Courtesy CSU Channel Islands
CAMARILLO — Family-friendliness, workplace diversity, salaries and professional development opportunities were some of the criteria that recently put CSU Channel Islands(CI) among the “2015 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs at Minority-Serving Institutions,” university officials reported this week in a media release.
CI is among seven universities chosen for the honor by The Ohio State University Center for Higher Education (CHEE). CHEE conducted the web-based study in partnership with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the American College Personnel Association.
Vice President of CI’s Division of Student Affairs, Wm. Gregory Sawyer, Ph.D., called the recognition a “distinct honor.”
“The Division of Student Affairs prides itself on living out the University and Student Affairs’ mission as well as integrating our core values into all of our staff development programs and services,” Sawyer said. “The Student Affairs division at CI is as diverse in staff as we are in our innovative approaches to serving students.”
CHEE Principal Investigator Terrell L. Strayhorn, Ph.D. said CI’s Student Affairs Division distinguished itself in a number of ways, such as the division leaders’ well-developed perceptions of diversity, efforts to provide professional development opportunities for staff members and bias monitoring, which is a system in which Student Affairs can field and address suspected incidents of bias.
“Diversity is the key to excellence in higher education and Student Affairs plays a vital role in achieving the academic mission of the University,” Strayhorn said.
In April, CI won a designation as one of the “15+ Most-Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs.” This latest recognition is a more specialized designation only among “Minority-Serving” institutions, a federal definition that means at least 25 percent of the undergraduate population is made up of minority students.
Sawyer said his division takes great care to design its training so that it incorporates CI’s mission and values, especially when it comes to diversity.
“Our achievements, our staff and of course our amazing students truly make the DSA at CI one of the nation’s Most Promising Minority-Serving Institutions to Work for in Student Affairs,” Sawyer said.
The other universities singled out for the honor were: Brooklyn College, Brooklyn N.Y.; California College of the Arts, Oakland, Calif.; California State University, Fresno; Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX; and Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem, N.C.
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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.