Talk:California State University, Chico

Reputation

This addition to the "Reputation" section seems problematic to me:

In 2005, Chico State President, Paul Zingg, felt that that a majority of the problems with Chico’s party reputation was perpetuated by the local and national fraternities. In a controversial move, Paul Zingg passed bans on alcoholic drinks at fraternities and fraternity events that were associated with CSU, Chico. The school even had fraternities cancel their 2005 fall rush which was usually the most influential time for fraternities to recruit new students.

Although the City of Chico and CSU, Chico continue their efforts to improve their campus and shed the “party school” image, it is likely that CSU, Chico will forever be remembered as a party school despite the promising athletics and academic programs.

Is it fair to call the move "controversial?" The changes were made not just on Zingg's call, but with the assistance of a Greek Life Task Force, of which one-third of the membership was made up of Greek students. About the only way I could see "controversial" qualifying is because two local Greek organizations broke away from the university.

It also doesn't qualify why Zingg decided to look at the Greek system: an alcohol overdose during a Sigma Chi rush event that left a pledge in a coma for over a day, and the water intoxication death of Matthew Carrington in the basement of rogue fraternity Chi Tau.

Then look at the way the last sentence is written. Something about saying the school "even had" fraternities cancel rush doesn't sit well with me.

That whole second paragraph is a bloody disaster. It's attempting to predict the future. If nobody else has something to say about this over the next few days, I'm taking those changes to town.--71.134.47.156 06:01, 18 December 2005 (UTC)

Well, it did prompt a civil rights lawsuit, so some people felt it was. I suppose you could leave the word controversial off and just say that there was a lawsuit over the new rules. --Pberry 14:43, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Uh, even if this is a controversial section, it's beyond ridiculous that CSU Chico has no mention of its party reputation ANYWHERE on its page. aubrey 02:14, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

The history of the "reputation" it laid out pretty well on Snopes[1]. Perhaps some of the facts there could be incorporated into the page. Pberry

Look, the last undid revision states it very well, things need to be sourced and have an encyclopedic tone. It's that simple. This isn't the op-ed page of The Orion. 76.20.15.12 17:28, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

Wildcat

I am fixing the "Wildcat" links per WP:DPL. Looking at the pictures, i assumed what is meant is a Bobcat, and i therefor edited the link that way. If this was wrong, please see Wildcat (disambiguation) for the correct link, and edit the links in this article accordingly. - - 'twsx'talk'cont' 13:38, 31 December 2006 (UTC)

Merge from Chico University Arboretum

Please merge any relevant content from Chico University Arboretum per Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Chico University Arboretum. (If there is nothing to merge, just leave it as a redirect.) Thanks. —Quarl ^(talk) 2007-02-12 01:16Z

Fair use rationale for Image:CSU.PNG

Image:CSU.PNG is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 03:57, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Famous (or "Notable") Alumni

Main discussion point

As a wiki reader and CSU, Chico alumnus, I feel that the "famous alumni" section is actually pretty sad. Many of the "famous alumni" do not have their own wiki pages, which might suggest that they actually aren't that famous. Some whose names are linked lead to pages about people that seem just to have the same name. A few do seem to be legitimately famous (Adnan Khashoggi had his face on the cover of Time magazine). But consider some of the others:

An engineer at Boeing? Well I don't recognize her name. Did she make major contributions to the design something famous? Or was she a junior engineer? It sounds like a tricky job (something I couldn't do), but does that mean she's famous?

CFO of Activant Solutions? What is Activant Solutions? Never heard of it or her. It sounds like perhaps this is a high paying job, but does that mean that she is famous?

Erik Markow, a "Recording Engineer." What did he record that was famous? He might be personally acquainted with some people that are famous, but is he himself famous? Or is this just a guy trying to make a living?

Chris Wondolowski, a soccer player... I've never heard of the team and wasn't specifically aware that there was such a think as Major League Soccer in the USA. Is he a particularly noted player? If you were to go up to an average person and say, "Can you please name 20 famous soccer players?" would they put him on their list?

Bruce Zinky, is a "musical instrument designer." From the stub about him, that doesn't even seem accurate. I've never heard of his company or him, have you? While it is admirable that he has followed his dreams does that mean that he is famous?

