California State University, Northridge (also known as CSUN) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States, in the San Fernando Valley. With a total enrollment of 41,548 (as of Fall 2015) it has the largest student body of the 23-campus California State University system, and is one of the largest comprehensive universities in the State of California (behind UCLA) in terms of enrollment. As of Fall 2014, the school had 2,096 faculty, of which between 745 and 784 (or about 40%) were on the tenure track.
It was founded first as the Valley satellite campus of Cal State Los Angeles. It then became an independent college in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College, with major campus master planning and construction. The University adopted its current name of California State University, Northridge in 1972.
CSUN offers a variety of programs including 134 different bachelor's degrees, master's degrees in 70 different fields, 3 doctoral degrees including two Doctor of Education and a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and 24 teaching credentials. CSUN enrolls more than 40,000 students and ranks 10 in the U.S. in bachelor's degrees awarded to underrepresented minority students. The university has over 200,000 alumni. CSUN is home to the National Center on Deafness, and the university hosts the International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities (more commonly known as the CSUN Conference), which is held each year in San Diego.
History
Establishment
The establishment of CSUN began in 1952 with the proposal of a new satellite campus for Los Angeles State College (now known as California State University, Los Angeles). A Baldwin Hills location was planned in 1955, but San Fernando Valley advocates persuaded state officials to change the location to Northridge.
1958â€"1964
In July 1958, the campus separated from Los Angeles State College and was renamed San Fernando Valley State College (popularly abbreviated to Valley State College, Valley State, or SFVSC), with enrollment reaching 2,525 and tuition $29 per semester. In 1959, it became the first State College to have its own computer. In 1964, the pioneering computer lab was moved into quarters in the newly completed Sierra Hall building complex, and student enrollment reached nearly 12,000.
1964â€"1972
The campus's quiet, moderately conservative and overwhelmingly white suburban setting did not shield it from a share of the noise, strife and social upheavals of the Vietnam War era. As on many college campuses, there were increasingly large antiwar demonstrations and occasional draft card burnings.
In 1966â€"67, there were only 23 Black and 7 Latino students. Responding to complaints about low minority representation, the administration made some attempt to boost enrollment of Latinos and Blacks in 1967. By the fall of 1968 the tally stood at about 150 Black and 75 Latino students.
In March 1968, a presidential primary campaign speech by Robert F. Kennedy drew an orderly crowd of 10,000, but in the wake of the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April and Robert Kennedy himself in June, some later events were not so peaceful. On November 4, 1968, a group of Black students held the college president and more than 30 staff members hostage in the Administration Building for several hours, pressing demands for greater outreach in minority enrollment and employment and the establishment of minority studies departments. Nobody was hurt and, under duress, the president agreed to their demands. The administration largely kept its part of the bargain, but despite an included assurance of amnesty, 28 of the students involved were later charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment.
Several massive antiwar demonstrations took place during 1969â€"1970, variously resulting in campus shutdowns, heavy police responses, violent clashes, hundreds of arrests, and in a few cases serious injuries to demonstrators. The last such demonstration was in May 1971, on the first anniversary of the Kent State shootings.
1972â€"1988
The college officially renamed itself California State University, Northridge in June 1972. In 1975, the construction of the CSUN sculpture began at the southeast corner of campus. By 1977, enrollment at the university was 28,023, with tuition at $95. In 1981, the campus officially established a foreign exchange student program with Japan, China, Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan, Brazil and the Netherlands. In 1988, the campus had an enrollment of 31,575 and a $342 tuition fee.
1988â€"1997
In 1990, the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics was established; the Oviatt Library east and west wings were added; and the campus could boast of having the California State University system's only fully established astronomy department with a planetarium.
The 1994 Northridge earthquake struck on January 17 and caused $400 million in damage to the campus, the heaviest damage ever sustained by an American college campus. The epicenter was less than two miles (3Â km) away on a previously undiscovered blind thrust fault. Later the same month, Vice President Al Gore visited with a promise of funds to help with the reconstruction. Entire sections of the main library, the art building and several other major structures were either physically unusable or too hazardous to occupy, but classes soon continued in alternative locations and hastily erected temporary facilities. Among the structures judged to be so seriously damaged that repair was not a practical option were the Fine Arts building, designed by noted modernist architect Richard Neutra, and the South Library, the oldest permanent building on campus. The art courtyard survived. Due to inadequate earthquake engineering, the parking structure next to the Matadome was completely destroyed. It is currently a grass field used for kinesiology instruction, though the driveway formerly used to enter it is still visible from Zelzah Avenue. As of August 22, 2007, the University had completed the rebuilding project.
