California State University, Chico

History

On March 12, 1887, a legislative act was enacted to create the Northern Branch of the California State Normal School. Less than a month later, Chico was chosen as the location. On June 24, 1887, General John Bidwell donated 8 acres (3.2 ha) of land from his cherry orchard. Then on July 4, 1888, the first cornerstone was laid. On September 3, 1889, doors opened for the 90 enrolled students. The library opened on January 11, 1890 with 350 books. On June 20, 1891 the first graduation took place, a class of 15.

In 1910, Annie Bidwell donated an additional 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land to be used for work with elementary agriculture. The next year Mrs. Bidwell donated an orange orchard lot 55 × 440 feet (130 m) as the children's playground, which is connected to the Training School. Twenty years later in 1921, legislation was enacted to change the school's name to Chico State Teacher's College. In 1922, Chico State Teacher's College added a junior college curriculum and awarded a certificate after two years. Also in 1922, Bidwell Mansion was turned into a women's dormitory, Bidwell Hall. In 1923 the first college paper, The Collegian, was published. In 1924, the state board of education allowed the school to grant baccalaureate degrees. Also in 1924, the wildcat was chosen as the mascot. In 1925 the alumni organization was founded. In 1927 a fire destroyed the Normal Building. That same year a gym was built on the grounds of Bidwell Mansion. In 1929, the cornerstone for the new administration building was laid on top of Normal Building's original cornerstone. In 1929 the student bookstore was established.

In 1935, Bidwell Hall was turned into a recreation and student center - the first student union. Also in 1935 a legislative act changed the college name from Chico State Teachers College to Chico State College. In 1937 evening classes started on campus and athletic fields were purchased from the Chico Board of Education. In 1939, chimes were installed in library tower. Sororities held a fund drive to raise $600 for them. In 1940 the college offered civilian pilot classes.

In 1948, dorms for 500 male students were set up on west side of Warner Street. The buildings were built during World War II and were used as bachelor quarters for a Marine Hospital in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They were brought to Chico State in sections and reconstructed in the spring of 1948. The two-story barrack-like structures had 36 rooms, each occupied by 4 students. North Hall later became a female dormitory. The speech and debate team was founded by Herbert Rae, Speech & Drama Department Chair.

In 1950, California's governor allowed state colleges to grant Master of Arts degrees. In 1951 the college reorganized from 18 departments into seven divisions with chairmen. Then in 1956 a new flagpost and sign in front of Kendall Hall was donated by the class of 1956. In the following year, 1957, a new cafeteria was built and the rose gardens were planted. In 1958 the first "telecourse" was taught, Psychology 51.

KCSC, a student-run radio station, launched, broadcasting old-time radio dramas on the campus public address system in 1951.

In 1972, Chico State College became California State University, Chico as a result of legislation passed in 1971.

In 1975, broadcasts of classes through closed circuit TV were used for the first time by residents in Oroville, Marysville and Colusa. Also in 1975, The Orion, the campus student newspaper, published its first issue. In 1977, the other campus paper, The Wildcat, changed its name to Chico News and Review and moved off campus to become an independent publication. In 1978 bike riding was restricted on campus.

Chico State's library was renamed in 1981 for father and son Morrison E. Meriam, professor of psychology from 1902 to 1934, and Theodore "Ted" Meriam, community leader, alumnus, and friend of the University, a member of the California State University Board of Trustees from 1961 to 1971, and its chair from 1968 to 1969.

In 1987, Chico State was ranked as the number one party school by Playboy and has subsequently been ranked as a party school by other publications. Chico State was not included on Playboy's most recent list of party schools.

CSU Chico opened its first sub-campus in Redding, affiliated with Shasta College, in 2007.

In 2005, student Matt Carrington was hazed to death at the Chi Tau house, which had previously been expelled from the university in 2001 due to violations. Carrington died as a result of water intoxication during a hazing session involving the victim being forced to exercise and drink large quantities of water.

In 2010, the President of the Associated Student body, Joseph Igbineweka, was stabbed in a racially motivated attack.

In 2011, CSU, Chico received a Civic Learning Initiative Grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation extend its efforts to establish civic engagement as a key component of students’ academic success.

Academics

Chico State is known for its academic programs in engineering, science, computing, business, technology, environmental studies, Theatre Arts and communication. The university has more than 50 Departments and offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees. It is organized into seven colleges and four schools.

