ventura Learning Center and, along with a handful of other classroom facilities around the Ventura area, provided evening and weekend courses for working adults, and across an array of subjects. Today the Ventura Center’s offerings are specifically aligned with the needs of the region’s workforce, and provide relevant professional development to those who want to burnish their know how, add to their portfolio of professional skills, or move into a new line of work entirely. The March 13 event is an opportunity for UCSB Extension and Info Session attendees to get to know each other. More info can be found here: http://extension.ucsb.edu/pr
UCSB Extension Program Manager Anissa Stewart oversees the Paralegal, Human Resource Management and Mediation programs for UCSB Extension, each of which offers course work at the Ventura Center. “Professional development is more important than ever—to jumpstart your career, to stay competitive, to continually expand your knowledge and skills, and to perform more effectively and efficiently. What UCSB Extension offers is meaningful, relevant, timely, and stimulating professional development courses and workshops.”

As the continuing education division of UCSB, Extension offers certificate programs, courses, and seminars for personal and professional development on a year-round basis. Courses are open to the general public, including UCSB students. UCSB Extension is supported by student fees and receives no state funds.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to the groundbreaking of Sierra Hall – a three-story, cutting-edge science lab and instruction building and a model for green technology. Join CI President Richard R. Rush, faculty, staff, students and community friends on Friday, March 14, at 9 a.m., as the University embarks on its next important building project.

Located along the Central Mall at the corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Ventura Street, the 68,000-square-foot building will house CI’s growing programs in Anthropology, Computer Science, Geology, Environmental Science & Resource Management, Physics and Psychology. The new building was designed to meet each program’s needs, offering flexible, efficient instructional science lab spaces, Cloud-based computer labs, state-of-the-art multimode lecture halls and offices, and classrooms that support active and collaborative learning.

A roof garden terrace will provide an outdoor space for learning and gathering. The upper-level courtyard is being created with input from several academic programs that plan to use it as an outdoor instructional space with students.

The building meets LEED Gold and CALGreen Tier 2 standards – high ratings awarded by national and state certification systems that encourage the construction of energy and resource-efficient buildings. Sierra Hall’s innovative and sustainable design includes the use of recycled and renewable building materials, reclaimed water in toilets, and energy-efficient windows and lighting controls that make maximum use of daylight and shut off when rooms are unoccupied. These features earned it an $82,000 rebate from Southern California Edison and will make the building 28 percent more energy efficient than what is required by code.
Sierra Hall is scheduled for completion in summer of 2015. The $42.7 million project is being financed with lease revenue bonds – long-term bonds issued by the state of California to finance public improvements, including state office buildings, state universities, prisons, and food and agricultural facilities.

“We hope the community will join us to celebrate this milestone in CI’s evolution,” said President Rush. “With Sierra Hall’s highly innovative and responsive design, we expect to open up new teaching and learning opportunities for students and faculty.”

To attend the groundbreaking ceremony, please RSVP by March 7 to noheli.viramontes@csuci.edu or 805-437-3552. Light refreshments will be served. Once on campus, follow signs for complimentary event parking.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Kindergarten registration will be held on April 7– April 17, 2014, at San Cayetano School, 524-6040, Rio Vista School, 524-4210, Mountain Vista, 524-8302 and Piru School, 521-1709. Piru residents may register at Piru School. Parents are to register at the school site within their boundaries.

In order to complete registration, parents must have birth certificate, verification of adequate immunization for their children, verification of address (such as utility bill or driver’s license).

Parents must provide documentation that their child has completed a Physical Examination; (physical needs to be dated after March 1st, 2014), and Dental/Oral Examination. All four elementary schools have a supply of the physical examination and dental forms.

Immunizations: Required doses of Polio, DPT, MMR, Hepatitis B and Varicella vaccines.

For additional questions, contact the elementary school sites, or M. E. Romero, R.N., District Health Coordinator at 524-6029.

Dr. Jamillah Moore, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District, received a 2014 “Education Award” as part of California State University Channel Islands African American Achievement Awards. Dr. Moore’s recognition as an honoree of the African American Achievement Awards was based on exceptional historical and multicultural contributions to the field of education. Dr. Moore has 19 years of educational, policy, instruction, and advocacy experience. She began her career in public policy advocacy as a California State Senate fellow, was then appointed Senior Vice Chancellor of Governmental and External Relations for California Community Colleges by Governor Schwarzenegger, and served as President of Los Angeles City College prior to joining the District in August 2012. Dr. Moore is the author of Race and College Admissions: A Case for Affirmative Action and has taught communications and multicultural education. She holds an Ed.D. in International/Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco and an M.A. in Intercultural Communication/Public Policy and B.A. in Communication from California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Moore provided the keynote address at the February 26 celebratory event honoring award recipients for their contributions and empowerment of the African American community.