In the aftermath of the 1994 earthquake, CSUN civil engineering faculty and students enthusiastically took part in the research on earthquake protection of building structures, in particular, in the field of seismic performance, vibration control, and base isolation.
On January 17, 1995, President Bill Clinton visited the campus to commemorate the first anniversary of the quake.
1997â€"present
In April 1999, the Board of CSU trustees decided to give $27 million to construct post-earthquake projects. The University opened the first Central American Studies program in the nation in May 2000. In fall 2006, the University had a 34,560 enrollment and a tuition of $1,260. The University in 2007, with clean energy advocates built the new 1 megawatt fuel cell power plant which was the largest of its kind in any university in the world.
California State University trustees on March 15, 2006 voted their unanimous approval of Envision 2035, the Cal State Northridge planning initiative that will help frame the university’s physical development for the next several decades. The vote approved the revised master plan as well as an increase in the campus’ master plan enrollment capacity from 25,000 to 35,000 full-time equivalent students (FTEs). That growth is equivalent to 1.6 percent annual growth over 30 years. The trustees also certified the final environmental impact report on the plan.
Specifically, the plan defines sites for about 1,900,000 square feet (180,000Â m2) of future campus academic and support facilities to accommodate the increased FTE enrollment. Near-term projects will include a 163,000-square-foot (15,100Â m2) arts, media and communications complex; a parking structure for nearly 2,000 spaces and a centrally located mass transit hub for students, faculty, staff and community members. It also proposes the development of about 600 on-campus faculty/staff housing units, mostly on the North Campus, and allows for student housing, parking and transportation sufficient to handle enrollment growth while maintaining desirable open space.
Academics
Admissions
In the fall of 2016 there were 61,683 applicants, of which 28,497 were admitted with an acceptance rate of 46%.
The university draws its freshmen from the top one-third of California high school graduates. CSUN's admissions program is rated as "less selective" in most major fields, but admissions to "impacted" majors, such as accounting, music, computer science, and cinema and television are more selective. For the fall of 2013, the university received a record 30,906 freshman applications.
Colleges
- Mike Curb College of Arts, Media & Communication
- David Nazarian College of Business & Economics
- Michael D. Eisner College of Education
- College of Engineering & Computer Science
- College of Health & Human Development
- College of Humanities
- College of Science and Mathematics
- College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
- Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning
Cal State Northridge faculty have been recognized for their high quality. Eight faculty members have been awarded prestigious Guggenheim Fellowships for research and creative activity, while 59 have won Fulbright awards to conduct research or teach abroad.
Joint Degrees
The university, in partnership with Southwestern Law School, offers a dual B.A./J.D degree. The program allows students to graduate within six years instead of the traditional seven if both degrees were taken separately. The program began in fall 2014 with an estimated cohort size of 35 students. In addition, students accepted into the program receive an initial $10,000 Wildman/Schumacher entering student scholarship. Students in the program will have their first year of law school double count as their fourth year of undergraduate education.
The Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning is a division within the university aimed at addressing the educational needs of mid career professionals. The college develops and offers study opportunities which are designed to ensure that the individuals, communities and organizations served by the university achieve their lifelong learning goals.
CSUN's Chicana and Chicano Studies Department is the largest in California.
Community College Collaboratives
CSUN offers a pathway program for academic progression in the field of Nursing that links CSUN with designated California Community College (CC) partners. This program enables students who are interested in attaining an ADN to earn a BSN degree in just 2½ years from starting the program. Students will be concurrently enrolled in both nursing programs, taking courses for their BSN while completing their associate degree at the community college. On completion of their ADN students will be able to complete their BSN in one year. Students must be accepted into an ADN program at one of the participating community colleges.
The following California Community Colleges are currently partnered up with CSUN Nursing: Glendale Community College, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles Valley College, Pierce College.