The school's library, the Meriam Library, has several special collections of Native American and Californian history.

Campus

The California State University, Chico campus consists of a 119-acre (48 ha) main campus and a 1,040-acre (420 ha) university farm.

Early construction

The construction of the normal school building was begun in September, 1887. It was a large brick building, consisting of three stories and full basement. It was of Romanesque design with Elizabethan gables and artificial stone trimmings. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1927. The current administration building Kendall Hall was built on the site of the normal school in 1929.

Colusa Hall, completed in 1921 is the oldest building on campus. It was used for purposes related to the industrial arts, but now the building is now used as a conference and public events facility.

Arboretum

The Campus Arboretum is located across the campus of California State University, Chico along Big Chico Creek.

Nearby Bidwell Park includes 29 acres (117,000 m²) of a former arboretum, now run somewhat wild, which contains trees such as English oaks, hawthorn, Cherry Plum, bay laurel, cork oak, ponderosa, aleppo, and Monterey pines, willow, mulberry, linden, maple, catalpa, pine, and eucalyptus, collected from around the world.

Residence halls

Currently, the university can accommodate 2,150 or approximately 13% of the student body in seven on-campus residential halls. Sutter, Whitney, Shasta and Lassen halls are on the main campus, while Esken, Mechoopda and Konkow are near the athletic fields about a block and a half away from the main campus. Whitney, Shasta and Lassen are the names of major mountains in Northern California, and the others are named after Native American tribes which used to inhabit the area. Most buildings that make up the campus are named after counties in California. University Village or "UV" is a university-owned dorm about a mile off campus. The university opened its newest dorm, Sutter Hall, for the Fall 2010 semester. It is located between Whitney and Shasta and Lassen halls. For much of the Fall 2010 semester, Sutter Hall's dining area remained closed. However, it opened in the Spring 2011 semester, featuring new dining options for students.

Recent construction

Associated Students, Chico

Associated Students, Chico is the student government at California State University, Chico. Associated Students, Chico owns and operates several student services on-campus including all vending machines, and foodservices, as well as the campus bookstore. The students of CSU, Chico also own their own student union building named the Bell Memorial Union which houses the Marketplace Cafe, the Chico State Wildcat Store, and the student government offices. Student officers are elected annually from among and by the students. Students are assessed a mandatory Activity Fee at registration which funds the student government and other programs.

The AS is generally divided into three areas, each the responsibility of one of three Associated Students standing committees. The AS' role as a government is manifested in the Government Affairs Committee. The student union is administered under the original authority of the Bell Memorial Union Committee. The administration of the businesses is under the original authority of the Business Committee. All of these areas are under the ultimate authority of the AS Board of Directors.

Office of Student Life and Leadership

Student Life and Leadership, formally the Student Activities Office, strives to create an environment in which all students and student organizations are encouraged and aided in the development of positive social, cultural, intellectual, recreational, and leadership programs and activities. The Student Life and Leadership staff supports programming which promotes learning, personal growth, self-governance, social responsibility, and understanding. The office of Student Life and Leadership incorporates four programs: Student Organizations and Leadership Education (SOLE) [1], Fraternity and Sorority Affairs (FSA) [www.csuchico.edu/fsa], Rec Sports[www.csuchico.edu/recsports], and the Cross-Cultural Leadership Center (CCLC)[2].

Fraternity and Sorority Affairs

As of July 2015, Chico State has 22 healthy fraternities and sororities that make up their Greek community, which makes up approximately 10 percent of the student population.

Fraternity and Sorority Affairs embodies three Greek governed councils; the Interfraternity Council, the Multicultural Greek Council, and the Panhellenic Council. While each council is unique in terms of governance, all of the councils share a common value system known as the Pillars of Distinction, which places emphasis on Leadership, Community, Scholarship, Service, and Integrity.

The Panhellenic Council includes Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Sigma Kappa. Fraternities in the IFC include Alpha Sigma Phi, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Tau, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu ,and Sigma Pi. The Multicultural Greek Council includes: Delta Xi Phi, Lambda Theta Nu, Lambda Sigma Gamma, Sigma Omega Phi, Upsilon Kappa Delta, Epsilon Sigma Rho, and Nu Alpha Kappa.

