Provost Newsletter

January 2022

Provost’s Message

Hello Colleagues,
I hope you enjoyed a restful, rejuvenating break and are ready for the spring semester. As President Beck has communicated, out of an abundance of caution, CSUN will begin the spring with temporary, primarily remote instruction for the first three weeks of the semester, Monday, January 24 through Friday, February 11. (See this webpage for additional information.) We hope to keep the campus population a bit lower while transmission rates of Covid are so high. I am confident that we will have a strong, successful start to the semester, regardless of modality. Each of you has demonstrated throughout this pandemic that you are resilient, creative, strong and have an unwavering focus on supporting or delivering a quality education to CSUN students. Once the surge subsides, and with protocols in place and our high vaccination rates (89% for students and 91% for employees), we will all look forward to safe, in-person instruction.

I am so grateful for all you have done and continue to do for our students and for CSUN, and I know everyone is looking forward to a return to in-person instruction on February 14. In the meantime, enjoy this issue of the newsletter and take good care of yourself.

Mary Beth Walker, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Latest Academic News

Congratulations to Dr. Denise Sandoval: 2022 Jerome Richfield Memorial Fellow

Research and Sponsored Programs is pleased to announce that Dr. Denise Sandoval has been named the 2022 Jerome Richfield Memorial Fellow. Dr. Sandoval's work investigates the cultural practice of lowriding in the U.S. that emerged out of Black and Brown communities in the Southwest.

Read the full message.

CSUN Takes Pride in CDIP Fellows

CSUN is proud to be the sponsor of 15 of the 71 Fellows in the Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) for 2021-22. CDIP Fellows are doctoral students from other universities who are mentored at CSUN, receive financial support, and prepare for an academic career at CSUN. Ultimately, CDIP is a pipeline for diverse faculty who demonstrate a commitment to our students and our mission.

Read the full message.

Research, Scholarly & Creative Activity Awards for 2022-23

The Each year, the CSU Chancellor's Office provides funding to the 23 campuses for faculty research, scholarship and creative activity. The deadline for this award cycle is 5 pm, February 21st. For additional information, visit this Research and Sponsored Programs webpage.

Road Map to the Future

Steering Committee Prepares for "Engage" Phase

In Fall 2021, President Beck charged the Road Map Steering Committee to co-create the future of CSUN through an inclusive, transparent campus engagement process, facilitating multiple paths for listening, learning and feedback. Led by Provost Mary Beth Walker, Road Map will:

establish priorities and create flexibility for emergent opportunities;
hold space for bridging across differences and disruptive thinking;
and model the values of inclusive excellence throughout the process --diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging.

The Steering Committee is conducting its work in three phases: Design, Engage, and Synthesize. The Committee is now wrapping up the Design phase, during which it planned how to approach data collection and held several Town Hall meetings to gather ideas for the Engagement phase. Over the next few months, the Committee, which includes a broad section of the CSUN community, will facilitate more town halls, conversations and surveys aimed at identifying strategic directions that emanate from our unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence.

Be sure to look for opportunities to get involved, share your ideas, and make a difference for CSUN. Announcements of town halls, meetings and survey links will be sent soon! Your input and participation is vital to take CSUN to the next level and transform our future. See this webpage for more information.