The board approved a five-year contract, worth $2.18 million the first year, with CSUN's Center for Management and Organization Development to continue training county workers in leadership and human resource development.

Fifth District County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, whose area includes CSUN, said that since the training academy started two years ago, 283 executives, managers and clerks have successfully completed specialized training "and are effectively serving our residents as county employees."

"The board's action will increase the number of training positions from 180 to 876, increase the clerical certification slots from five to 25, and extend the training partnership with California State University, Northridge through 2005," Antonovich said.

The academy offers a preparatory course for future county managers, courses for current and future personnel managers and problem-solving classes as well as certification training for entry-level clerks.

"CSUN's Center for Management and Organization Development has an impressive track record in preparing county workers for leadership roles," said Fourth District County Supervisor Don Knabe. "I believe the real-world experience component is a vital part of the program's success, and that is sure to have a positive impact on county services."

Alan Glassman, CSUN professor of management and a founding member of the center, called the county contract "a wonderful opportunity for the university."

"We're really excited about the possibility of creating a national model of a public-public partnership," Glassman said.

Glassman said the center is already getting calls from universities around the country interested in copying the CSUN/Los Angeles County project.

He said the Western Academy of Management, an association of university management professors from 12 states, has accepted the first joint paper by the county and CSUN about the academy.

The Center for Management and Organization Development, which is housed in CSUN's College of Business Administration and Economics, is a consulting practice that brings real-world experiences into the academic setting while providing businesses and non-profit agencies access to the university's business faculty.

For more information about the Center for Management and Organization Development, call (818) 677-6400 or visit its web site at http://www.csun.edu/mod.

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full- and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.