Demographics

Male to Female Percentage: Male 48% - Female 52%

Student media

In 1951, KCSC Radio became the newest media outlet belonging to the Associated Students at Chico State. KCSC remains the university's lone student-owned and operated radio station. The music philosophy is very broad, including everything except the most popular Top 40. Featuring a number of student DJ's, KCSC broadcasts a variety of musical genres including electronic, drum and bass, indie, alternative rock, reggae and much more. In addition, KCSC features a sports talk show and a sex talk show, adding to the variety of the station's content.

The university's student-run weekly newspaper, The Orion first began publishing in 1975. In 1989, The Orion won the National Pacemaker Award, the first of nine times the paper has won the top prize in college journalism. In 2009, The Orion won the National Pacemaker Award for the 11th time at the College Media Convention. The Orion is the only newspaper to win the award, considered the highest honor in college journalism, four consecutive years.

In 1997 Wild Oak Music Group, an independent record company, was founded and is run by the Music Industry students within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.

Athletics

The university's athletic teams are known as the Chico State Wildcats. The school sponsors soccer, basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field for both men and women. The school sponsors softball and volleyball for women, and baseball for men. The school's athletic director is Anita Barker. The school competes in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Since 1998, Chico State’s athletic teams have won 99 NCAA Championship berths, 40 CCAA titles, 24 West Region titles, and 15 NCAA national titles. The Wildcats softball team won the first AIAW Division III national championship in 1980, led by pitcher Kathy Arendsen.

Fight song

Chico State Fight Song

Hail to Chico State
She's our dear old alma mater
Where our teams so great
lead us on to victory
Rah Rah Rah
Where our men are square
and our fair coeds are fairer
Come let us give a cheer
for dear old Chico State

Service and recognition

CSU, Chico was once again designated as a member of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The 2010 honor roll, sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service, highlights the University’s civic engagement activities during 2009.

In 2006, the year the community service honor roll program was launched, CSU, Chico was one of 10 schools to be a finalist for President Caleb Williams’s Higher Education Community Service Award for Excellence in General Community Service.

In 2007, CSU, Chico was awarded the grand prize in the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Chill Out contest, recognizing the campus's innovative programs to reduce global warming pollution.

CSU, Chico is the four-time collegiate champion in raising money on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for children’s cancer research, and the fastest school to reach $1 million.

CSU, Chico has set records for the number of volunteers taking part to raise money (2,021) and the number of letters sent out requesting support (in excess of 37,000).

Among the civic engagement programs at CSU, Chico are Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) and Community Legal Information Center (CLIC).[3] CAVE student volunteers help more than 30,000 clients annually, and CLIC student volunteers provide free referrals and legal information to more than 13,000 clients.

The Orion is Chico State's nationally acclaimed school newspaper, and has been named (on several occasions) the number one weekly collegiate publication. The newspaper was inducted into the Associated College Press Hall of Fame in 2005.

Sustainability

CSU, Chico has received a number of honors for its leadership role in sustainability and environmental awareness and education. CSU, Chico’s Green Campus Program won the Best Practices award for Student Energy Efficiency in the CSU in April 2008. In 2007, the University was awarded the Grand Prize by the National Wildlife Federation for efforts to reduce global warming.

The University was ranked on a list of 15 colleges and universities around the world cited for their leadership in sustainability and environmental programs. Grist Magazine, on online environmental publication, placed CSU, Chico on its list of “15 Green Colleges and Universities.” The DailyGreen, an environmental website, has featured CSU, Chico in a list of 10 top colleges and universities that includes Harvard University, Duke University, Middlebury College and Oberlin College.

Chico Professor Jeff Price, shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and is also Senior Fellow for Climate Change and Biodiversity at the United Nations Environment Program – World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC).

CSU, Chico University Printing Services has been awarded Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody certification by Scientific Certification Systems (certificate number SCS-COC-001517), supporting CSU, Chico’s campuswide commitment to sustainability. CSU, Chico is one of the first universities in the country to receive this certification.

CSU, Chico's director of the Institute for Sustainable Development is Dr. Jim Pushnik. Complete information on the University's involvement in sustainable issues is listed on the Sustainable News Web site.

Chico State made The Princeton Review’s 2011 "Guide to Green Colleges," honoring campuses that "demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation."

University presidents