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California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB, LBSU or The Beach) is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California. Its street address is 1250 Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach, California, at the southern coastal tip of Los Angeles County, latitude 33.7815666, longitude -118.1147690 (Map). It is bounded by East 7th Street to the south, East Atherton Street to the north, Bellflower Boulevard to the west, and Palo Verde Avenue to the east. It is accessible by public tranportation, Long Beach Transit routes 81, 91, 92, 93, 94, 171, D and Zap 96; and by Orange County Transit routes 1, 50 and 60. It has its own zip code, 90840, even though it is physically located in the 90815 zip code.

It is ranked one of the top three public masters universities in the west by U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges Guide", for 2005 and 2006.

It is also one of west coast's top universities-master's institutions in student body diversity and home to the largest publicly funded art school west of the Mississippi. The university operates with the lowest student tuition fees in the country, at US$1,768 per student.

It was also ranked as the No. 3 best value public college in the nation by The Princeton Review. The campus is featured in the "Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges" list in the 2007 edition of its book America's Best Value Colleges, which was released on March 28, 2006. More than 30 factors were considered to rate the colleges in four categories: academics, tuition GPA (the sticker price minus average amount students receive in gift aid scholarships and grants), financial aid (how well colleges meet students' financial need) and student borrowing.

History

Established in 1949 by California Governor Earl Warren to serve the rapidly expanding post World War II population of Orange and Southern Los Angeles counties, CSULB has grown to be one of the state's largest and most well respected universities. At its inception, the institution was known as Los Angeles-Orange County State College. It consisted of 25 courses taught by 13 faculty members in two apartment buildings at 5381 Anaheim Road in Long Beach. In June 1950, the citizens of Long Beach voted overwhelmingly to purchase 320 acres for the use as a permanent campus by the college. The purchase price was nearly $1,000,000.

By 1960, the student body had skyrocketed to more than 10,000 students, and by 1966, that number would be 20,000. In 1962, LBSC changed its name to California State College at Long Beach in an effort unify with the state system and enhance its prestige.

In 1965, CSCLB hosted the first International Sculpture Symposium to be held in the United States and the first at a college or university. Six sculptors from around the world and two from the United States created many of the monumental sculptures seen today on the campus. The event received national media attention from newspapers around the country including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Art in America and a six-page color spread in Fortune Magazine.

The school acquired university status in 1972 along with 12 other state college campuses. The promotion was decided by the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, according to total enrollment, size of graduate programs, complexity and diversity of majors and number of doctorates held by faculty at each college. CSCLB became CSULB.

Also in 1972, the campus became the home of the largest library facility in the then 19-campus CSU system: a modern six-story building with a seating capacity of nearly 4,000 students.

In 1995, President Robert Maxson initiated the privately funded President's Scholars Program providing selected qualified California high school valedictorians and National Merit finalists and semi-finalists with a full four-year scholarship package which includes tuition, a book stipend, and housing. Since the program's inception more than 600 students have accepted the scholarship.

As of Fall 2004, CSULB had approximately 34,566 students in attendance, making it the most populous campus of the CSU system and the second largest university in California.

Puvunga

The campus is believed to be the location of an ancient Tongva village and burial site known as Puvunga and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as such. CSULB has challenged this designation, claiming they were not consulted when the application was filed. From 1992 to 1995, when the university attempted to build a strip mall on the last undeveloped portion of the campus, the Tongva people filed a lawsuit and initiated protest which involved physically occupying the land day and night to stave off bulldozers.* There were also lawsuits between Dr. Keith Dixon, professor emeritus of anthropology, the university, and the Tongva people concerning the improper storage of aboriginal remains and artifacts. All matters were put to rest when President Maxson promised that as long as he was president no development would occur at the site. He further stated he did not wish to make a more permanent agreement because he did not want to tie the hands of future administrations. To date, no development has occurred on this portion of the campus although as the university population has increased, this decision may be revisited since the portion of undeveloped land is quite prominent.

Academics

The university has seven academic colleges plus an Interdisciplinary Studies program.

The College of the Arts is the largest college within the university.

The university's educational goals reflect its large population of students and faculty. There are numerous classes and majors. Liberal Arts and Sciences represent the general education core, while a variety of classes make up General Education electives; students rarely study the same subjects but all GE classes focus on the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

Impacted majors

The university has several impacted majors, majors in which the university receives more applications than there is space to accommodate. Impacted majors are authorized to use supplementary admission criteria and/or higher admission standards then the CSU minimum requirements in considering applicants to the program. These criteria are applied equally to continuing CSULB students and entering upper-division transfer students.

List of impacted majors as of Fall 2005

Student life

The campus presents over 350 events annually, welcoming more than 150,000 patrons annually to the performance halls, conferences, and exhibit venues. The Student Union, located at the center of campus contains an eight lane bowling alley, arcade, nine pool tables, a movie theater, a recreational swimming pool and several eateries.

Associated students

Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) is the student government of the campus. Is is a non profit corporation which represents the interest of the student body and operates the University Student Union (USU), the Isabel Paterson Child Development Center and the Recycling Center. In addition the ASI sponsors a number of campus events and activities through mandatory student fees.

Union Weekly and The Daily 49er

The university has two official newspapers: The Union Weekly and The Daily 49er. The oldest paper is the Daily 49er, which is run by CSULB's Journalism Department. The Union has been a part of the Cal State Long Beach campus since 1977, when it was formed in response to the Daily 49er. The student run Union Weekly is an alternative voice on campus and features a satirical section.

KKJZ 88.1 FM

CSULB is the home of KKJZ 88.1 FM. The station is one of the highest rated jazz stations in the United States and the only public radio station in Los Angeles dedicated to the presentation and promotion of all genres of jazz including mainstream, bebop, Swing, latin jazz, and blues. The station also broadcast from University of Redlands at KUOR 89.1 FM.