Camarillo, CA - The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to present “Guardian,” a series of illustrations and sketch concepts by senior art student Marlies Urbauer, in CI’s Grad Wall Gallery at Napa Hall. The exhibition runs from Monday, March 10, to Friday, April 4, concurrent with Gary Lloyd’s multimedia exhibition in the main gallery. A public reception with the artist will be held Thursday, March 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.

With “Guardian,” Urbauer presents a rich visual narrative set in the era of the Vikings and in a fantastical setting based on Norse mythology. With each illustration and sketch concept, she unveils a creative process of designing a new world by turning words and ideas into illustrations. The work showcases visual development in the early stages of storytelling through sketches of characters, environments and objects.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

The Grad Wall is located in Napa Hall, Room 1154, on Ventura Street on the CI campus. The Grad Wall is an exhibition space showcasing the works of top graduating students from CI’s Art Program. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact the CI Art Program at 805-437-2772 or email art@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University is offering a free public workshop to help entrepreneurs deal with the psychological issues that come with launching new businesses.

“The Equipped Mind” will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 9, in Lundring Events Center on CLU’s Thousand Oaks campus.

Starting a business can cause significant stress, and entrepreneurs often keep feelings of anxiety and despair hidden from view. There is a high risk of failure and a lot of tasks to juggle. Consumed by work, they often make sacrifices in areas such as exercise, sleep, diet, hobbies and time with family and friends that can impair their ability to cope. Research also shows that many entrepreneurs share character traits that make them more vulnerable to mood swings.

Brandon Highland, an entrepreneur who provides consulting and support for the startup community in Ventura County, will discuss mental health as it relates to entrepreneurship. Highland graduated from CLU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Nelson Pizarro, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at CLU, will teach meditation techniques. Pizarro, who has founded six companies, meditates and practices yoga.

The presenters will provide insights into the entrepreneurial mind and tools for overcoming the mental challenges of starting and running a business. Topics will include stress management, concentration, healing, inner strength and the power of laughing.

CLU’s School of Management is sponsoring the event with assistance from CLU clubs Future Treps, which supports students’ entrepreneurial efforts, and Active Minds, which encourages students to speak openly about mental health.

Attendance is limited to 40 people. To RSVP, go to www.equippedmind.com. For more information, contact Future Treps President Rob Bueschen at rbuesche@callutheran.edu.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at CSU Channel Islands (CI) announces next speakers for the Spring 2014 Speaker Series, “Lessons from Successful Entrepreneurs and Executives.” The presentations are free, open to the public by reservation, and include lunch. All events will be held from noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100 on the CI campus. Please register at http://business.csuci.edu/events.

Jason Spievak, CEO of Invoca
Friday, March 7, noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100
Spievak is one of the founders of Invoca (formerly RingRevenue), a multimillion-dollar public company that provides enterprise inbound call marketing solutions. Formed in 2008 with support from leading venture capitalists (Upfront Ventures and Rincon Venture Partners), Invoca’s cloud-based platform delivers complete campaign management, clear attribution, practical analytics and mobile optimization tools to create one easy-to-use solution for marketers.

Joe Schroeder, President/CEO of Ventura County Credit Union
Friday, May 2, noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100
A graduate of the CSU (B.A. in Communications and MBA from Cal Poly Pomona), Schroeder leads the largest credit union headquartered in Ventura County – with six offices, 60,000 members and more than $600 million in assets. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of FOOD Share, a nonprofit organization fighting hunger in Ventura County. In 2013, the California and Nevada Credit Union League recognized his two decades of leadership with its Unsung Hero Award.

The Spring 2014 Speaker Series is sponsored by the Business Advisory Council of the MVS School of Business & Economics.

Complimentary campus parking will be available for all events. Once on campus, follow signs to the designated lot.

For more information, visit http://business.csuci.edu/events, or contact Merissa Stith, Events Coordinator, at 805-437-8548 or merissa.stith@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Highlighting the critical importance of improving student success in America’s community colleges, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has named Moorpark College as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million dollars in prize funds.