Rankings
Cal State Northridge was ranked as the #5 college in the United States by the Social Mobility Index college rankings. Money Magazine ranked Cal State Northridge 189th in the country out of the nearly 1500 schools it evaluated for its 2014 Best Colleges ranking. The Daily Beast ranked Cal State Northridge 124th in the country out of the nearly 2000 schools it evaluated for its 2014 Best Colleges ranking. Undergraduate Engineering program ranked fifth among California public colleges (Masters level colleges) and fourteenth among U.S. public colleges (U.S. News & World Report). College of Business and Economics has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce for its vital role in promoting international trade in the Los Angeles area. In 2011, CSUN ranked eighth in the nation that award bachelor's degrees to minorities in the field of communications. CSUN ranked second among 529 master's level universities in preparing students who later earn doctoral degrees (National Science Foundation). The university ranked first in number of graduates who went on to earn Ph.D.s in the social sciences and psychology. It has the largest number of Central American, Armenian, and mainstreamed deaf students than any university in the USA.
In 2008, CSUN ranked ninth among top 20 undergraduate schools whose alumni pass the California Bar Exam (#1 among all the CSU campuses).
The Department of Music at California State University, Northridge is ranked among the top 25 accredited university programs in the nation. In 2003, CSUN's Northridge Singers were named "Choir of the World", taking the top prize during their debut appearance at an international music competition in Wales.
The Department of Cinema Television Arts was ranked as the 22nd best film school in the U.S. in 2014, and the 10th best in Los Angeles in 2015.
Campus
Locations of interest
The CSUN Botanic Garden is located in the southeast quad, near the intersection of Zelzah Avenue and Nordhoff Street. It is part of the Biology Department for university curriculum, and also a regionally important demonstration garden and educational resource for the community. It has new focus projects for plants usable for regionally local sustainable landscaping using sustainable gardening techniques and studying and 'planting' ethnobotany insights and links. One of the few remaining historic (circa 1920s) orange groves is thriving on the southeastern campus quad. The citrus industry formerly had groves covering much of the San Fernando Valley. The rows of large eucalyptus trees, historic windbreaks for agricultural fields from the late 19th century, are found towering over the perimeters of the campus, surviving planners developing campus expansions with valor.
Oviatt Library
Oviatt Library provides educational, cultural and information services and resources to the students and faculty. Its primary mission is to support and supplement classroom and independent learning; facilitate student and faculty research; and provide students with lifelong skills in identifying, locating, evaluating and synchronizing information.
All library materials are housed in the Delmar T. Oviatt Library, a 234,712-square-foot (21,805.5Â m2) state-of-the-art facility. There are over 1,600 seats for in-house study. Of note are the Learning Commons, the Creative Media Studio, 4 computer equipped library instruction labs, and over 200 computer workstations devoted to library information resources. Specially equipped computer workstations are located throughout the Library for individuals with disabilities, including four assistive technology equipped study rooms for students. During Fall and Spring semesters, the building is open 90 hours a week. The Library maintains its own server and web pages providing access to online electronic information and archives 24 hours a day for students and the public at the Oviatt Library Digital Collections. The library also maintains its own AS/RS (Automatic Storage and Retrieval System) with the capacity of 1.7 million volumes..
The Oviatt Library has a physical collection containing 1.3 million volumes, of which over one million are books, and over 245,000 bound periodical volumes. The Library subscribes to over 84,000 online journals, 200 online databases and more than 500,000 ebooks. The microform collection contains 3.1 million pieces. There are over 14,000 sound recordings and over 60,000 film and video recordings. The Special Collections & Archives section of the Oviatt Library has a large collection of materials on Human Sexualityâ€"possibly the "second largest private collection on human sexuality" behind the Kinsey Institute. In addition, the Teacher Curriculum Center provides a circulating collection of curricular materials for education students and local educators.
The Library is heavily used, with 2.4 million uses of its web pages annually, an annual gate count of 1.4 million, and over a half a million interactions per year with Library personnel.
