President's Office
Welcome to the home page for California State University, Northridge’s chief executive, President Dianne F. Harrison. The President’s Office website provides access to President Harrison's biography, speeches, messages to the campus community, and other communications; university planning goals and initiatives; and the major organizational areas of the university, including its divisions and colleges. Announcements, news and other items of interest related to the President are listed below. For the latest in other university-wide news and achievements, visit CSUN Today.
CSUN as One Fall 2020 Plan Released
June 30, 2020
President Harrison released the details of CSUN's plans for the Fall 2020 semester. As previously announced, the university will offer Fall 2020 courses primarily through virtual instruction, supplemented with a limited number of face-to-face undergraduate and graduate courses and labs with physical distancing and hygiene measures in place.
CSUN Responds to the Senseless Killing of George Floyd
June 2, 2020
In response to the peaceful marches that have occurred around the world and in the Northridge community in response to the senseless killing of George Floyd, the CSUN leadership has released a statement about the need to achieve social justice and address systemic racism and inequality in society. This follows an earlier statement from President Harrison following Mr. Floyd's death expressing hope that justice will be pursued and affirming the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Cheers to the Class of 2019–20
May 15, 2020
On Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m., CSUN will hold its first-ever distanced and virtual celebration of its 2019-20 graduates. Visit the CSUN Celebration 2020 website for more information and to watch the celebration video.
Read the Latest COVID-19 Updates
March 19, 2020
For information and the latest updates from CSUN related to the COVID-19 virus, including responses to FAQs, visit CSUN's COVID-19 website. In addition, messages to the campus community from CSUN President Dianne Harrison can be found on the President's letters page.
President Harrison Postpones Retirement through Fall 2020
March 20, 2020
The California State University announced that President Harrison will postpone her previously announced plan to step away from her position at the end of June 2020 and continue to lead CSUN through fall 2020 to ensure stability and continuity as the university navigates the impact of the COVID-19 public health crisis. Read the full press release.
Accelerating to Virtual Instruction and Social Distancing
March 17, 2020
President Harrison sent a communication to the CSUN community with details about the move towards virtual instruction and the transition of most employees to working and providing services remotely, as part of the university effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Read the message.
For additional information about the university's efforts, visit CSUN's COVID-19 website.
CSUN to Transition to Virtual Learning
March 11, 2020
In response to the increasing risk to the spread of COVID-19, CSUN President Dianne Harrison announced that the university will transition to virtual and alternate modalities of learning following spring break, beginning on Monday, March 23 and continuing through April 19, 2020. To provide time for planning to make this shift, all in-person, face-to-face classes will be canceled Thursday, March 12 through Sunday, March 15. To date, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at CSUN. For details and more information, read the President's full message.
COVID-19 Campus Preparedness
March 4, 2020
Following the State of California and Los Angeles County declaring a state of emergency due to the COVID-19/novel coronavirus, CSUN is activating its emergency operations center to manage and respond to any emergency needs of the campus community. At this time, there are no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 infection connected to any CSUN students, faculty or staff. A campus COVID-19 website is also now available with information about planning and precautions that are being taken by the university, and prevention measures people can take to protect their personal health. The page includes FAQs that will be updated regularly.
CSUN Receives Carnegie Classification
January 31, 2020
California State University, Northridge is among the 119 U.S. colleges and universities selected by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to receive the 2020 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. The six-year designation indicates institutional commitment to community engagement.
CSUN Receives $1 Million Gift from Autodesk
January 15, 2020
California State University, Northridge has received a $1 million gift from design software giant Autodesk to support the creation of a Center for Integrated Design and Advanced Manufacturing at the university.
Late Professor Bequeathes $1 Million to Men’s Volleyball
January 13, 2020
In accordance with the wishes of History Professor James Sefton, who passed away at age 78 in 2018 and taught for more than 50 years at the university, his trust has established a $1 million endowment for the James E. Sefton Men’s Volleyball Scholarship Endowment at CSUN, to provide annual scholarships to student-athletes in men’s volleyball.
President Dianne F. Harrison Announces Retirement
November 21, 2019
President Harrison announced that she will step away from the presidency of CSUN effective June 30, 2020. Read President Harrison's full announcement.
Community Reflects on President Harrison’s Impact
November 26, 2019
Following her announcement to step away from the presidency of CSUN after June 30, 2020, the campus community reflects on President Harrison's impact and leadership. Read the article.
CSUN Ranks Among Top 10 Universities Awarding Degrees to Minority Students
December 9, 2019
CSUN ranked seventh in the nation among colleges and universities awarding undergraduate degrees to minority students. The magazine’s annual ranking of the “Top 100 Producers of Bachelor’s Degrees” appears in its Oct. 28 edition. Read the full story. Read more
CSUN’s Transformative Programs Highlighted at Gala
November 12, 2019
On November 7, 2019, President Harrison welcomed economic luminaries at the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) Eddy Awards gala dinner, an event that honors businesses, cities and universities that work to raise standards of living for L.A. County residents. Harrison serves as chair of the LAEDC, the first academic leader elected to serve in this role.
CSUN Honors Its Volunteers
October 25, 2019
On Oct. 23, CSUN honored university and alumni chapter supporters and volunteers at the 18th annual Volunteer Service Awards in Woodland Hills.
President Harrison Pens Chapter on Climate Change
September 18, 2020
President Harrison has penned the first chapter of the 2019–20 “President to President” thought leadership series. In the chapter, “Educating the Environmental Stewards of Tomorrow: Presidential Leadership and Climate Change,” she examines the vital leadership role that colleges play in addressing climate change, on campus and in the larger community.
CSUN No. 5 in Sustainable Index
August 26, 2019
California State University, Northridge has earned another stellar ranking from the nation’s largest organization for sustainability in higher education.
This week, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) ranked CSUN No. 5 among all master’s degree-level institutions in its Sustainable Campus Index.
Support for All Students Regardless of Immigration Status
November 12, 2019
President Harrison has released statements in support of students, particularly those who may be affected by anticipated changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.