H. Res. 1117 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
March 3, 2010. 
Whereas the California State University system will be cele-
brating its 50th anniversary during 2010 and 2011; 
Whereas the individual California State Colleges were 
brought together as a system by the Donahoe Higher 
Education Act of 1960 of the State of California; 
Whereas, in 1972, the system became the California State 
University and Colleges, in 1982, the system became the 
California State University (CSU), and today the 23 
campuses of the CSU include comprehensive and poly-
technic universities and, since July 1995, the California 
Maritime Academy, a specialized campus; 
Whereas the system’s oldest campus—San Jose State Univer-
sity—was founded in 1857 and became the first institu-
tion of public higher education in California, while the 
system’s newest campus—California State University, 
Channel Islands—opened in the fall of 2002; 
Whereas today the CSU is the Nation’s largest and most di-
verse university system, with 23 campuses and 7 off-cam-
pus centers, almost 433,000 students, and 44,000 faculty 
and staff;
•HRES 1117 EH 
Whereas the CSU draws its students from the top third of 
California’s high school graduates and is the State’s pri-
mary undergraduate teaching institution; 
Whereas each CSU campus—California State University Ba-
kersfield, California State University Channel Islands, 
California State University Chico, California State Uni-
versity Dominguez Hills, California State University East 
Bay, California State University Fresno, California State 
University Fullerton, Humboldt State University, Cali-
fornia State University Long Beach, California State 
University Los Angeles, California Maritime Academy, 
California State University Monterey Bay, California 
State University Northridge, California State Polytechnic 
University, Pomona, California State University Sac-
ramento, California State University San Bernardino, 
San Diego State University, San Francisco State Univer-
sity, San Jose State University, California Polytechnic 
State University, San Luis Obispo, California State Uni-
versity San Marcos, Sonoma State University, California 
State University Stanislaus—has its own identity, but all 
share the same mission—to provide high-quality, afford-
able higher education to meet the changing workforce 
needs of California; 
Whereas with 91,000 annual graduates, the CSU is Califor-
nia’s greatest producer of bachelor’s degrees and drives 
California’s economy in information technology, life 
sciences, agriculture, business, education, international 
trade, public administration, hospitality, engineering, en-
tertainment, and multimedia industries; 
Whereas the CSU reaches out to California’s growing, under-
served communities, providing more than half of all un-
dergraduate degrees granted to California’s Latino, Afri-
•HRES 1117 EH 
can-American, and Native American students, and offer-
ing affordable opportunities to pursue and attain a col-
lege degree; 
Whereas the CSU is noted for pioneering outreach efforts, in-
cluding starting the Early Assessment Program (which 
enables 11th graders to assess their college readiness in 
English and math) and the Educational Opportunity Pro-
gram (an access and retention program that supports 
low-income, educationally disadvantaged students, many 
of whom are first-generation college students), distrib-
uting millions of ‘‘How To Get to College Posters’’ in 
multiple languages, hosting Super Sunday events at 
churches throughout the State as part of its African- 
American initiative, partnering with the Parent Institute 
for Quality Education (PIQE), which helps strengthen 
parent involvement in elementary and middle school stu-
dents’ education, and actively engaging in the State’s 
Troops to College efforts on behalf of veterans; 
Whereas the CSU offers more than 1,800 bachelor’s and 
master’s degree programs in some 357 subject areas, as 
well as teaching credential programs and its own inde-
pendent education doctorate program; 
Whereas the CSU has awarded nearly 2,500,000 bachelor’s, 
master’s and joint doctoral degrees since 1961; 
Whereas the CSU’s renowned faculty members are well 
known for their teaching skills as well as their significant 
contributions to research, CSU staff and administrators 
provide the vital infrastructure to fulfill the CSU mission, 
and faculty and staff together have made the CSU a 
leader in high-quality, accessible, student-focused higher 
education;
•HRES 1117 EH 
Whereas CSU students participate in 32,000,000 hours of 
community service annually at more than 3,560 commu-
nity sites, including tutoring children and adults in 
English as a second language, working in hospitals and 
community health clinics, teaching computer literacy, 
cleaning up rivers and beaches, serving meals to the 
homeless, and building houses; 
Whereas the CSU returns $4.41 for every $1 the State in-
vests, the CSU sustains more than 200,000 jobs in the 
State, 
and 
CSU-related 
expenditures 
create 
$13,600,000,000 in economic activity; 
Whereas the CSU has more than 2,000,000 alumni, rep-
resenting one in 10 members of California’s workforce 
and the majority of the State’s teachers; 
Whereas the California State University has dedicated itself 
to helping foster improvement in the educational, eco-
nomic, and cultural life of California; 
Whereas the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees have led 
the CSU during extremely difficult economic times that 
have caused the CSU to cut admission rates and raise 
costs, as they have launched initiatives to increase the 
system’s graduation rates and help underrepresented stu-
dents complete college; and 
Whereas the California State University is developing not 
only college graduates, but responsible citizens and lead-
ers for California and the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
•HRES 1117 EH 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends 
and congratulates the California State University system on 
the occasion of its 50th anniversary. 
Attest: 
Clerk.