Other collections
Other campus departments and centers with collections:
- The Aronstam Library, devoted to communication studies research and scholarship for Communication Studies Department undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members
- The Geography Department's Map Library, housed in Sierra Hall
- The Script Library in Manzanita Hall features over 800 screenplays
Valley Performing Arts Center
The Valley Performing Arts Center is a performance venue completed in 2011 at a cost of $125 million. Its 166,000 sq. ft. house a 1,700-seat three tier concert hall and a 175-seat black box theater, as well as rehearsal rooms, academic and production support spaces, classrooms, and a lecture hall. In 2017, Younes Nazarian and his wife donated $17 million to rename the Valley Performing Arts Centre as the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts.
University Student Union
The University Student Union or USU, is a non-profit student organizations that strives to better the college experience. The USU provides a variety of involvement opportunities, programs, services, and job opportunities.
Veteran Resource Center
The Veteran Resource Center (VRC) is located within the University Student Union (USU). The VRC is a designated area for veteran students to seek camaraderie and support as they transition from military service to academia. The VRC has a variety of resources such as: several desktop computers, a rest area, sitting area, and a TV for community use. The VRC is open to all CSUN students and you do not need to be a veteran in order to access the center or its resources.
A valuable service provided by the Veteran Resource Center is their Mentoring Program. The Veteran Mentor Program provides support and excellent resources to Veteran students. The goal is to help Veterans transition from military service to college life as students at CSUN. The mentor program will meet with the Veteran throughout the semester, offering referrals and to serve as positive role models. The program provides someone with shared experiences, connection with other CSUN students and programs.
Oasis Wellness Center
The Oasis Wellness Center is located beneath the USU computer lab and next to the Plaza Pool. The Oasis Wellness Center opened on Fall semester of August 2015 with the sole purpose of providing students with a place of peace and tranquility in order to help achieve academic success. Some programs and services provided at the Oaisis Wellness Center include massage therapy, Power-napping sleep pods, by appointment, nutrition classes and yoga. The Oasis Wellness Center is open to all CSUN students.
Transportation
Public transportation
CSUN is served by
Metro Bus Lines
- 152 North Hollywood Station via Fallbrook Ave.: Roscoe Blvd (Connection needed at Reseda Bl with Line 240/741)
- 158 Chatsworth Station: Sherman Oaks via Devonshire St & Woodman Av
- 166 Chatsworth Station: Sun Valley via Nordhoff St, Osborne St
- 167 Chatsworth Station: Studio City via Plummer St, Coldwater Canyon Av
- 168 Chatsworth Station: Pacoima via Lassen St & Paxton St
- 239 Sylmar Station: Encino via Rinaldi St, Zelzah Av, Lindley St, White Oak Av
- 240 Northridge: Universal City Station via Reseda Bl, Ventura Bl
- 353 North Hollywood Station via Roscoe Bl.: Lankershim Bl. Limited (Connection needed at Reseda Bl with Line 240/741)
- 364 Chatsworth Station: Sun Valley via Nordhoff St, Osborne St Limited
- 741 Northridge: Tarzana via Reseda Bl Rapid-Limited
Lines 240/741 connects with the Metro Orange Line at Reseda Station. The Metro Orange Line (Warner Center â€" Van Nuys â€" North Hollywood) connects with the Metro Red Line (North Hollywood â€" Hollywood â€" Downtown Los Angeles) & Santa Clarita Bus Line 757 at North Hollywood Station.
AVTA Bus Line
- 787 West San Fernando Valley: Lancaster/Palmdale Express.
Route Stops at Plummer St & Reseda Bl.
LADOT Bus Lines
- DASH Northridge: serves Northridge Metrolink Station, Northridge Fashion Mall, and Reseda Community.
- 419 Chatsworth: Mission Hills â€" Downtown Los Angeles via Devonshire St Express
Metrolink/AMTRAK Shuttle
- CSUN: Northridge Station.
Shuttle services
CSUN provides three shuttle systems: the Housing Shuttle, the Metrolink Shuttle, and the Valley Performing Arts Center Shuttle.
National Center on Deafness
The National Center on Deafness was established in 1972 as a way to serve deaf students at the university. Support services such as sign language interpreters, real-time captioners, and notetakers are coordinated from this center, as well as serving as a location of academic advisement and gathering of deaf students. For the 2008 Fall semester, approximately 200 deaf students are served by the National Center on Deafness.