Founder of Cisco. Well that's a company I've heard about. But does that mean that she's famous? Can you name the founder of Coca-Cola, the founder of Target, the founder of IBM, the founder of Lay-ze-Boy? Just because the product is famous, does that mean that the person who founded the company that produced it is famous?

Maurice L. "Lee" McFann, a "Lieutenant General, USAF." He does seem to be in a highly responsible position, and to be a highly decorated officer, but does this make him famous?

I suggest that a higher threshold be applied for the "famous" designation. Ehb 22:02, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Follow-up

The Wikipedia notability criterion is whether or not third-parties have published information about them. Many of these would not qualify and could easily be deleted. However, the notability requirement is much abused on Wikipedia, so be mindful if you do. Gregbard 22:24, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Wow, almost a year has passed since I made this discussion topic! Thanks for the feedback on notability. I hope to get to making edits on the page someday, but probably not today and today doesn't look good either. If anyone else wants to be bold, then be bold and take down some of those people who are listed as "famous"! Ehb (talk) 02:23, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

P.S. it looks like the section has been changed to "notable alumni" which sort of makes my original point less important, but I still think that most of them aren't that notable, and that a different section could be included that would be more interesting and useful to the casual reader. Ehb (talk) 02:49, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:WildCat.jpg

Image:WildCat.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 14:00, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Rankings

I'm concerned about the section on rankings.

In my opinion, the US News and World Report is not the sort of source that can be referenced without saying what the source is. If they publish an article reporting someone else's rankings, then you would cite the article because that's journalism. I would interpret that as being what wikipedia calls "secondary source" material. But their own rankings of universities are their own opinions and I think therefore are what wikipedia would classify as "primary source" information. I'm pretty sure that their research is not subject to peer review, which further detracts from its value as a source of anything other than the opinions of a private organization. For this reason, I am skeptical whether they qualify as good sources, and certainly I think it's important to clarify that the university is ranked 4th (or whatever) by X Magazine. Otherwise, it looks to the reader like these are some sort of incontrovertible rankings.

To make a comparison, let's say that you're looking at an article on cigarettes and there's a statement that says "There is no link between smoking an lung cancer." Let's say that the statement is referenced, and upon going down to the reference list you see that it's a reference to a pamphlet from the Tobacco Lobbyists Union. Well, that's obviously not as good as a reference to some peer-reviewed meta-analysis of reputable medical journals. I honestly think referencing the US News and World report the way it's done here is just as bad. (I do believe there are some big criticisms about how they do their college rankings!)

Any feedback?
Ehb (talk) 02:43, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Craig Hall

The article doesn't list Craig Hall as one of the on-campus dorms. I may be mistaken, but I think the university owns it like it owns UV. Kellenwright (talk) 07:06, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

Craig Hall is not an on-campus dorm, nor is it owned by the University. It is a privately run dormitory off of 3rd Street. See [2]. There is no reference to ownership by CSU, Chico, and housing is not limited to only Chico State students, as Butte College students are welcome to live there as well. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.48.15.192 (talk) 03:50, 14 August 2009 (UTC)

