California State University, Fullerton
Encyclopedia
California State University, Fullerton (also known as CSUF, CSU Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton) is a public university located in Fullerton, California
. It is the largest institution in the CSU System
by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs. This college is a large population type campus.
CSUF's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA
and are collectively known as the Cal State Fullerton Titans
. They are members of the Big West Conference
.
was appointed as the founding president of the school.
The University was originally named Orange County State College. Classes began with 452 students in September, 1959. The name of the school was changed to Orange State College in July 1962. In 1964, the name of the school was changed for a second time to California State College at Fullerton. In June 1972, the final name change occurred and the school became California State University, Fullerton.
The university grew rapidly in the 2000 decade. The Performing Arts Center was built in January 2006, and in the summer of 2008 the newly constructed Steven G. Mihaylo Hall as well as the new Student Recreation Center have opened their doors. In the fall of 2008, the Performing Arts Center was renamed Joseph A.W. Clayes III Performing Arts Center, in honor of a $5 million pledge made to the University by the trustees of the Joseph A.W. Clayes III Charitable Trust. Since 1963, the curriculum has expanded to include lower-division work and many graduate programs, as well as numerous credential and certificate programs.
During the fall 2007 semester, Cal State Fullerton had the highest enrollment of the 23 California State University
campuses with a record-setting enrollment of 37,130 students. For the fall 2008 semester, the University had an enrollment of 36,996 students. It was the third largest university in the state of California, just below UCLA and CSULB
, for that semester.
as the University’s mascot
, dubbed Tuffy the Titan, dates to the early 1960s when the campus hosted "The First Intercollegiate Elephant Race in Human History." The May 11 event attracted 10,000 spectators, 15 pachyderm entrants, a telegram from Richard M. Nixon, and worldwide news coverage.
On October 13, 1984, Edward Cooperman, a physics
professor, was shot and killed by his former student, Minh Van Lam, in McCarthy Hall.
, on the west by State College Boulevard, on the north by Yorba Linda
Boulevard, and on the south by Nutwood Avenue.
Although established in the late 1950s, much of the initial construction on campus took place in the late 1960s, under the supervision of noted artist and architect Howard van Heuklyn, who gave the campus a striking, futuristic
architecture (buildings like the Pollak Library south, Titan Shops, Humanities, McCarthy Hall). This was in response to the numerous Googie buildings in the Fullerton community. The library houses the Philip K. Dick
Science Fiction Collection.
The campus also is home to the renowned Fullerton Arboretum
, located in the northeast part of the campus. It has gained nationwide fame in recent years for the Arboretum's highly successful efforts in breeding the Titan Arum
plant, which the school has been sponsoring in honor of its sports team, the Titans. The Arboretum has been successful in producing four blooming specimens by 2006.
The campus has undergone many additions. Since 1993, the campus has added the College Park Building, Steven G. Mihaylo Hall, University Hall, the Titan Student Union, the Student Recreation Center, the Nutwood Parking Structure, the State College Parking Structure, Dan Black Hall, Joseph A.W. Clayes III Performing Arts Center West, Phase II Housing, the Grand Central Art Center
, Pollak Library North.
at 3 Banting Road.
with a concentration in school nursing.
Cal State Fullerton's academic departments and programs are organized into 8 colleges:
Division I Big West Conference
. They have 13 national championships in eight different sports. (1970, Women's Basketball (CIAW); 1971, 1972, 1974 Men's Gymnastics; 1971 Cross country team; 1973 Women's Fencing; 1989, Men's Bowling; 1979, Women's Gymnastics; 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004 Baseball; 1986; Softball). Their baseball team
is a perennial national powerhouse with the most national titles (four) of any CSF program.
on campus at the school. The university added a $143 million housing complex in August 2011, which included five new residence halls, a convenience store and a 565-seat dining hall called the Gastronome.
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
. It is the largest institution in the CSU System
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs. This college is a large population type campus.
CSUF's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and are collectively known as the Cal State Fullerton Titans
Cal State Fullerton Titans
The Cal State Fullerton Titans are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Cal State Fullerton, located in Fullerton, California. The Titans are a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level...
