California State University, Long Beach (also known as Long Beach State, Cal State Long Beach, CSULB or LBSU) is the largest campus of the California State University system located in Long Beach, California, at the southern coastal tip of Los Angeles County.

California State University, Long Beach has been ranked one of the top three public masters universities in the west by U.S. News and World Report in its 2005 America's Best Colleges Guide, which was released on Friday, Aug. 20.

It is also one of west's top universities-master's institutions in student body diversity.

CSULB is home to the largest publicly funded art school West of the Mississippi.

The university operates with the lowest student tuition fees in the country, at 1,768 US dollars per student.

History

Established in 1949 by California Governor Earl Warren, to serve the rapidly expanding post World War II population of Orange and Southern Los Angeles Counties CSULB has grown to be one of the state's largest and most well respected universities. At its inception the institution was known as Los Angeles-Orange County State College. It consisted of 25 courses taught by 13 faculty members in two apartment buildings at 5381 Anaheim Road in Long Beach. In June of 1950, the citizens of Long Beach voted overwhelming to purchase 320 acres for the use as a permanent campus by the college. The purchase price was nearly $1,000,000.

By 1960 the student body had skyrocketed to more than 10,000 students, by 1966 that number would be 20,000.

In 1962, LBSC changed its name to California State College at Long Beach in an effort unify with the state system and enhance its prestige.

The school acquired university status in 1972 along with 12 other state college campuses. The promotion was decided by the Board of Trustees of the California State University system, according to total enrollment, size of graduate programs, complexity and diversity of majors and number of doctorates held by faculty at each college. CSCLB became CSULB, California State University, Long Beach.

In 1972 the campus became the home to the largest library facility in the 19-campus CSU system with a modern six-story building with a seating capacity of nearly 4,000 students.

The campus is believed to be the location of an ancient Tongva village and burial site known as Puvunga and is listed on the National Register of Historic places as such. CSULB has challenged this designation. In 1995, tensions and lawsuits arose between the Tonvga people, Dr. Keith Dixon, professor emeritus of anthropology and the university over a proposed development on the North West portion of the campus and the improper storage of aboriginal remains and artifacts. The matter was put to rest at least temporarily when President Maxson declared as long as he was president no development would occur at the site. He further stated he did not make a more permanent agreement because he did not wish to tie the hands of future administrations,

As of Fall 2004, CSULB had approximately 34,566 students in attendance, making it the most populous campus of the CSU system.

Academics

The university has seven academic colleges

• College of the Arts (COTA)
• College of Business Administration
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Health & Human Services
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

plus an Interdisciplinary Studies program.

The university's educational goals reflect its large population of students and faculty. There are numerous classes and majors to choose from. Liberal Arts and Sciences represent the general education core while a variety of classes make up general education electives; students rarely study the same subjects but all GE classes focus on the development of writing and critical thinking skills.

The university has several impacted majors. Impacted majors are majors in which the university receives more applications than there is space to acomodate. Impacted majors are authorized to use supplementary admission criteria and/or higher admission standards then the CSU minimum requirements in considering applicants to the program. These criteria are applied equally to continuing CSULB students and entering upper-division transfer students.

List of Impacted Majors as of Fall 2004

• Art (Bachelor of Arts -- Option in Studio Art)
• Fine Arts (BFA) (All Bachelor of Fine Arts Options)
• College of Business Administration -- All majors
• Criminal Justice
• Film & Electronic Arts
• Health Science - Radiation Therapy Technology
• Kinesiology - Athletic Training
• Kinesiology - Kinesiotherapy
• Kinesiology - Exercise Science
• Liberal Studies Teaching Tracks
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Social Work
• Speech Communication

Student Life

The College of the Arts (COTA) presents over 350 events annually, welcoming more than 150,000 patrons annually to the COTA performance halls and exhibit venues.

The Student Union, located at the center of campus contains an eight lane bowling alley, arcade, 9 pool tables, a movie theater, a recreational swimming pool and several eateries and is where many students choose to spend time between classes.

Greek Life at CSULB flourishes with more than 30 fraternities and sororities combined.

KKJZ 88.1 FM

CSULB is the home of KKJZ 88.1 FM. The station is one of the highest rated jazz stations in the United States and the only public radio station in Los Angeles dedicated to the presentation and promotion of all genres of jazz including mainstream, bebop, swing and latin jazz, along with blues on the weekend.

Campus

The campus spans 323 acres (1.3 km²) across 84 buildings and is located 3 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

There are Eighteen residence halls, including the unique International House that pairs international students with U.S. residents. The residence halls provide comfort and convenience for those students who choose to live on campus.

The campus is home to a renowned University Art Museum that ranks in the top 10% of the nation´s 6,000 plus museums.

The University is also home to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. This quiet retreat is a place of solitude and beauty. It features a large pond loaded with Koi.

