The university library kicked off this year's Common Read in front of Kellogg Library on Thursday, Aug. 29, by giving students free books that are a part of this year's selected material.  For the third straight year, Cal State San Marcos is bringing attention to banned books. Common Read annually gives students an opportunity to connect with and grow understanding of other communities.  This year's selected books focus on African American, Latinx, Asian American, American Indian, LGBTQ and other characters, or challenge the status quo. These books are some of the thousands that have been banned across schools and libraries in America. Many of the books banned center around marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQIA persons and people of color.   Banned Books Week takes place at the end of the month, and CSUSM’s library will be hosting several events that coincide with the week.  This year's five Common Read books that the committee selected include: “Baddawi” by Leila Abdelrazaq “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison “An Indigenous People's History of the United States” by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi “V for Vendetta” by Alan Moore “It’s important for students to know that books are being banned here in California, not just in faraway places, and what that means for them,” said Allison Carr, CSUSM’s academic transitions librarian. “Reading books written by diverse authors opens up our perspectives to different lived experiences, which build empathy. Books written by authors from historically marginalized groups are disproportionately targeted for censorship to keep people from building that empathy, which keeps us divided.” This year's Banned Books Week will take place Sept. 23-27, and the library will have another book giveaway on Sept. 24. There will also be a Graphic Book Novel Club meeting on Sept. 26 where students can attend a discussion about the history of censorship of comic books and graphic novels. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Cal State San Marcos was ranked 27th out of 200 colleges listed in Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck: West” rankings. For this ranking, the magazine looked at social mobility, research, and community and national service. CSUSM also placed 38th in Washington Monthly ranking of 589 colleges that award a significant number of master’s degrees.  CSUSM was also ranked a Tier 1 school in Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index, which highlights schools that are among the nation’s best at social mobility. The Tier 1 ranking goes to universities that perform the best at providing economic benefits to students who need them the most. The EMI uses data from the most recent College Scorecard combined with data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.  CSUSM is ranked second in California by Teacher Certification Degrees, a leading education resource, for schools that provide the most affordable Master of Education program. Multiple college rankings have come out recently in which Cal State San Marcos stands out. Just last week, the Wall Street Journal ranked CSUSM 97th out of 500 in the nation when judged on different factors of student outcomes, learning environment and diversity. Over the summer, CSUSM received four out of a possible five stars on Money magazine's list of “Best Colleges in America" for 2024. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

The Center for Contemplative Practices (CCP) hosted people from across the country for its inaugural three-day conference in June to join and listen to presentations centered on the theme “Transforming Higher Education Through Contemplative Practices.” Ranjeeta Basu, faculty director of the CCP, noted that “the unprecedented events of the last several years have made it evident that we need to prepare ourselves and our students to be resilient in the face of constant uncertainty. Research has demonstrated that contemplative practices can expand our capacity for compassion, focus and resilience.”  There were 20 presentations that included 20-minute research presentations, 30-minute interactive practice sessions and 90-minute workshops or sessions that combined practice with research findings. Nine of the presentations were by CSUSM faculty and students and 11 were by faculty and students from other universities across the country. The program also included eight student presenters. The conference also feature a keynote speaker, Rhonda Magee, a professor of law at the University of San Francisco who is also trained in sociology and mindfulness-based stress reduction.   The long-term goal of the conference was to create a contemplative community of educators, scholars and practitioners that can nourish and sustain teaching, research, service and personal practice. Some other common themes that were discussed centered on connection, compassion, social justice and community.   Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Students in Vista Unified School District can now enroll in college while still in high school. The district, in partnership with Cal State San Marcos, on Friday celebrated a new dual enrollment program through which students can take college courses that earn credits toward two new undergraduate degrees at CSUSM.  As part of a unique program in the College of Education, Health and Human Services at CSUSM – Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs – students at Rancho Buena Vista High School can earn college credit, giving them an early start toward a bachelor’s degree. Courses completed count toward two specialized undergraduate degrees in health and wellness designed to allow students to obtain a degree in as little as three years.  One is in public health and the other in human development with a concentration in counseling. To kick off the program, CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt and campus leaders from Vista Unified School District held a welcoming ceremony Friday for 22 students from Rancho Buena Vista. “I am thrilled to welcome these students to the Cougar family,” Neufeldt said. “With social mobility a part of everything we do, this program is our mission in action. We want students to know they have a path to college and into a career that can transform their lives, their families and their communities.” The degrees are focused on careers and preparing students for the workforce in health and wellness. In addition to a degree, students will graduate with the requirements to obtain in-demand professional certification. Public health students will complete the requirements for a Community Health Education Specialist (CHES) certificate to work as community health educators in various settings. Human development students will complete the requirements to become a wellness coach, which qualifies them in California to provide mental health and wellness support for children and young adults. These certificates set graduates up for advanced work and higher salaries after graduation. “I hope that these students have the opportunity to reach their potential and thrive to go into a career that not only pays them a living wage, but that they are able to live comfortably here in San Diego and that they have a job,” said Cipriano Vargas, a member of the Vista Unified Board of Education and a CSUSM alumnus. “The County of San Diego needs mental behavior health workers, and this program is helping to accomplish that.” The degrees are also designed to be highly supportive of students. For example, students can receive funding in the summer to complete internships that prepare them for careers in health and wellness when they graduate. Students also progress through their courses with a cohort of fellow students, within a supportive community of expert faculty. As part of this program, CSUSM also offers specialized career advising, employer networking and guest speakers to help students find a position and start their careers upon graduation.   According to a recent San Diego Workforce Partnership report, the San Diego region needs an additional 18,500 behavioral health professionals to meet industry demands. The dual enrollment program will provide a direct pipeline to support the much-needed workforce.

With above-normal temperatures in the forecast for much of the state, the California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) has issued a statewide flex alert to avoid blackout/brownout events. You may notice reduced lighting levels and slightly warmer temperatures in classrooms and offices beginning this afternoon tentatively through Sept. 12. These changes will not affect any critical campus operations.  We ask the campus community to assist us in our efforts to reduce our energy load by turning off AND unplugging unnecessary equipment/devices, and closing window coverings.  Thank you for your support and understanding.

Cal State San Marcos recently became a partner campus with the Workforce Recruitment Program, which connects students with disabilities to career development and potential employment opportunities.  The program creates a database for federal and select private-sector employers nationwide to help college students and recent graduates with disabilities find a potential job.  As a partner campus, CSUSM conducts outreach to eligible students and encourages them to apply to participate in the WRP. WRP candidates have been hired by many federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. More than 400 colleges and universities each year are invited to participate in the recruitment process. As a partner campus, CSUSM is opening up doors of opportunities for those with disabilities to gain helpful access to the workforce.  "I am thrilled to bring the Workforce Recruitment Program to the CSUSM Career Center,” Career Center Director Yasmine Farley said.  “This program is a powerful tool for connecting students with disabilities to meaningful career opportunities and internships. By participating, our students will gain invaluable exposure to a broad range of employers and showcase their skills on a national stage. It's crucial for fostering inclusivity and providing equal access to career development resources for all our students." To be eligible to register, candidates must be current, full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students with a disability, or have graduated within two and a half years of the release of the database each December. WRP is managed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Support Services Center.