President's Agenda

President Tomás D. Morales regularly engages with the local community, university partners, legislative representatives and educational leaders worldwide to champion CSUSB and its mission.

As this edition of CSUSB Magazine was being finalized, our University continued to deal with challenges presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In May, the CSU announced all member institutions next fall will provide instruction virtually with limited exceptions. As always, our top priority at CSUSB is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff. Everything we do and all decisions are made with that commitment as the starting point. However, our educational mission is unchanged. CSUSB is not closed; we continue to offer quality education, responsive assistance and experiential opportunities to all our students. Our faculty made the transition quickly and translated their courses for virtual delivery while maintaining their student-centered focus. Our staff continued to serve from remote locations, providing the support and resources our students need to succeed. And our Division of Information Technology Services facilitated the switch to virtual learning with information, expanded access and patient instruction.

Tomás D. Morales President

There is encouraging news. During the spring quarter – our last before switching to the semester system next fall – we experienced higher enrollment than we did the previous spring despite the switch to remote instruction. In addition, while the deadline for deposits for fall semester 2020 was extended until June 1, projections indicate CSUSB will meet all its enrollment targets. It is difficult knowing our new and continuing students will not begin the year with the full range of college experiential opportunities. That includes meetings, lectures, artistic and cultural performances, intercollegiate athletic events and community service efforts. We are hopeful that each day will bring improved conditions, new advancements, expanded testing and the possibility of returning to an open campus in 2021. I urge all of our alumni, supporters, donors and friends to continue your relationship with CSUSB and maintain your Coyote pride. I firmly believe that when we look back on this time, we will take great pride in what, together, we achieved in the face of such tremendous adversity. I hope you enjoy exploring this issue. I know you will be impressed and inspired by how, at CSUSB, We Define The Future.

President Morales part of program to promote higher education

President Morales was one of several education leaders from the inland region who were part of the launching of the College Next Inland Empire program, a collaboration of K-12 school districts, the California Community College District and the California State University to promote the importance of higher education and help make the route to college more accessible and easier to attain. As part of the kickoff, Morales and the other leaders participated in a video highlighting the partnership as they talked about the program’s goal to remove barriers to success and support students in setting and achieving their goals for life after high school. The program is powered by resources provided by the California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI), which manages CaliforniaColleges.edu, the state of California’s college- and career-planning platform.

College education focus of talk by CSUSB president at Riverside church

President Morales visited Allen Chapel AME church in Riverside on Feb. 23 to share with congregants a simple message on the importance of a college education for their children and for themselves. “Those of you who started college and for some reason had to leave or perhaps always wanted to go to college – don’t give up on that dream,” Morales said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are.” The president was among the CSU leaders and other CSUSB administrators who visited African American churches throughout the state as part of the California State University’s 15th annual Super Sunday outreach to encourage the pursuit of a college education, especially in the African American community. This year’s Super Sunday theme was “College Is Within Your Reach … and It Powers Opportunity.” Morales told the congregants that “it’s never too late to go back to college. My mother went back when she was 39 years old. She was a high school dropout when she started her higher education journey. I would not be here before you if she hadn’t been my role model.” He urged them to make sure that when their children are entering high school, that they are enrolled in the A-G precollege curriculum to ensure they would be eligible for admission to a CSU or a University of California campus. More than a million people have attended Super Sunday outreach efforts over the last 15 years.

CSU Super Sunday is one of many events supported by the CSU community to increase the preparation, retention and graduation of African American students.

President Morales speaker at IE Latino Economic & Policy Summit

President Morales joined other inland region leaders at the inaugural Inland Empire Latino Economic & Policy Summit held on Nov. 22 in Ontario. The summit focused on the economic mobility challenges and policy barriers faced by Latinos in the inland region and the state. Of the 4.5 million people who live in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, 2.3 million of them are Latinos. The discussion included public policy concerning education, housing and the future of work that disproportionately affects the Latino community. Morales served on a panel focusing on education. The panel session topic was “Latino College Access & Success – Determining the Future of the Inland Empire.”

CSUSB president named to co-chair Inland Empire Recovery Research Team

President Morales was named co-chair of the Economic Recovery Research Team, which is part of the recently created Inland Empire Business and Employment Recovery Task Force that was formed to help the inland region deal with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Morales will serve with fellow co-chair University of California, Riverside Chancellor Kim Wilcox in leading the research team. The task force, which was created by the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, also consists of an Economic Recovery Team and a Workforce Recovery Team. Members of the task force will include leaders from the business, government, education and labor sectors.

ASSCU-CCIEE delegation members visit CSUSB

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (ASSCU) and the China Center for International Educational Exchanges (CCIEE), two significant partners of Cal State San Bernardino, visited the campus in mid-December to meet with President Morales, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs Shari McMahan, and other CSUSB representatives. During the three-day visit, a dozen AASCU-CCIEE delegation participants – made up mostly of university leadership from CCIEE member institutions – were introduced to international education at CSUSB and the services the university provides to international students and scholars. Numerous presentations were given, including one about the TESOL program and another about the international activity on the CSUSB campus. CSUSB and AASCU-CCIEE also explored opportunities for collaboration.