“This important Prize is awarded every two years. The Aspen Institute informed us that it is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges,” announced Dr. Jamillah Moore, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District.

“The award recognizes colleges for exceptional student outcomes in four areas. They are student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students,” explained Dr. Bernard Luskin, Moorpark College President. “The Aspen Institute identified the top 150 community colleges through an assessment of institutional performance, improvement, and equity on student retention and completion measures. Together, the 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the Prize represent the diversity and richness of our colleges,” said Luskin.

Chosen colleges are located in 37 states across the nation; represent urban, rural, and suburban markets; and encompass large community colleges and small community colleges. A full list of the 150 community colleges is available at www.AspenPrize.org. Prize winners will be announced in early 2015.

Nearly half of America’s college students attend community college, with more than seven million students working toward certificates and degrees across the country. Moorpark College was selected from a national pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges. The selection data focus on student retention and completion, considered from three perspectives:

Performance (retention, graduation rates including transfers, and degrees and certificates per 100 “full-time equivalent” students)
Improvement (awarded for steady improvement in each performance metric over time)
Equity (evidence of strong completion outcomes for minority and low-income students)

“Ten finalists selected from the 150 nominees will be named in fall 2014. Following campus visits, a distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in early 2015.” Being identified as one of 150 best community colleges in America is quite a prize itself,” Luskin proudly said.

About Moorpark College
Moorpark College is a fully accredited community college in the Ventura County Community College District. Moorpark College enrolls more than 14,000 students in academic transfer programs and career and technical programs. Moorpark College is an important member of the California higher education community.

The Aspen College Excellence Program aims to identify and replicate practices and policies that significantly improve college student outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.aspeninstitute.org/cep.

The Aspen Prize is funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Lumina Foundation.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - An artist and author from Oxford University will offer a master class in drawing and a lecture on sustainability at California Lutheran University in March.

The CLU Artists and Speakers Series will present a master class in drawing with Sarah Simblet from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, in Kingsmen Park. A lecture on “The New Sylva” will follow at 4 p.m. in the Roth Nelson Room. Both events are free.

The master class in drawing is open to everyone, regardless of expertise.

The afternoon lecture will be based on Simblet’s forthcoming book with co-author Gabriel Hemery, “The New Sylva.” The book describes the most important tree species that currently populate the landscape and explains what trees really mean to us culturally, environmentally and economically. Simblet captures the delicacy, strength and beauty of trees through the seasons in 200 drawings. The book was inspired by “Sylva,” a 1664 comprehensive study of British trees by horticulturist and diarist John Evelyn. It was the world’s earliest forestry book and the first book ever published by the Royal Society. Publication of “The New Sylva” will mark the 350th anniversary of Evelyn’s work.

Simblet is director of drawing and a tutor in anatomy at Oxford’s Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and has taught CLU students participating in an annual study abroad program at the English university. Her research interests include the relationship between art, science and history. She has published three major reference books, “Anatomy for the Artist,” “The Drawing Book” and “Botany for the Artist.”

She contributes drawn installations, framed works and, occasionally, documentary films to art shows, festivals and events. Her drawings can be found in national and private collections including the Royal Academy of Art in London and the Ashmolean in Oxford. She contributes regularly to British, American and international television and radio programs about science and art and consults on national exhibitions. She is a freelance lecturer at The National Gallery in London. She holds a doctorate in drawing from Bristol University.

Kingsmen Park is located near Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus. The Roth Nelson Room is located at 3391 Mountclef Boulevard. Visitor parking is located at the corner of Mountclef Boulevard and Olsen Road.

CLU’s Artists and Speakers Committee is sponsoring the events. For more information, contact Michael Brint at brint@callutheran.edu or 818-707-9686.

Three FMS students passed the audition and will perform with the VC Honor Band. Miranda Toledo (tuba), Perla Chavez-Hernandez (bass clarinet), and Mishell Beylik (oboe) will attend four rehearsals before they take the stage on Sunday March 2, 5:00 PM at Ventura High School for a concert. Each student is required to pass a rigorous audition to make the band. The band is made up of the best middle school musicians from throughout the county and will perform high level music for their concert. The middle and high school honor bands are organized by local school band directors. The middle school honor band will be under the direction of conductor and composer, Brain Amaral.

