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California State University, Fresno

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California State University, Fresno
File:CSUFSeal.gif
MottoLucem Accipe Ut Reddas
(Latin, "Receive the light that you may give it forth.")
TypePublic
Established1911
PresidentDr. John Welty
Academic staff
2,109
Undergraduates18,000
Postgraduates3,000
Location
Fresno
,
California
,
USA
CampusUrban, 327 acres and 1,083-acre University Farm
ColorsCardinal and blue
MascotBulldog
Websitecsufresno
The campus on a sunny day

California State University, Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State, is one of the campuses of California State University, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, at the foot of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range in the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno County is the sixth largest metropolitan area in California. The university is within an hour's drive of many mountain and lake resorts and within a three- or four-hour drive of both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Fall semester runs from late August through December. The spring semester runs from mid-January through mid-May. Short sessions are offered throughout the summer.

Campus

California State University, Fresno is widely regarded as one of the premier campuses in California's public university system (University of California and California State University). Fresno State was officially designated as an arboretum in 1978 and now boasts more than 4,000 trees on campus. The 388-acre main campus features more than 46 traditional and modern buildings. An additional 34 structures are on the 1,022-acre University Farm, which is considered one of the most modern and best equipped agricultural facilities in the West. In February of 2006, the Student Recreation Center opened. A greatly anticipated complex that was/is fully funded by private donations and a semester student-use fee, the complex is among the finest on the west coast. The wellness center boasts 4 full-size basketball courts, a dance studio, 1/8 mile indoor running track, locker rooms, 2 sleek raquetball courts, aerobic equipment, and weight-lifting machines (various disciplines). The Student Recreation Center is directly west of the Save Mart Center arena.

Greater campus extends from Fraternity Row off of Millbrook and Bulldog Stadium in the west to the Save Mart Center and soon to be constructed Campus Pointe and Highway 168 in the east. Vineyards and orchards to the north designate the campus boundary, Shaw Ave. to the south

Fresno State purports to have the only commercial winery operating on a college campus in America.

The campus is one of the nation's most ethnically diverse (largely attributed to the great level of diversity seen in Fresno County and proximity to the bay area and Los Angeles.)

Under construction are a variety of projects that could likely elevate Fresno State into one of the finest regional public universities in the nation. A state-of-the-art library should serve as the new centerpiece. Despite the new gains, the campus still lacks a multi-story parking structure and getting from location to location can often be trying.

Academics

Smittcamp Family Honors College - Highly selective scholarship program providing top California high school graduates a fully provided education, access to a personal computer, as well as room and board.

Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) - Designed to increase the number of college students and graduates from underserved and rural Hispanic families.

Craig School of Business considered one of the top business schools in the west. According to the Princeton Review, Craig MBA is a top-45 business school in the nation based on annual rankings. "Best 282 Business Schools."

Air Force AFROTC and Army ROTC detachments on campus

Graduation - Annual Commencement ceremony now takes place at the Save Mart Center arena (since 2004).

Accreditation

Fresno State is accredited by California Board of Education and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The university has 23 nationally accredited departmental programs, among the highest number within the CSU system.

The campus on a foggy morning

Colleges

Athletics and traditions

Fresno State is a member of the NCAA's Division I. Fresno State has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1988. Fresno State was also a member of the Big West's predecessor, the Pacific Coast Athletic Association since its inception in 1969 and was a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association from its beginning in 1939 (when Fresno State was in Division II).

Fresno State's football team, currently coached by Pat Hill, has garnered a reputation for being willing to play any top-ranked opponent, anytime, anywhere (usually on the opponent's field). Fresno State (as of December 2005) has achieved success with a 10-8 record against BCS teams, the most by any program not in a BCS conference. This has not only helped Fresno State gain revenue from top-ranked programs, it has also provided the Bulldogs a following among college football fans who admire its willingness to challenge the best teams (and has resulted in the Bulldogs being featured more regularly on college football TV programs than most non-BCS conference teams). However, their success in their non conference games hasn't translated to championships in conference play. The Bulldogs haven't won the WAC title since sharing it in 1999. Fresno State often travels between 10,000-20,000 miles during its football season, between its WAC conference games (the conference itself is spread from Ruston, Louisiana to Honolulu Hawaii) and its usually brutal non-conference schedule.

Bulldog basketball squads play at the crown jewel of the WAC, the Save Mart Center. Facility houses the ECHL's Fresno Falcons hockey team and is regularly on the Pollstar list of top 25 concert and entertainment venues by attendance.

Beiden Field was the former home of the Pacific Coast League (AAA) farm team of the San Francisco Giants (1998-2001). The Fresno Grizzlies moved to their current downtown stadium in May of 2002. Beiden Field is often listed by Baseball America as a top-25 NCAA baseball facility. Hosted the 2006 WAC baseball tournament.

Sports

Fresno State fields seven sports for men. They are:

Fresno State fields nine sports for women. They are:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Fresno_State_Bulldog_StadiumNight.jpg

Sports facilities

Traditions

  • Official colors are Cardinal and Blue
  • The mascot of Fresno State is a bulldog named Timeout.
  • The green "V" worn on the back of the football players' helmets (and also on the front of the basketball uniforms along the neckline) honors the agricultural industry of the San Joaquin Valley, and the importance it plays in financially supporting Fresno State (as well as the university's contributions to the area economy).

