The California State University System
The individual California State Colleges were brought together as a system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960. In 1972, the system became The California State University and Colleges, and in 1982, the system became The California State University (CSU). The CSU system has 23 campuses, almost 450,000 students, and 47,000 faculty and staff. We are the largest, the most diverse, and one of the most affordable university systems in the country.
Responsibility for the CSU is vested in the Board of Trustees, consisting of ex-office members, an alumni representative, and members appointed by the Governor, including members of the public, students, and faculty representatives. The Trustees appoint the Chancellor, who is the chief executive officer of the system, and the Presidents, who are the chief executive officers of their respective campuses.
The Trustees, the Chancellor and the Presidents develop system-wide policy with implementation on campuses taking place through broadly-based consultative procedures. The Academic Senate of the CSU, made up of elected representatives of the faculty from each campus, recommends academic policy to the Board of Trustees through the Chancellor. Specific terms of employment and working conditions are matters that are bargained with various CSU employee bargaining units.
History of California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton (Cal State Fullerton) is dedicated to serving the state as well as the local region through teaching, research and public service. The campus was established in 1957 as the 12th State College in California to be authorized by the Legislature. The name changed from Orange County State College to Orange State College in July 1962; to California State College at Fullerton in July 1964; to California State College, Fullerton in July 1968; and to California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in June 1972. CSUF has developed into a comprehensive, regional university and has approximately 40,235 students, more than 2,000 full- and part-time faculty members, and over 1,500 staff and management personnel. The University also has a significant economic impact, generating $2.26 billion in regional and statewide economic activity annually, sustaining more than 15,000 jobs in the region, and generating more than $126 million per year in state tax revenue. Please refer to the Institutional Research and Analytical Studies office (http://www.fullerton.edu/data/) for more information about the composition of the student body and faculty.
In addition to excellent academic curricula with a strong focus on general education and the liberal arts, the University is also devoted to many areas of professional education. The campus offers bachelor’s degrees in 57 disciplines and graduate (master’s and doctoral) degrees in 52 programs plus a variety of credential and certificate programs.
Campus Location
The main campus of Cal State Fullerton is located at 800 North State College Boulevard. The campus is principally bounded by State College Boulevard on the west, Yorba Linda Boulevard on the north, the 57 Freeway on the east, and Nutwood Avenue on the south; however, two buildings fall outside of these boundaries but are adjacent to the campus: College Park (to the south of campus) and the Titan Hall (to the west of campus). The main campus phone number is 657-278-2011. The University also has a location in Irvine.
Additional Operations
Cal State Fullerton also operates a number of off-campus facilities. These include the Grand Central Arts Center in downtown Santa Ana; the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary in Silverado California; and the Desert Studies Center in Zzyzx, California.
Online Degrees and Classes
While the majority of the degrees offered by Cal State Fullerton are delivered in a traditional manner, the University offers several online degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. More than 100 classes, which are part of a traditional degree, are periodically offered in an online mode. The campus policy on Online Instruction is given in UPS 411.104.
University Mission and Goals
Learning is preeminent at Cal State Fullerton. We aspire to combine the best qualities of teaching and research universities where actively engaged students, faculty, and staff work in close collaboration to expand knowledge.
Our affordable undergraduate and graduate programs provide students the best of current practice, theory, and research and integrate professional studies with preparation in the arts and sciences. Through experiences in and out of the classroom, students develop the habit of intellectual inquiry, prepare for challenging professions, strengthen relationships to their communities, and contribute productively to society.
We are a comprehensive, regional university with a global outlook, located in Orange County, a technologically rich and culturally vibrant area of metropolitan Los Angeles. Our expertise and diversity serve as a distinctive resource and catalyst for partnerships with public and private organizations. We strive to be a center of activity essential to the intellectual, cultural and economic development of our region. For more information, please visit the Strategic Planning webpage.
Strategic Plan
Cal State Fullerton’s strategic plan encapsulates the key strengths and attributes of our University and identifies the opportunities and challenges we confront. It defines our primary objectives as well as specific initiatives we must implement to strengthen our institutional vitality now and in the years ahead.
The plan’s purpose is to articulate CSUF’s forward-looking vision, provide a road map for next steps, and create University-wide consensus and alignment. The strategies proposed in the University’s strategic plan will evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. Considered together, these strategies sketch a big-picture view of CSUF’s priorities and most-pressing issues that will guide the University’s deployment of its programmatic, faculty, staff, and fiscal resources.
More information about the University’s Strategic Plan.
Academic Master Plan
Adopted in December 2016 after an 18-month, campus-wide effort, Cal State Fullerton’s first-ever Academic Master Plan (AMP) provides overarching guidelines to help us answer questions, allocate budgets and resources, and keep the University on track to achieve its long-term academic vision.
The document serves as a framework for ongoing conversations about the University’s direction, including our programs, degrees and desired outcomes; student success; faculty support; infrastructure and resources. Most important, the AMP clarifies our core values and provides guiding principles for our University’s decision-making bodies as we rise to meet the challenges that will continue to face higher education in the years to come.
The AMP was developed by a steering committee appointed by the President based on recommendations and nominations from the Council of Deans, the Chair of the Academic Senate, the Academic Senate Executive Committee and the Provost. Four AMP subcommittees were expanded to include additional faculty representation based on feedback from the campus community.
Accreditation
Cal State Fullerton is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), which is one of the six regional accrediting associations covering the United States. The purpose of WSCUC is to support the continual review and improvement of education and to facilitate cooperation among educational institutions and agencies.
The accreditation process serves both external and internal purposes. It provides an opportunity within the campus community for broad-based deliberation on the current state of the institution: its success in fulfilling its mission, its areas of special strength and those areas in need of improvement, and its direction for development in the years ahead.
A number of specific academic programs are also accredited by national and other discipline-specific agencies. The university accreditation website provides a list of these programs.
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