M-I-S-E-R-Y, just what our spelling bee participants were feeling during the San Cayetano School Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 29. After sixteen rounds of spelling, Sophia Guevara garnered the win and is our school champion. Her competition included Bryan Sanchez, Eilene Perez, Taiz Razo, Isabela Regalado, Nathan Hurtado, Destiny Carrillo, Arissa Ramos, Alotl Aparicio and Alissa Andrade. The tension was thick in the cafeteria during the spell-off, and the audience was spell-bound the entire time. School Champion, Sophia Guevara, will move on to the next round, which is the Final Local Spelling Bee held at the California State University at Channel Islands.

The Oxnard College Institute for Latino Performing Arts will present "CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase" on Saturday, February 22, 2014, in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center Auditorium, 4000 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA. The public is welcome to attend a 6 p.m. reception, followed by the main event at 7 p.m. (free event/free parking). This special evening of comedy and discussion on the state of diversity in America will be directed, produced, and hosted by Rick Najera. For nine years, Creative Director Rick Najera has spearheaded the renowned CBS Diversity Showcase, spawning numerous careers and opportunities for graduates of the programs going on to Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and other top network shows. For tickets, contact Connie Campos at OCILPA@vcccd.edu or by telephone at 805.986.5804.

Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement at CSU Channel Islands (CI)

Camarillo, CA - Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement at CSU Channel Islands (CI), has earned a prestigious statewide recognition for her impact on service-learning and campus-community partnerships throughout Ventura County and the CSU system. Pacheco received California Campus Compact’s 2014 Richard E. Cone Award for Excellence & Leadership in Cultivating Community Partnerships in Higher Education in January.

“We are grateful for Pilar’s leadership in furthering our work in California and we are pleased to highlight her exemplary work in the field of service-learning and civic engagement,” said Elaine Ikeda, Executive Director of California Campus Compact. “In addition to being a passionate and skillful community leader, she is a humble individual who has worked quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes to promote service-learning and community engaged scholarship to administrators, faculty, students and community partners, with impressive results.”

California Campus Compact is a coalition of leading colleges and universities working to advance civic and community engagement in higher education. The award, named after renowned USC civic engagement and service-learning expert Dick Cone, is presented annually to one individual who has helped create partnerships between institutions of higher education and communities where student learning and the quality of life in communities are simultaneously improved.

“Pilar’s leadership has CONTINUED »

On February 7, 2014, Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College received notification that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has reaffirmed accreditation for all three colleges. The decision to continue affirmation of accreditation was based on college midterm reports submitted to the ACCJC in October 2013. The ACCJC action letters and midterm reports are available for public viewing at www.vcccd.edu/accreditation.

“The Presidents and I are pleased that the colleges remain fully accredited and that we have responded to Commission recommendations successfully,” stated Chancellor Jamillah Moore, Ventura County Community College District. “It is the result of a team effort that involved many individuals and groups Districtwide.” Ventura College President Greg Gillespie commented, “This is exciting news for our campus. The reaffirmation of accreditation demonstrates our continued focus on student learning and improvement.”

The next comprehensive evaluation for accreditation is scheduled for October 2016. The District Board of Trustees expressed appreciation for staff’s hard work. Board Chair Art Hernández noted, “Although our next accreditation visit is not until 2016, the District and colleges are continuing to maintain compliance required by Commission Standards. Faculty and staff are committed to excellence in serving our students and the community.”

Elyn Saks

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A University of Southern California law professor will talk about her battle with schizophrenia and acute psychosis at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in California Lutheran University’s Lundring Event Center.

Elyn Saks, the author of “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness,” will discuss how she learned to control her symptoms, make peace with the voices in her heard and achieve success as a professor, writer and advocate for the mentally ill. She will sign copies of the 2007 memoir from 2 to 2:45 p.m. in the Pearson Library foyer. Light refreshments will be served during the book signing.

Saks was 8 when her first symptoms appeared in the form of obsessions and night terrors. She experienced her first full-blown episode with voices in her head and terrifying suicidal fantasies as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University. After a breakdown during her first term at Yale Law School that left her singing on the roof of the school library at midnight, she was taken to an emergency room, force-fed antipsychotic medication and tied to a hospital bed. She spent the next five months in a psychiatric ward and began her journey toward controlling her symptoms.