Fight song

Fight Varsity
On your toes dig in and hit that line!
We're all pulling hard for you
So fight and give the best there is in you
Fight Varsity
On your toes and hit that line!
We'll fight on to victory
We're always true to Fresno State!

Alma Mater

Let us in song, our voices raise
 In cloistered courts, to sound thy praise.
Each voice and heart that sings is true
To thee, oh, Cardinal and Blue.
For thee, our hopes and memories;
For thee, our hearts and loyalties.
Thy sons and daughters hail thee great,
Our Alma Mater, Fresno State!

Notable alumni

  • Armen A. Alchian, Professor Emeritus, Founder of the "UCLA Tradition" in Economics
  • Verna L. Allen, Exec. Dir. Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Ed
  • Theresa Alvillar-Speake, Director of the Office of Minority Economic Impact, Department of Energy
  • Marvin Baxter, Justice, California Supreme Court
  • Prof. Wendell Bell, Yale University's Graduate Studies Director
  • William Boyanjian, President, Gemological Institute of America
  • Lee P. Brown, former Mayor of Houston, former New York Police Commissioner
  • Ezunial Burts, President - Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
  • Joe Cafaro, Cafaro Cellars, Napa Valley, California
  • Malinda Chouinard, Owner of Patagonia, one of the world's most successful designers of outdoor clothing and gear
  • Roy Christopher, Emmy Award winning set designer
  • Jac Cole, Winemaker for the Charles Krug Winery
  • Joy Covey, Former Chief Strategy Officer, Amazon.com
  • Sid Craig, CEO, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Jenny Craig, Inc.
  • Dr. Joseph Crowley, President Emeritus, University of Nevada
  • Larry S. Dickenson, Senior VP Sales, Boeing
  • Nat DiBuduo, President, Allied Grape Growers of California
  • David Fillpot, President of Alaras Software, enterprise software development
  • Major General Jon Gallinetti, Commander Joint Warfighting Center, and Director, Joint Training, J-7, U.S. Joint Forces Command
  • Geoffrey Gamble, President, Montana State Univ.
  • Jim Ganduglia; Touring musician with Johnny Mathis
  • Kirk D. Grimes, Exec. of Energy & Chemicals, Fluor Corp
  • Sam Iacobellis, CEO, Rockwell International (retired). Led development of B1 bomber
  • Manny Mashouf, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, bebe fashions
  • Eric McAfee, Co-founder of Cagan McAfee Capital Partners
  • Dennis Morgigno, Station Manager, Channel 4, San Diego
  • Col. Steven Nagel, NASA Astronaut
  • Paul O'Neill, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, CEO of Alcoa Corporation
  • Dr. Norval Pohl, President, University of North Texas
  • Tammy Savage, Manager of Business Development, Microsoft
  • Gary Soto, acclaimed poet, essayist, and fiction writer
  • Roberta Spear, Award-Winning Poet
  • Michael N. Villines, California State Assemblyman
  • Sherley Anne Williams, Author, National Book Award Nominee, Emmy Award Winner

Notable athletes

Notable faculty and staff

  • Kenneth Fugelsang, Fresno State Winemaster--leads world-renowned enology program
  • Eric W. Hickey, Criminology Professor - Noted criminologist and author.
  • Juan Serrano, Music professor - Noted master of guitar in the flamenco style
  • Bruce Thornton, Humanities and Classics, notable author

Notable former faculty and staff

  • Victor Davis Hanson, founder of Classics Department--historian, essayist, columnist. Regular on PBS, C-SPAN, History Channel, and Real Time with Bill Maher--Author of Mexifornia and Carnage and Culture.
  • Philip Levine, English--widely known poet and Pulitzer Prize winner
  • Roger Tatarian, journalism--editor-in-chief, United Press International (deceased)
  • Lawrence Sutherland has served as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at California State University, Fresno since 1969. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Tulsa and his Master of Arts degree in Music Theory from the University of Missouri. His Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting was the first such degree to be awarded by the University. Sutherland has performing credits as a trombone and euphonium player with the St.Louis Symphony, the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra and Tucson Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic and the Tommy Dorsey, Ralph Marterie, Richard Maltby, and Woody Herman bands. He has served as guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the United States, Alaska, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, England and Japan. Sutherland is the only person to have directed all three California Music Educators All-State instrumental honor groups - Orchestra, Symphonic Band and Jazz Band. He has been a three-time conductor of the California Band Directors All-State Concert Band and regularly conducts band and orchestra throughout the west.
  • Max Franc Former professor most notable for the murder of Tracy Nute, a 17 year old West Hollywood gay male prostitute. Nute's remains were found scattered along the freeway in Santa Clarita, 200 miles south of Fresno, after Franc returned the chainsaw used to cut up Nute's body without cleaning it. All through his trial, Franc maintained his innocence claiming that Terry Adams killed Nute. Even after he was found guilty Franc maintained his innocence until he died in prison. The DA maintained there was no Terry Adams and that Franc lied. Yet the drawing of Terry Adams looks like Jeff Adams the son of one of Franc's fellow professors. Did the DA know the truth and conspire with Fresno State to cover up the facts and protect the University from the bad media publicity? Was Max Franc really an innocent victim of Terry Adam? Is The real killer Terry Adams still out there?
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