As president of California State University, Bakersfield I am pleased to extend a warm welcome to our campus. I invite you to visit our campus through the pages of this general catalog, and hope that you can visit us in person. Our students, faculty, alumni, and staff stand ready to show you why we think CSUB is a unique and special place.

We are very proud of our campus and of all the many important and positive activities that take place here. But what we are most proud of is the caliber and nature of our student body. At CSUB, we know that students are the heart and soul of the university community. Our students have an outstanding achievement record, best understood by the impressive rate by which they are admitted to top graduate programs across the nation. Particularly noteworthy, is their acceptance into first-rate doctoral programs and into medical and law schools.

We pride ourselves on having faculty who care and who are dedicated to serving students . . . to helping every one of our students succeed. We provide a broad array of support services, including counseling, individual academic advising and tutoring, and financial aid services. We offer an Honors Program, that provides specialized academic opportunities for high achieving students, as well as a wide-range of tutorial support services for all students. And importantly, we are strongly committed to ensuring the best possible collegiate experience for every one of our students.

Part of that commitment is preparing our students for successful careers after they graduate. CSUB graduates are the driving force in our service region. They help run cities and county governments, a nd hold office in the state Legislature; serve in important positions in business; and have key roles in the oil and agriculture industries. They teach the children of this great valley region in area school districts, and provide nursing and health care in our hospitals. Their success and the continuing economic growth of our region are testimonials to the quality education they receive at CSUB. Whatever may be your particular objectives, CSUB can provide the excellent foundation that you need to launch your career.

It is also a testimonial to CSUB's commitment to the community. We are one of the fastest growing regions of the state, and know that this University must be proactive, adaptable and committed to finding solutions to regional problems. We are making courses available on the Internet and through instructional television, and are expanding our offerings to many of the surrounding small towns . . . working to bring educational opportunities to the entire region we serve and beyond.

As we enter the new millennium, I invite you to join us. I am confident that at CSUB you will find an exceptionally rewarding collegiate experience . . . one led by faculty and staff who are genuinely committed to the students that we serve.

Please accept my warmest personal regards, and I look forward to welcoming you personally to the CSUB family.

Tomás A. Arciniega, President

California State University, Bakersfield