. They are members of the Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
.
History
In 1957, Cal State Fullerton became the twelfth State College in California to be authorized by the State Legislature as a degree granting institution. The following year, a site was designated for the campus to be established in northeast Fullerton. The property was purchased in 1959. This is the same year that Dr. William B. LangsdorfWilliam B. Langsdorf
Dr. William B. Langsdorf was the founding president of California State University, Fullerton. At the time of his appointment in 1959, the campus was known as Orange County State College...
was appointed as the founding president of the school.
The University was originally named Orange County State College. Classes began with 452 students in September, 1959. The name of the school was changed to Orange State College in July 1962. In 1964, the name of the school was changed for a second time to California State College at Fullerton. In June 1972, the final name change occurred and the school became California State University, Fullerton.
The university grew rapidly in the 2000 decade. The Performing Arts Center was built in January 2006, and in the summer of 2008 the newly constructed Steven G. Mihaylo Hall as well as the new Student Recreation Center have opened their doors. In the fall of 2008, the Performing Arts Center was renamed Joseph A.W. Clayes III Performing Arts Center, in honor of a $5 million pledge made to the University by the trustees of the Joseph A.W. Clayes III Charitable Trust. Since 1963, the curriculum has expanded to include lower-division work and many graduate programs, as well as numerous credential and certificate programs.
During the fall 2007 semester, Cal State Fullerton had the highest enrollment of the 23 California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
campuses with a record-setting enrollment of 37,130 students. For the fall 2008 semester, the University had an enrollment of 36,996 students. It was the third largest university in the state of California, just below UCLA and CSULB
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Long Beach is the second largest campus of the California State University system and the third largest university in the state of California by enrollment...
, for that semester.
Mascot
The choice of the elephantElephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
as the University’s mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, dubbed Tuffy the Titan, dates to the early 1960s when the campus hosted "The First Intercollegiate Elephant Race in Human History." The May 11 event attracted 10,000 spectators, 15 pachyderm entrants, a telegram from Richard M. Nixon, and worldwide news coverage.
Cal State Fullerton Massacre
On July 12, 1976, Edward Charles Allaway, a campus janitor with paranoid schizophrenia, shot nine people, killing seven, in the University Library (now the Pollak Library) on the Cal State Fullerton campus.On October 13, 1984, Edward Cooperman, a physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
professor, was shot and killed by his former student, Minh Van Lam, in McCarthy Hall.
Campus
Cal State Fullerton was built on the site of former citrus groves in northeast Fullerton. It is bordered on the east by the 57 FreewayCalifornia State Route 57
State Route 57 , also known as the Orange Freeway, is a north–south state highway in the Greater Los Angeles Area of the U.S. state of California. It connects the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 22 near downtown Orange, locally known as the Orange Crush, with the Glendora Curve...
, on the west by State College Boulevard, on the north by Yorba Linda
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
Boulevard, and on the south by Nutwood Avenue.
Although established in the late 1950s, much of the initial construction on campus took place in the late 1960s, under the supervision of noted artist and architect Howard van Heuklyn, who gave the campus a striking, futuristic
Futurist architecture
Futurist architecture is an early-20th century form of architecture characterized by anti-historicism and long horizontal lines suggesting speed, motion and urgency. Technology and even violence were among the themes of the Futurists. The movement was founded by the poet Filippo Tommaso...
architecture (buildings like the Pollak Library south, Titan Shops, Humanities, McCarthy Hall). This was in response to the numerous Googie buildings in the Fullerton community. The library houses the Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
Science Fiction Collection.
The campus also is home to the renowned Fullerton Arboretum
Fullerton Arboretum
The Fullerton Arboretum is a 10 ha botanical garden with a collection of plants from around the world, located on the northeast corner of the California State University, Fullerton campus in Fullerton, California, USA....
