[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1117 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1117

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         March 3, 2010.
Whereas the California State University system will be celebrating its 50th 
        anniversary during 2010 and 2011;
Whereas the individual California State Colleges were brought together as a 
        system by the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960 of the State of 
        California;
Whereas, in 1972, the system became the California State University and 
        Colleges, in 1982, the system became the California State University 
        (CSU), and today the 23 campuses of the CSU include comprehensive and 
        polytechnic universities and, since July 1995, the California Maritime 
        Academy, a specialized campus;
Whereas the system's oldest campus--San Jose State University--was founded in 
        1857 and became the first institution of public higher education in 
        California, while the system's newest campus--California State 
        University, Channel Islands--opened in the fall of 2002;
Whereas today the CSU is the Nation's largest and most diverse university 
        system, with 23 campuses and 7 off-campus centers, almost 433,000 
        students, and 44,000 faculty and staff;
Whereas the CSU draws its students from the top third of California's high 
        school graduates and is the State's primary undergraduate teaching 
        institution;
Whereas each CSU campus--California State University Bakersfield, California 
        State University Channel Islands, California State University Chico, 
        California State University Dominguez Hills, California State University 
        East Bay, California State University Fresno, California State 
        University Fullerton, Humboldt State University, California State 
        University Long Beach, California State University Los Angeles, 
        California Maritime Academy, California State University Monterey Bay, 
        California State University Northridge, California State Polytechnic 
        University, Pomona, California State University Sacramento, California 
        State University San Bernardino, San Diego State University, San 
        Francisco State University, San Jose State University, California 
        Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California State 
        University San Marcos, Sonoma State University, California State 
        University Stanislaus--has its own identity, but all share the same 
        mission--to provide high-quality, affordable higher education to meet 
        the changing workforce needs of California;
Whereas with 91,000 annual graduates, the CSU is California's greatest producer 
        of bachelor's degrees and drives California's economy in information 
        technology, life sciences, agriculture, business, education, 
        international trade, public administration, hospitality, engineering, 
        entertainment, and multimedia industries;
Whereas the CSU reaches out to California's growing, underserved communities, 
        providing more than half of all undergraduate degrees granted to 
        California's Latino, African-American, and Native American students, and 
        offering affordable opportunities to pursue and attain a college degree;
Whereas the CSU is noted for pioneering outreach efforts, including starting the 
        Early Assessment Program (which enables 11th graders to assess their 
        college readiness in English and math) and the Educational Opportunity 
        Program (an access and retention program that supports low-income, 
        educationally disadvantaged students, many of whom are first-generation 
        college students), distributing millions of ``How To Get to College 
        Posters'' in multiple languages, hosting Super Sunday events at churches 
        throughout the State as part of its African-American initiative, 
        partnering with the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE), which 
        helps strengthen parent involvement in elementary and middle school 
        students' education, and actively engaging in the State's Troops to 
        College efforts on behalf of veterans;
Whereas the CSU offers more than 1,800 bachelor's and master's degree programs 
        in some 357 subject areas, as well as teaching credential programs and 
        its own independent education doctorate program;
Whereas the CSU has awarded nearly 2,500,000 bachelor's, master's and joint 
        doctoral degrees since 1961;
Whereas the CSU's renowned faculty members are well known for their teaching 
        skills as well as their significant contributions to research, CSU staff 
        and administrators provide the vital infrastructure to fulfill the CSU 
        mission, and faculty and staff together have made the CSU a leader in 
        high-quality, accessible, student-focused higher education;
Whereas CSU students participate in 32,000,000 hours of community service 
        annually at more than 3,560 community sites, including tutoring children 
        and adults in English as a second language, working in hospitals and 
        community health clinics, teaching computer literacy, cleaning up rivers 
        and beaches, serving meals to the homeless, and building houses;
Whereas the CSU returns $4.41 for every $1 the State invests, the CSU sustains 
        more than 200,000 jobs in the State, and CSU-related expenditures create 
        $13,600,000,000 in economic activity;
Whereas the CSU has more than 2,000,000 alumni, representing one in 10 members 
        of California's workforce and the majority of the State's teachers;
Whereas the California State University has dedicated itself to helping foster 
        improvement in the educational, economic, and cultural life of 
        California;
Whereas the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees have led the CSU during 
        extremely difficult economic times that have caused the CSU to cut 
        admission rates and raise costs, as they have launched initiatives to 
        increase the system's graduation rates and help underrepresented 
        students complete college; and
Whereas the California State University is developing not only college 
        graduates, but responsible citizens and leaders for California and the 
        Nation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends and congratulates the 
California State University system on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.