She was an attorney in Connecticut and an instructor at the University of Bridgeport School of Law before joining the USC law faculty in 1989. She is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at USC. She used the money she received as a 2009 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship “genius grant” to create the interdisciplinary Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics at the university.

Saks holds doctorates in law and psychoanalytic science and is an expert in mental health law, criminal law, and children and the law. Her recent research has focused on ethical dimensions of psychiatric research and forced treatment of people with mental illness. She has written several books in addition to her memoir including “Jekyll on Trial: Multiple Personality Disorder and Criminal Law,” “Refusing Care: Forced Treatment and the Rights of the Mentally Ill” and her most recent release, “Informed Consent to Psychoanalysis: The Law, the Theory, and the Data.”

CLU’s Pearson Library, Multicultural Programs Office, Campus Diversity Initiative and Center for Equality and Justice are sponsoring the free event.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center at
130 Overton Court on the Thousand Oaks campus. Pearson Library is at 135 Chapel Lane. For more information, contact Lala Badal at lbadal@callutheran or 805-493-3942.

Camarillo, CA - Explore the exciting possibilities for unmanned vehicles in a half-day symposium featuring expert speakers and robotic displays on the CSU Channel Islands (CI) campus. On Friday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 6 p.m., in the Grand Salon, CI will host the Channel Islands Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Micro-Symposium. The event is $25 for the public; free to CI students; and $20 for AUVSI members and CI faculty. Guests may register in advance at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/AUVSI.

AUVSI is a nonprofit organization advocating the advancement, application and utilization of unmanned systems in the tri-counties. The event will include expert panel sessions on unmanned vehicle applications in environmental, agricultural and tri-county business opportunities. Keynote remarks by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell of Camarillo will highlight the success of his Gold Team California economic development initiative. Elementary, high school and college students will present robotic displays. The event will conclude with a social hour.

Complimentary event parking is limited and only available in the designated parking lot. Once on campus, follow the directional signage to event parking; then follow the walking signage to the event location. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot with bus service to and from the campus. The cash-only bus fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

If you are interested in being an AUVSI Channel Islands Chapter event sponsor, please email mruavs@hotmail.com or call 805-816-0778. For additional CI information, contact Merissa Stith, CI Events Coordinator, at 805-437-8548 or merissa.stith@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

On 1/27 the FMS Intermediate Band was invited to participate in the Disney Music Performing Arts workshop. Seventy five band members went into a Disney recording studio and learned about music composition and design and how it is used throughout the park. After a presentation on melody, harmony, rhythm and tonal color, students were asked to develop their own music to become the accompanying sounds to a Disney ride. Students were divided into six groups. Each group chose a student conductor and collaborated to compose and arrange their parts. Next, each group got to record their short composition before listening and watching their performance on the big screen. It was a very fun and educational day for our developing musicians at Fillmore Middle School.

This summer California Lutheran University will open a Westlake Village center to house a new business incubator and provide expanded facilities for its Community Counseling Center and School of Management.

At the core of the nearly 18,000-square-foot facility will be a business incubator and coworking space for CLU students and the public. The space is the next step in CLU’s effort to expand entrepreneurship opportunities.

CLU’s graduate programs in entrepreneurship and economics and the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting will be relocated from the main campus in Thousand Oaks to the new center. Four classrooms and five offices will wrap around the coworking and incubation area to encourage interaction. As a coworking space, it will be designed to promote openness and collaboration. There will be a variety of areas for individual and collaborative work including a coffee bar and patios with fire pits.

CLU’s Community Counseling Center and Parent-Child Center will also move from the main campus to the new building. A state-of-the-art training facility for students earning graduate degrees in psychology is being designed. Unlike the current center, the new clinic will have one-way mirrors for student supervision and technology enabling classrooms to pick up live audio feeds from mediation sessions. The new space will also provide additional therapy rooms and more parking for staff, students and clients.

The Community Counseling CONTINUED »

CSU Channel Islands (CI) student Han Nguyen’s passion and talent for ceramic art has been rewarded with a scholarship and solo exhibition. The senior in CI’s Art Program won a Jeanne Ward Scholarship from the American Ceramic Society – Design Chapter of Southern California (ACS-DC) on Sunday and will open “Re-Imagining,” a month-long exhibition of her work, this week at CI’s Grad Wall Gallery in Napa Hall. The show kicks off with an opening reception Thursday, Jan. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“To have my work CONTINUED »