, located in the northeast part of the campus. It has gained nationwide fame in recent years for the Arboretum's highly successful efforts in breeding the Titan Arum
Titan arum
The titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum is a flowering plant with the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world...
plant, which the school has been sponsoring in honor of its sports team, the Titans. The Arboretum has been successful in producing four blooming specimens by 2006.
The campus has undergone many additions. Since 1993, the campus has added the College Park Building, Steven G. Mihaylo Hall, University Hall, the Titan Student Union, the Student Recreation Center, the Nutwood Parking Structure, the State College Parking Structure, Dan Black Hall, Joseph A.W. Clayes III Performing Arts Center West, Phase II Housing, the Grand Central Art Center
CSUF Grand Central Art Center
California State University, Fullerton Grand Central Art Center is a partnership between the university and the city of Santa Ana. Based in the Downtown National Register District or Artists village it is dedicated to the investigation and promotion of contemporary art and visual culture:...
, Pollak Library North.
CSUF Irvine Campus
The university has a campus in IrvineIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
at 3 Banting Road.
Planned Expansion
CSUF has announced plans to expand into the area south of Nutwood Avenue, to construct a project called CollegeTown.Academics
CSU Fullerton is the only campus in California that offers the Master of Science in NursingNursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
with a concentration in school nursing.
Cal State Fullerton's academic departments and programs are organized into 8 colleges:
- College of the Arts
- Steven G. Mihaylo College of Business and Economics
- College of Communications
- College of Education
- College of Engineering and Computer Science
- College of Health and Human Development
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Rankings and Distinctions
- The 2009 edition of Princeton Review's "Best 296 Business Schools" publication highlighted the school's Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
- The Mihaylo College of Business and Economics is the largest accredited business school in the state of California and the fifth largest in the United States.
- The College of Business and Economics is one of five undergraduate business school in the state of California with an accreditation in accounting.
- In 2009 at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, both winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship represented California State University, Fullerton's Department of Theatre and Dance. Also in 2001, a California State University, Fullerton student was a winning contestant.
- Fullerton is the largest school in Orange County by student body population.
- Fullerton was ranked No. 33 as regional universities in the West by U.S. News in their 2012 rankings which is up from No. 37 the previous year.
- Fullerton tied at No. 6 for top public regional universities in the West with California State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...
and California State Polytechnic University, PomonaCalifornia State Polytechnic University, PomonaCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States...
in the 2012 rankings of U.S. News. This is up from No. 10 the previous year. - Fullerton's grad school in Nursing-Anesthesia's Program was ranked No. 22 by U.S. News in the 2012 ranking.
Athletics
Cal State Fullerton participates in the NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
. They have 13 national championships in eight different sports. (1970, Women's Basketball (CIAW); 1971, 1972, 1974 Men's Gymnastics; 1971 Cross country team; 1973 Women's Fencing; 1989, Men's Bowling; 1979, Women's Gymnastics; 1979, 1984, 1995, 2004 Baseball; 1986; Softball). Their baseball team
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball
The Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team represents California State University, Fullerton in NCAA Division I college baseball. In 35 years of Division I play, the Titans have never had a losing season. They are supplied by DeMarini....
is a perennial national powerhouse with the most national titles (four) of any CSF program.
Student Recreation Center
In the spring semester of 2008, Student Recreation Center opened. It is a $40.6-million, two-story, 95000 square feet (8,825.8 m²) facility created for recreational purposes. It consists of a 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) gym, a rock wall, a multimedia cardio room, indoor track, and outdoor pools.Student life
CSUF is also Orange County's first college to have a Greek system starting in 1960. Since then the school has seen many different Fraternities and SororitiesFraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
on campus at the school. The university added a $143 million housing complex in August 2011, which included five new residence halls, a convenience store and a 565-seat dining hall called the Gastronome.
Notable people
| Undergraduate | U.S. Census | |
|---|---|---|
| Caucasian White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
31% | 73.9% |
| Black African American African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States... |
3% | 12.1% |
| Asian Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... |
21% | 4.3% |
| Hispanic | 30% | 14.5% |
| Native American Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... |
0.37% | 0.9% |