Film and television shoots
Because of its proximity to Hollywood and its diverse array of modern architecture, the campus has long been an attractive filming location for motion picture and television productions. An early example is the 1966 film The Glass Bottom Boat, for which parts of Sierra Hall and the Engineering Building were temporarily dressed up as NASA facilities. It has appeared in American Idol, Arrested Development, Ringer, Chuck, Dexter, My Name Is Earl, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, Commander in Chief, Van Wilder, Six Feet Under, The Karate Kid, Battlestar Galactica, The Office, McMillan & Wife, Son in Law, Bring It On: Fight to the Finish, Legally Blonde 2, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Roswell, The Nick Cannon Show, Quincy, M.E., Georgia Rule, and Sky High (in which the Oviatt Library is prominently featured). The Barry Levinson-directed What Just Happened was filmed at the Oviatt Library and featured Robert De Niro and Sean Penn. The pilot of the remake of the television series "Knight Rider" filmed a car chase on the campus, which stood in for Stanford University. During spring break 2008, the library served as Starfleet Academy for Star Trek (the 2009 version). The parking lots to the north of the campus were featured in the movie Superbad. In September 2014, CSUN's Matador Bookstore and Oviatt Library served as backdrops for the movie We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron. In the fall of 2016, CSUN's Citrus Hall, Jerome Richfield Hall, and Sierra Quad were featured in the television series Lucifer.
Athletics
CSUN fields 19 teams at the NCAA Division I level. CSUN fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. CSUN also has baseball and softball and fields women's teams in beach volleyball, tennis and water polo. Due to state and university budget deficits, CSUN dropped football following the 2001 season. The football team cost the university $1 million a year and had little fan support. CSUN also dropped men's and women's swimming in 2010 due to a statewide and campus budget crisis. CSUN is one of only 45 schools in the Nation that has a beach volleyball program.
CSUN moved up to Division I in 1990. Before moving up, the university won 34 national titles at the Division II level which still ranks third all time. CSUN was a member of the Big Sky Conference from 1996-2001. They have been a member of the Big West Conference ever since for most sports. The men's and women's indoor track and field teams and the men's volleyball team compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation instead.
Since moving up to Division I CSUN has produced two NCAA national runner-up teams: the men's volleyball team in 1993 and softball team in 1994. The Matadors softball team has appeared in two Women's College World Series in 1993 and 1994, advancing to the title game in 1994 before falling to Arizona. In 2010 the men's volleyball team spent several weeks as the number one ranked team in the nation and also made the Final Four but lost to Penn State in a semi-final match.
The men's basketball team has made it to the NCAA tournament two times in 2001 and 2009. The team made it to three Big Sky championship games in 1997, 2000 and 2001. CSUN beat Eastern Washington in 2001 to advance to their first NCAA tournament. CSUN was seeded 13th and lost to the fourth seed Kansas in the round of 64. CSUN has played in two Big West championship games in 2004 and 2009. CSUN beat Pacific in 2009, and was seeded 15th in the NCAA tournament and lost to the second seed Memphis.
The women's basketball team won the Big West Championship for the first time in 2014. They were the 16th seed in the NCAA tournament and lost to the first seed South Carolina.
CSUN men's Soccer reached the 3rd Round of the 2006 NCAA tournament, knocking out Big West Conference rival UC Santa Barbara in the 2nd Round.
The women's Track and Field team won six straight Big West titles from 2006 to 2011. The men's Track and Field team has won three Big West titles in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The men's and women's Basketball and Volleyball teams all play in the 1,600 seat Matadome located in Redwood Hall.
CSUN's sports teams are known as the Matadors. In 1958 a student vote chose the school colors red and white and 'Matadors' as the school mascot over 158 nominations for possible nicknames. Matadors was elected over four other finalists Apollos, Falcons, Rancheros and Titans.
Campus life
Division of Student Affairs
CSUN understands the importance of student involvement and happiness on campus and offers a number of resources through a variety of departments: Associated Students, Career Center, Center on Disabilities, Disability Resources and Educational Services, Financial Aid & Scholarship Department, International and Exchange Student Center, Klotz Student Health Center, National Center on Deafness, Office of Student Involvement and Development, Student Affairs Information Technology, Student Housing and Conference Services, Student Outreach and Recruitment, University Counseling Services, and University Student Union, Inc.
