President celebrates recent successes, acknowledges challenges ahead
At the annual Spring Faculty and Staff Assembly Jan. 19, President John D. Welty urged faculty and staff to remember and celebrate campus successes of the past year, even as they work to overcome challenges in 2010. Welty enumerated several high points of the past year, including opening the new Madden Library, a national award for outstanding community service and a $29.4 million cash gift for the Campaign for Fresno State. Since almost all of Fresno State’s budget is already committed for this fiscal year, Welty said he does not anticipate any further cuts in services, staffing or class offerings. But the future is uncertain, he said. On Feb. 5, the president will convene a budget summit with campus leaders to outline a proposed budget plan and ask for feedback. After a review of suggestions, he will issue a tentative plan in early March. See the full story here.

CSU commends proposed restoration of funds
Gov. Schwarzenegger proposes to restore $305 million to the California State University’s 2010-11 budget, as well as provide an additional $60.6 million for enrollment growth. The major cuts to the CSU budget in 2009-10 included $305 million in "one-time" cuts that the administration had committed to restore in 2010-11. See the full story here.

Honorary degree to alumnus interned in WW II
John Hiroshi Otomo, a San Joaquin Valley native, was awarded an honorary bachelor’s degree from Fresno State two-thirds of a century after his college career was interrupted by his family’s internment at Gila River, Ariz. Otomo, who is 87, received his diploma from university President John D. Welty on Dec. 24 at City Hall in Selma, the Fresno County community where Otomo was born. It is the first honorary degree awarded by Fresno State through the Nisei College Diploma Project, which recognizes Japanese-American students at CSU campuses unable to complete college because of internment during World War II. It also is the first such award organized by a CSU campus since trustees approved the program in September. See the full story here.

Arokiasamy wins President’s Award
Dr. Charles Arokiasamy, an expert in rehabilitation counseling and acclaimed faculty member in the subject, is the recipient of the 2010 President’s Award of Excellence. Arokiasamy joined the Fresno State faculty in 1996 as coordinator of the Rehabilitation Counseling program in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. He now serves as the chair of the Department of Counseling, Special Education and Rehabilitation. In 2000, Arokiasamy won the Richter award for teaching excellence, the top award at the Kremen School of Education. In 2003, he was selected for the Provost's award for teaching excellence, the top faculty award of the University. See the full story here.

Smits gives Comprehensive Campaign overview
As Fresno State continues its Comprehensive Campaign to improve support for the university, Dr. Peter N. Smits, vice president for University Advancement, is looking ahead to the changes we can make.

"Private support really makes a big difference at a public university like ours," Smits says. "I once heard Chancellor Reed talk about the difference between a good university and a great university is private support. Fundraising allows us to do things that the state doesn’t normally allow us to do."

Gifts can be small or large, but all of them make a difference. One donation the university recently received was the Jordan gift to the College of Agriculture, which is allowing the university to provide scholarships for students and expand programs in ways that never would have been possible without that kind of support.

"All around, with the way our economy is going these days in California, it’s important to improve private support for our university," says Smits. See the full story with video here.

How to make an original Valentine's Day card
Looking for a way to say "I love you" this year?
Just a little extra touch can make your Valentine's Day greeting special.
For more, click here.