KBeach Internet Radio

KBeach is a student-run internet stream that has had a presence on campus in various forms since the 1970s. The independent and mainstream music channel is streamed over the internet and piped into the student union.

Pow Wow

Every year since 1970 during the first weekend of March the university host the largest pow-wow in Southern California. This free two day event, which attracts more then 6,000 persons each year, features Native American dancing, arts, craft and delicious native foods.

Campus

The campus spans 323 acres (1.3 km²) across 84 buildings and is located 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It has its own U.S. Postal Zip code: 90840.

The architecture of the campus is mostly of the International style and is very minimalist, placing emphasis instead on the landscaping that surrounds it. This naturalistic, park-like layout has earned the campus numerous design awards, as well as other awards from gardening societies for its immaculately maintained grounds. Even the newer buildings are built in a very restrained glass-and-brick style. The integration of landscaping and architecture is perhaps most apparent at the school's theater complex, where a dense grove of ficus trees is planted in such a way that it forms a continuation of the pillar-supported canopy at the theater's entrance. The University's registration offices are located in the open courtyard of Brotman Hall, which is "roofed" by a similar jungle-like canopy. The Psychology building is also notable for its soaring, airy courtyard planted with tall Eucalyptus trees.

The student commons building is one of the largest on any campus in California, a sprawling two-story glass building that contains, among other things, a fast-food restaurant and a bowling alley.

There are eighteen residence halls which are divided into five communities: Parkside, Residence, Los Alamitos, Los Cerritos, and the International House. The unique International House pairs international students with U.S. residents.

The campus is home to the renowned University Art Museum that ranks in the top 10% of the nation´s 6,000 plus museums. *

The University is also home to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. This quiet retreat is a place of solitude and beauty. It features a large pond loaded with Koi. *

49er basketball and volleyball are currently played in the eighteen story pyramid, The Walter Pyramid (formerly known as the Long Beach Pyramid) located on the lower campus. The Pyramid can accommodate over 5000 fans when including temporary seating and standing room. Two sections of interior stands are fitted with large hydraulic lifts which lift the seating element forty-five degrees into the air creating room for five volleyball courts or three basketball courts. The Pyramid is also the location for the Southern California Summer Pro League, which is a showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players. [http://www.summerproleague.com/

Athletics

Long Beach has 18 sports teams and plays competitively in: baseball, cross country, softball, track and field, and women's soccer as well as both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf teams. The university is a founding member of the Big West Conference.

At least one Long Beach State athlete has participated in every single Summer Olympic Games since 1954, five years after the schools founding.

In the realm of sports the school is referred to as "Long Beach State." The official name of Long Beach State sports teams is "The 49ers" in honor of the year the university was founded and for the prospectors of the California Gold Rush one hundred years before then. Unofficially, "The Beach" is used to refer to Long Beach State and its teams as it is the only university on the West Coast with the word "Beach" in its name. One can see the cheer "Go Beach!" written on many CSULB products around campus and on a large water tower near the entrance to the campus.

Unlike all other LB Sports teams since 1989 the baseball team has unofficially gone under the moniker "The Dirtbags." The school has produced a number of prominent professional players including Jason Giambi and Bobby Crosby.

Long Beach has had a number of nationally prominent coaches, including George Allen in football, Jerry Tarkanian and Lute Olson in men's basketball and Jon Urbanchek and Don Gambril in swimming.

Long Beach State is home to one of the top women's volleyball teams in the nation. Seasonally ranked in the top 25, every year the team prepares for one of the most competitive schedules in women's volleyball. Long Beach has won three national titles in women's volleyball and one in men's volleyball. In 1998 the team took national No.1 rank from Penn State and went on to win NCAA finals as well as world finals against China claiming World No.1. CSULB Men's volleyball, played for the 2004 NCAA National Championship and finished 2nd in the nation. In 2004, Misty May won the Gold Medal in Beach Volleyball. This has led many to call Long Beach "Volleyball U".

In 1991, Long Beach State played its last season of NCAA Division 1-A Football.

Alma Mater

Alma Mater Hail to Thee
And We Pledge Our Loyalty
To the College of Our Choice
Thee We Serve With Hand and Voice
Now and in the Future Bright
Citadel of Truth and Right
Honor, Glory and Renown
All are Thine Dear Gold and Brown

(In the Spring of 2000, by student vote, the official school colors were changed from Gold and Brown to Gold and Black.)

Notable faculty

  • Dr. Kevin B. MacDonald: Professor of Psychology, Noted author of seven books on evolutionary psychology and child development
  • Dr. Maulana Karenga: Former Head of Black Studies Dept, author and activist best known as the founder of the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa
  • Ron Young: Sculpture Professor, artist, author and world renowned patination expert
  • Dr. Karen Klienfielder: Head of Art History Dept. Author and expert of the works of Pablo Picasso.
  • Chris Miles: Noted art critic
  • Gerald Locklin: Prolific poet. Letters to/from Charles Bukowski are archived at the CSULB Library
  • Stephen Cooper: Creative Writing professor and premier John Fante scholar.
  • Kristine Forney: Author of numerous books and textbooks about music. Her works have been translated to over thirty languages.
  • Will Murray: Absolutely amazing juggler, see his segment in Things You Can't Do 2 Produced by Ivan Pecel

Notable alumni

Entertainment

Music

Politics

Sports

Visual arts

External links

Colleges and Departments On Campus Activities / Groups Other Links


California State University, Long Beach | California State University | Long Beach, California | Los Angeles area colleges and universities | Registered Historic Places in California | Universities and colleges in California | Film schools | Design schools | Art schools in the United States | Big West Conference | 1949 establishments | Western Association of Schools and Colleges

 

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