The Project

CSUN Alumni has partnered with the Oral History Project to create something special for all Matadors! Representatives from the Oral History Project will be reaching out to alumni like you by postcard, email and phone in the coming weeks to get your CSUN story. Alumni experiences will help build a special CSUN history book.

Your story is part of CSUN history, and we want to know how your alma mater has impacted you.

The Oral History Project is looking for stories about career success, love stories, first-generation graduate stories, or any story you want to share about CSUN or how CSUN influenced your life.

Have You Moved?

As part of this project, we are also taking this opportunity to help make it easier for you to stay connected to CSUN. PCI will help us collect updated contact information from those of you who may have moved and inadvertently lost touch with your alma mater.

PCI Partnership

With our limited resources, we'd never be able to tackle a project like this. By partnering with PCI, we're able to access their trained staff of real, live human beings who are excited to listen to what you have to share. PCI will also help collect and assemble the stories into the Matadors Memories book that we can share with all CSUN Alumni.

Do I Have to Buy Something?

No. This project is being done at NO COST to the CSUN Alumni Association. The project is completely funded by the alumni who choose to purchase the Matador Memories book that will be produced at the end of the project. Various book packages will be offered. PCI will also offer you the option to purchase other CSUN Alumni branded merchandise. You are welcome to purchase these items, but you are not required to do so to participate in the project or order the Matador Memories book. Again, we'd never be able to embark on a project like this without the support of our amazing alumni and the partnership with PCI. We sincerely thank every person that participates and chooses to purchase the book.

What's Next?

Soon you will be receiving email and postcard communications from the PCI team with instructions on how to participate. We'd like to invite you to share one of your stories with us and take part in this first-of-its-kind project to honor the experiences and voices of our alumni. The PCI team will collect stories throughout 2021. After that, they will enter a post-production phase editing the data. We hope to have the book distributed in late summer 2022.

We look forward to hearing from each and every one of you regarding your memories of CSUN.

Contact Information

If you have any other questions regarding the project, please reach out to PCI customer service desk at 1-866-647-3130 or the CSUN Alumni Office at alumni@csun.edu or 818-677-2786.

FAQs

I received an email/postcard/phone call from a company asking for my personal information and a story about California State University, Northridge. Is this a legitimate project or is it a scam?

It’s legit! We have partnered with PCI (also known as Publishing Concepts) to produce an Oral History Publication for CSUN. PCI is a family owned business based in Dallas, TX that has published directories for educational institutions, fraternities, sororities, and military organizations across the nation for almost 100 years. This project allows CSUN to hear about your personal experiences and explain how CSUN has helped shape your lives.

Does CSUN benefit from this at all?

Yes, in a few different ways:

Updated Information – allows us to effectively communicate with and engage alumni
Legacy – preserves the history of our school
Revenue – generates non-dues revenue for alumni programs
Pride – wearing apparel shows support and love for our school

How do I know my information will only be used for Oral History Project purposes?

PCI is committed to protecting your information. The names, addresses and information provided to PCI for the publication of the Oral History Project will be held confidential by PCI, except to the extent that they are utilized in, or in the preparation of, the Oral History Project and except as required by court order or law. Upon completion of the project, PCI will redact PII (Personal Identifiable information) from any and all electronic files that we have supplied or were produced by PCI in connection with the production of the Oral History Project.

I would like to verify or update my information and share a story. How may I do this?

If you have received a postcard or an email with a telephone number, you may call the number to speak with a dedicated representative for the Oral History Project. The representative will verify all the information we have on file for you, make any updates where needed, then ask you to share your story about your time at CSUN. Your story will be recorded and the sound clip provided to CSUN at the conclusion of the project.
If you have received an email with an embedded link, you may go to the online site to review your information and submit a story.
If you did not receive a postcard or email, you may call the dedicated CSUN update line at 1-800-829-8359.

What happens when I call PCI?

PCI will verify your contact information
They will ask you about your CSUN experience
PCI will invite you to purchase the Oral History Project book and CSUN gear

Note: You do not need to buy anything to participate.

What will they ask me?

They will ask you a variety of questions which may include:

What inspired you to attend CSUN/Valley State
How has CSUN impacted your life?
Were you on campus during a historical moment?
How did your CSUN experience empower you?
What does CSUN mean to you?

Can I choose what information prints in the publication?

When you call to update your information, you can tell the representative if you prefer any of your information be excluded. You can also communicate your preferences to PCI’s customer service helpdesk at 1-800-982-1590 / customerservice@publishingconcepts.com or to the Office of Alumni Relations & Engagement directly.

I updated my information but need some more time to think about what experience to share.

You can call back at any time to share your story.

I shared a story and the representative said I could send some photos. How do I do this?

You will receive an email with a link to upload up to two photos (black and white or color) plus captions.

If you have also purchased a book but do not have an email address on file, you will be sent a photo mailer to send physical photos in to be printed (note: photos will be returned if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope).

What items are available for purchase, and what are the costs?

(state sales tax added where applicable)

Item	Price	S&H	Total
Loyalty Package: Hardbound Book, Digital Publication, T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Travel Bag, Complimentary Cap	$399.98	$39.98	$439.96
Pride Package: Hardbound Book, Digital Publication, T-shirt, Sweatshirt, Complimentary Cap	$299.98	$29.98	$329.96
Value Package: Hardbound + Digital Publication	$239.98	$19.98	$259.96
Hardbound Book	$159.98	$19.98	$179.96
Digital Publication	$159.98	$0	$159.98
Apparel (ash grey sweatshirt & t-shirt)	$89.98	$12.98	$102.96
Travel Bag	$119.98	$19.98	$139.96
Logoed Cap (free with Loyalty or Pride Package, also available as add-on)	$19.98	$7.98	$27.96

What will this book look like?

While we won't know the exact layout of the book until all alumni stories are recorded, here are examples of what university publications from the Oral History Project:

Can anyone purchase a book?

The CSUN Oral History Publication is available for sale only to CSUN alumni.

When will I receive my book?

The total duration of the Oral History Project is about 12 months. Since we began the project in August 2021, the books will be distributed in August/Sept 2022

I ordered a book / package over the phone and would like to cancel my order. How do I do this?

Contact PCI’s customer service helpdesk at 1-800-982-1590 and they will take care of this for you.

Alumni

User menu

Navigation