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Hello Dolphins,
Welcome to the 2024/2025 academic year at California State University Channel Islands (CI). We are celebrating our 22nd year and remain committed to providing each of you with an education rooted in our four pillars of multicultural engagement, international perspectives, integrative studies, and community engagement.
This university was founded to serve you: the students of the greater Ventura County region and beyond. You give purpose to the work that our faculty and staff do here every day and we are all dedicated to your successes. During your time here, I invite you to think about your “secret sauce”, as I call it.. The “secret sauce” is a combination of your own lived experiences and the knowledge you gain in the classroom. The knowledge you will acquire will have far greater meaning and impact if you can connect it to the unique aspects of yourself that set you apart from others. Bring the experiences you’ve gathered with your family, at work, participating in sports, and through hobbies with you to class; find points of connection between them and the content you’re learning. I can assure you that this will make that content even more interesting and give you greater insight into your post-graduation plans.
There are numerous opportunities across disciplines for you to take part in to test the making of that “secret sauce”. Our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) allows undergraduate students the opportunity to work alongside a faculty member over summer on a project gathering direct research experience in the process, something usually reserved for graduate students at other institutions. Our Peer Mentor Ambassador program allows you to support the learning of your fellow Dolphins in the classroom environment and get paid for it. These are just a couple of the many opportunities available to you during your time at CI.
Lastly, I would recommend that you take advantage of the expertise of our Academic and Faculty Advisors when you are selecting classes and establishing your majors. Also, utilizing the Degree Planner will help you map out your coming semesters, helping ease the registration process.
Again, I welcome you to CI and wish you much success in your time here as a Dolphin. I’ll see you in a few years crossing that Commencement stage.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao. Ph.D.
President
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