October 08, 2009

President John D. Welty welcomed California State University, Fresno faculty to the new academic year with a challenge to emulate the teamwork of the NCAA champion Bulldog baseball team in meeting campus change and challenges ahead.

“I believe a season of change brings the opportunity to dream - about the days immediately ahead of us and the longer term,” Welty said Monday, Aug. 18, at the fall Academic Assembly.

To help realize some of those dreams, Welty announced a commitment of $10 million from long-time community leader and university benefactor William Lyles, his family and their companies to the College of Engineering. The university must match the Lyles commitment to provide a $20 million benefit over time to the college. “This gift will allow us to advance student academic excellence and scholarship, enhance laboratories and equipment and promote faculty excellence,” Welty said. “We will educate and train our share of critically needed engineers and construction managers for the nation and the world.” Welty will ask the campus Academic Senate and the California State University trustees to approve naming the college the Lyles College of Engineering.

Welty congratulated Coach Mike Batesole and the 2008 College World Series Championship baseball team as a model of teaching and teamwork that “happens regularly in our classrooms, and it’s why we have so many extraordinary [alumni] who have led in many fields of endeavor.”

The most exciting change on Fresno State’s immediate horizon, Welty said, is the January reopening of the expanded Henry Madden Library. “Next time we get together, we won’t be talking about library construction – we will be talking about how much we are enjoying the biggest and best library” in the 23-campus CSU system, he said.

Welty also spoke about:

• Additional building during the academic year, including a permanent home for the University High School; the Campus Pointe residential, retail, hotel and entertainment development; a parking project; and a swimming complex.

• The challenges of campus construction, office moves associated with moving into the new library and other relocations, and new internal communications systems.

• Fiscal uncertainty because of the economic downturn and no state budget.

• A major partnership with Fresno Unified, designed to improve the college-going rates, and the launch of two other initiatives to expand opportunities for students.

• A 40 percent increase over the previous year in community service performed by Fresno State students, faculty, staff and administrators valued at about $16 million.

• The Campaign for Fresno State raising more than $80 million in its “quiet” phase and moving toward a Nucleus Fund goal of $100 million in commitments by the end of December, before going “public.”