WP CSU

	Hi! I noticed your contributions and thought you would be a great addition to the California State University task force over at WikiProject California. Please consider this your personal invitation to join; if you're interested, you can signup here! We currently have 1174 articles under our task force and would appreciate any assistance, large or small, with getting them to good article status. (We've got 18 there so far!) Whether you decide to join or not, thank you for everything you've already done to make Wikipedia better, and oh yeah...GO STATE!
~~~~

--Dabackgammonator (talk) 05:46, 19 October 2008 (UTC)

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Disgruntled?

What's the idea behind listing various students who have died or had drug problems? Surely that isn't unique to Chico. In any student population of 10,000 at a public university there is going to be some drug and alcohol abuse. Seems to me that whoever wrote this did so primarily out of spite or malice, or to advance a personal agenda; in either case, it should be removed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.189.57.10 (talk) 03:48, 30 January 2010 (UTC)

Rankings

It is important to have a history of the school's rankings, not just the current ranking. Please don't remove it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Conner54ST- (talk • contribs) 23:51, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

Drug Fire at Chico State

The April 12, 2012 issue of the Chico News and Review had a story on page 11 about a house fire at the corner of Warner Street and West First Ave. caused by three Chico State students who were making hash oil from marijuana. This is yet another drug/booze incident at Chico State --which could have burned down that entire area of old, delapidated student housing (which is just dry tinder, ideal for a Nero-type fire). To those of you who seek to dismiss such incidents because "they happen at every university" I can only remark that you are in denial. Chico State students are into booze and drugs, the town even has a huge beer factory (Sierra Nevada beer) that has gained an international reputation. The party/booze/drug image of Chico State is real and is an integral part of the school, it is happening now. To trivialize it is disingenuous and misleading and totally irresponsible. I know if I was a father with a daughter going to college I would want to know everything I could about the college she was going to. I think this article really needs to address this issue at Chico State since it is such an ongoing and major concern of the school. Wikipedia should not be a rah-rah cheering section for colleges but should be insightful and accurate with helpful information. I've checked the UC Berkeley Wiki site and they don't shy away from talking about the riots and student demonstrations so why should the Chico State Wiki site go into cover-up mode? --What do Wiki guidelines say about this censorship of articles? 108.237.241.88 (talk) 20:22, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

First, I don't see any reason to accuse anyone of censorship; if you have evidence that it's taking place, please present it.

Second, please feel free to edit the article yourself or propose an edit here in Talk. I'm not yet convinced that a single incident of this magnitude deserves to be mentioned in this article but please feel free to make your case or suggest specific edits. ElKevbo (talk) 21:50, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

The article reads like a promo article, and mentioning that the Associated Students own all the vending machines on campus is hardly notable. Here's some items that I feel should be addressed: the rate of sexual promiscuity, the incidence of STP's, the politics of the campus (Wiki could maybe have a colored bar graph showing how liberal/conservative each campus is) since Chico is a leftist campus this should be analyzed, how safe is the campus (there have been shootings, stabbings, fights, deaths, near Chico State, etc.), the availability of drugs (very available at Chico State), the grade point average of incoming Freshman, how easy or difficult is the grading system at Chico State, the dropout/graduation rate, how long does it take to graduate from Chico State--4,5,6 years?, cost of dorm halls and fraternities/sororities, how sexist/feminist is the campus (Chico is a feminist campus), the cost of living in Chico, the availability of jobs in the local area for students and pay rates, the job placement rate for graduates, where Chico State University students come from (how many international students, out of State, within State), how many students are typically arrested on a party night, how many cops are culled from the surrounding areas to help patrol Chico during parties, how harsh/lenient are the cops, the availability of public transportation and price and how clean, how good/bad are local dentists and doctors, how good/bad are local landlords, how expensive is housing and where are the best places to live, parking and how expensive, restaurants (a local newspaper did a study and found numerous health violations in downtown Chico restaurants), rates of traffic accidents, local recreation areas (Bidwell Park, Lassen Park, etc.), average income of graduates, how many Chico grads go to grad school, what's the President of the University like, how good/bad are the professors, how corrupt is the campus administration, how lenient/harsh is the grading system (with the dumbing down of America and grade inflation our colleges have become very watered down), how many books one typically has to buy per class and the average cost of books and supplies per year, do the professors get kickbacks on textbooks, how long to wait to get into computer labs, etc., etc. If I were trying to find a college, these are the things I would want to know, whether for my kids or myself. The article is very misleading because it's so rah-rah. The campus newspaper for instance is not very good, it won those awards in a very limited, specialized category. The Orion is mostly a gossip rag concerned about sex. These criteria I've mentioned (and many more) would apply not only to Chico State but all the Wiki articles on colleges. Tuition rates are very important, it goes up continually at Chico State and currently they've decided not to admit new Freshman at CSU campuses next year because of budget cuts (with exceptions), so how many classes are being cut and how does that increase the number of years it takes to graduate? I could go on but I hope I've given enough ideas on how the article could be improved, and yes it's an immense task referencing all the data, but once Wiki has established such categories, it would be simple to fill them in over time. And then this could become a top-notch Wiki article. Thanks. 108.237.241.88 (talk) 20:24, 13 April 2012 (UTC)