Fall Campus Enrollment Still Up

CSUN's admissions and records and institutional research offices said the enrollment headcount through the third week of classes was 27,614, up 1.8 percent over the same time a year ago. FTES was 20,002 compared to 19,550 last year and this fall's target of 19,054.

Meanwhile, Provost Louanne Kennedy told the Faculty Senate that about 1,100 of this fall's incoming freshmen required placement into three or four developmental classes. Kennedy said efforts are underway aimed at cutting that number to about 600 for next year's class.

Counseling Seeks Focus Group Participants

University Counseling Services psychologists Bruce Shapiro, Corinne Wilburne Barker and Marshall Bloom are researching how people are affected by constant exposure to barred windows, media crime reports, offensive T-shirts, missing children flyers and the like.

Shapiro said an initial campus survey they conducted last fall showed the issue hit a chord among participants. "It's our contention as psychologists that all this has had an effect on us. You drive down Ventura Boulevard at night and see the bars and it sends a message," he said.

The focus groups during October will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in morning, midday and afternoon sessions. Volunteers are only asked to participate in a single two-hour session and can contact Karen Gionnetti at x2366 for more details. CSUN, Other CSUs Win Awards Cal State Northridge along with most of the other campuses in the Cal State system have received "Good Work!" awards for 1997 from an electronic publishing firm that rates colleges on low tuition rates and increases, housing costs and campus crime rates.

CSUN and all but a few of the other CSU campuses were among 86 institutions recognized by Memex Press (http://memex-press.com) in its Critical Comparisons of American Colleges and Universities rankings, the first time the firm made the awards.

"We're extremely proud of the 'Good Work!' award that we have received from Critical Comparisons. The award underscores the high value and quality of education that students receive at Cal State Northridge," said CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson.

Senate Approves Double Counting Plan

The proposal, which was sent to CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson, allows the faculty in a major, with approval of the Educational Policies Committee, to decide that three units of required coursework in the major satisfies three units in an appropriate section of lower division GE.

The Senate at its Sept. 11 meeting considered and defeated a proposed amendment that would have excluded basic subjects courses from the double counting approach. Faculty members said the large size of CSUN's GE requirements has been a disincentive to students.

Campus to Mark Obichere Library Opening

The Boniface I. Obichere Research Library will house the books and papers of the former UCLA African studies professor and will be open to researchers and students. Obichere died of cancer March 14 in Los Angeles at age 64.

"CSUN has a number of Obichere's Ph.D. students teaching here so we prevailed on Dr. Obichere's widow and son to grant his books, papers and correspondence to Northridge," said David Horne, chair of CSUN's Pan-African studies department and a former Obichere student.

Faculty Vote on Longer Term Limit

Current Faculty President Jim Goss, who regardless said he doesn't intend to run again once his term expires this school year, said the proposed change from the current single two-year term limit would require a two-thirds vote for approval.

The same ballot, set to be mailed in October, will include at least five candidates to fill Clendenning's senator at large seat on the Senate. The Senate on Sept. 11 also chose Michael Reagan as statewide senator and named Kenyon Chan and Bee Colman to the Executive Committee.