Associated Students
Associated Students is the primary supporter of students at CSUN, providing a variety of programs and services designed for enhancing the student environment. The Student Government division of Associated Students represents the student body.
Career Center
The Career Center helps students advance on their career paths, by providing guidance and advice on choosing a major, thus turning that major into a career. The Career Center also provides a variety of resources, such as, job listings, internships, mock interviews, resume help, and workshops. The main goal of the Career Center is to help students acquire the knowledge and mind sets for a prosperous career.
Center on Disabilities
Through training programs and resources, the Center on Disabilities strives to enhance the experiences and environment for students with disabilities.
Disability Resources and Educational Services
The Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) offers a variety of resources, support, and accommodations to those in need. The main goal of DRES is to help students achieve their highest potential.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Department
The Financial Aid & Scholarship Department assists students to fulfill their academic aspirations through many forms of financial assistance and guidance.
International and Exchange Student Center
The International and Exchange Student Center provides services to newly admitted and continuing international F-1 and J-1 visa students, study abroad and National Student Exchange (NSE) participants, Fulbright students, and visa services for CSUN faculty members. Through the IESC, CSUN holds cultural and social events for everyone to share and celebrate their national heritage and get involved.
Klotz Student Health Center
The Klotz Student Health Center provides a variety of health services at little to no cost for enrolled students at CSUN.
National Center on Deafness
The National Center on Deafness (NCOD) provides communication access, leadership opportunities, scholarships, and direct communication classes for about 200 students who are deaf and hard of hearing each year. By registering with the NCOD, students receive services such as interpreting, speech-to-text transcription, note taking, tutoring, and academic advisement.
Office of Student Involvement and Development
The Office of Student Involvement and Development views campus involvement as a key to happiness at CSUN. The Office of Student Involvement and Development encourages all CSUN students to become more involved on campus through a variety resources.
Student Affairs Information Technology
Web and technology needs of CSUN's Division of Student Affairs is managed through the Student Affairs Information Technology (SAIT). SAIT's main goal is to deliver user-friendly, student-centric online services.
Student Housing and Conference Services
Through convenience, safety, academic assistance, and constant support, the Student Housing and Conference Services is a gateway to the complete CSUN experience.
Student Outreach and Recruitment
Student Outreach and Recruitment (SOAR) provides outreach, recruitment and informational services to more than 100 high schools, 22 community colleges, and many middle and elementary schools. SOAR is home to CSUN's Guest Relations and Campus Tours, Student Marketing & Communications, TRIO-programs Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search, Community and Academic Partnerships, and Testing.
Student Recreation Center
The Student Recreation Center (SRC) opened on January 26, 2012 and is a 118,000 square foot facility for exercise and leisure activity that promotes lifelong health and wellness. The SRC features state-ofâ€"the-art weight and fitness zones, a three stories (46 1/2 feet) rock wall, locker rooms, a three-court gymnasium, a multi-activity court, fitness and group exercise studios, a racquetball court, an â…› mile indoor track, recreational/lap swimming pool and an additional 130,000 square foot turf field located just outside the facility. The SRC does offer services such as equipment rental, personal training, private instruction, and nutrition counseling. The SRC has accumulated many awards for its architectural design and environmental friendliness. The notable awards won by the SRC are the 2009 AIA San Fernando Valley- Design Award, Citation, 2010 AIA Orange County- Design Award, Merit, 2012 Pacific Coast Builders Conference- Gold Nugget Award for Greenest Sustainable Commercial Project, 2012 San Diego, Design and Vision Award- Committee of the Environment (COTE)-SD, 2012 AIA San Diego, Design and Vision Award- Citation, Athletic Business 2012 Facility Merit Award, 2013 AIA San Fernando Valley, Design Award- Citation, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Status Certification, 2013 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Outstanding Sports Facility Award, 2013 AIA Education Facility Design Award, 2014 Los Angeles Architectural Awards.
LGBTQ Pride Center
The LGBTQ Center, located in the University Student Union, supports all communities who are interested in supporting, educating, and facilitating outreaches on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) issues. The mission of the center is to improve campus life for LGBTQ individuals and support a community where all students are respected and safe.