49er basketball and Volleyball are currently played in an eightteen story blue pyramid located on the lower campus. The Pyramid can accommodate over 5000 fans when including temporary seating and standing room. Two sections of interior stands are fitted with large hydraulic lifts which lift the seating element forty-five degrees into the air creating room for five volleyball courts or three basketball courts.

Athletics

Long Beach State is home to one of the top women's volleyball teams in the nation. Seasonally ranked in the top 25, every year the team prepares for one of the most competitive schedules in women's volleyball. In 1998 the team took national No.1 rank from Penn State and went on to win NCAA finals as well as world finals against China claiming World No.1. Long Beach State is a member of the Big West Conference. CSULB Men's volleyball, played for the 2004 NCAA National Championship and finished 2nd in the nation.

Long Beach has 18 sports teams and plays competively in: baseball, cross country, softball, track and field,and Women's soccer as well as both men's and women's teams for basketball, volleyball, water polo and golf.

The official name of LB State sports teams is "The 49er's" in honor of the year the university was founded. Since 1989, the Baseball team has unofficially gone under the moniker "The Dirtbags." Also, unofficially, "The Beach" is used to refer to LB State and it's teams, as it is the only university in the U.S. with the word "Beach" in its name.

Alma Mater

Alma Mater Hail to Thee
And We Pledge Our Loyalty
To the College of Our Choice
Thee We Serve With Hand and Voice
Now and in the Future Bright
Citadel of Truth and Right
Honor, Glory and Renown
All are Thine Dear Gold and Brown

In the Spring of 2000, the official school colors were changed to Black and Gold.

Distinguished Faculty

• Dr. Kevin B. MacDonald: Professor of Psychology, Noted author of seven books on evolutionary psychology and child development
• Ron Karenga: Head of Black Studies Dept, Author and activist best known as the founder of the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa
• Ron Young : Sculpture Professor, artist, author and world renouned patination expert
• Dr. Karen Klienfielder : Head of Art History Dept. Author and expert of the works of Pablo Picasso.
• Chris Miles : Noted art critic

Notable Alumni

• Ricardo Chavira: Pulitzer Prize winner
• 3 other Pulitzer winners
• Dana Rohrabacher: United States Congressman
• Curt Pringle: Anaheim Mayor and former Speaker of the California State Assembly
• Beverly O'Neill, Mayor City of Long Beach,
• John G. Schmitz, former Member U.S. House of Representatives, Candidate for President

Sports Alumni

• Abe Alvarez: Starting Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
• Denise Austin : Exercise Consultant, Television Host
• Rocky Biddle : Montreal Expos
• Andrew Betts : NBA Basketball, Charlotte Hornets
• Bobby Crosby: Major League baseball shortstop Oakland Athletics
• Terrell Davis: NFL, Denver Bronco's
• Jason Giambi: New York Yankees
• Chris Gomez: Shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, MLB
• Misty May: Won the gold medal for women's beach volleyball in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
• Mike Montgomery: Coach of the Golden State Warriors
• Mark O'Meara: Champion Golfer
• Jeremy Reed : Major League Baseball Chicago White Sox
• Steve Trachsel: Major League Baseball New York Mets Pitcher

Entertainment Alumni

• Ed Arnold : Television sportscaster and author
• Tony Baxter : Disney Imagineering executive.
• Guy Bee : Diretor of ER
• Chris Carter (screenwriter): Creater and producer of The "X-Files"
• Agnes DeMille : Award winning Choreographer, Wife of Cecil B. DeMille
• John Dykstra: Winner of two Academy Awards for special effects;
• Jonathan Lawton : Author of "Pretty Woman"
• Mark Steven Johnson : Director of Hollywood thriller "Daredevil;"
• Joe Johnston : director of "Jurassic Park III;"
• Bob Kevoian: Radio Host
• Steve Martin: Actor and Comedian
• Tim Minear: Television Writer and Producer, for X-Files, Angel, Firefly and more.
• Stu Rosen : Winner of 10 Emmy awards
• Deborah Scott : Academy Award-winning costume designer
• Steven Spielberg: Filmmaker who was a student from 1965-1969 and 2001-2002, earning a B.A. in Film.
• David Twohy : Author of "Terminal Velocity" and "The Fugitive."
• Linda Woolverton : Screenwriter "Beauty and the Beast" and the "Lion King"
• Bob Woods : Actor "One Life to Live".

Music Alumni

• Bobby Hatfield1/2 of Righteous Brothers and Rock In Roll hall of fame inductee.
• Richard and Karen Carpenter: The Carpenters: Pop Duo
• Basil Poledouris: Film Composer
• John Patitucci: Grammy-winning jazz bassist
• John Bettis : Songwriter: who has 26 gold records and 10 platinum records.

External links

• Long Beach State
• KKJZ 88.1 Jazz Radio
• Long Beach State Athletics
• Long Beach Union
• Daily 49er
• Studio Talk
• Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
• COTA (College of the Arts)