University Counseling Services
University Counseling Services (UCS) provides resources and information to assist those dealing with any psychological obstacles that may be interfering with academic progress or personal relationships. The UCS also provides free services, including personal counseling, group counseling, outreach and training.
University Student Union, Inc.
The University Student Union (USU) aims to enhance the college experience through various programs, services, employment, and involvement opportunities. The non-profit student organization contains food, study areas, computer labs, and TV lounges.
Matador Involvement Center
The Matador Involvement Center is the starting place for CSUN students to become involved on campus. The MIC introduces students to clubs and organizations, fraternities and sororities, volunteer projects, and leadership opportunities. The MIC is located on the first floor of the USU.
Clubs and organizations
CSUN encourages students to enhance their overall college experience by joining clubs and organizations. There are more than 300 student clubs and organizations at CSUN. Through the Matador Involvement Center, students also have the opportunity to start a new club. All clubs and organizations at CSUN must sign a non-hazing contract. CSUN has a zero tolerance for any form of hazing.
Fraternities and sororities
The University is home to many fraternal organizations including nine North-American Interfraternity Conference members such as Zeta Beta Tau, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Phi Kappa Psi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, along with seven National Panhellenic Conference members, which includes Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Xi Delta, Alpha Phi, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Zeta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Phi Mu. The University's Pi Kappa Phi chapter surrendered their charter in 2014 following the hazing related death of Armando Villa.
CSUN also has four organizations from the National Pan-Hellenic Council which include Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, & Zeta Phi Beta
The campus has seven United Sorority and Fraternity Council members, such as Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity and Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, two Armenian Greek Council members, seven National Pan-Hellenic Council members. There are also many political and cultural clubs on campus including Chabad at CSUN and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life for Jewish students, Students for Justice in Palestine, MEChA and the Hip-Hop Think Tank.
Volunteer
The volunteer program offered at CSUN is Unified We Serve. Members of Unified We Serve participate in a variety of one-day community service events, including reading to children, fundraisers, community outreach programs, education programs, food and clothing drives. Unified We Serve received the 2010 Association of College Unions International Service Award for Outstanding Service Project of the Year. Each year of service is centralized around a prevailing issue, which allows the members to spend the year developing projects to help the community. The 2013-2014 school year was themed "Garbology" inspired by the book of that title written by Edward Humes.
Media
- KCSN radio
- The Daily Sundial: college newspaper
- Valley View News: student television station
- Scene Magazine: student-created magazine
- Northridge Magazine
CSUN Model United Nations
The Political Science Department's Model United Nations received first-place honors at the National Model United Nations Conference of 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 in New York. The team has also won first place awards in the international conferences in Xian, China (2008) and in Ecuador (2010).
International Students
For the academic year 2015-2016, the number of foreign students who attended U.S institutions exceeded the one million mark. During the same year, CSUN was ranked as the number one Master's institution, having the highest number of international students in the United States. The total number of international students for that academic year totaled 3,924.
Notable programs
100 Citizens
100 Citizens is a free exercise program in Southern California that offers exercise agendas for local communities. This program is implemented by volunteer kinesiology students attending CSUN. Dr. Steven Loy, CSUN kinesiology professor, and 20 CSUN students, founded 100 Citizens in 2011. The program began with the participants’ desire for public health. Their mission goal was to provide a free and accessible program to the community to fight physical inactivity and obesity. 100 Citizens is based in San Fernando, but has expanded to Crescenta Park, El Cariso Park, and Lanark Park. Each exercise agenda begins with a dynamic warm up led by instructors. This is followed by upper and lower body exercises using different techniques and equipment. The exercise session then ends with a cool down session. 100 Citizens is open to everyone 18 and over. The equipment used can range from resistance bands, sand bags, battle ropes, to an individual’s body weight. On January 20, 2014, 100 Citizens launched a new program, The Diabetes Prevention Program, to raise awareness of the high occurrence diabetes has in Los Angeles.
In 2011, 100 Citizens in San Fernando aired on the ABC7 News Channel. In 2012, the program obtained recognition from the White House, winning Popular Choice award in First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move video challenge. In 2014, California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White visited and addressed the 100 Citizens Program.
Notable alumni and former students
References
External links
- Official website
- CSU Northridge Athletics website