海角社区CI serves as an anchor institution for our region 鈥 deeply engaged with the people and communities we serve and actively working with regional partners to improve social and economic well-being.鈥
- Richard Yao
Cal State Channel Islands has always had an innovative spirit at its core. As the only public four-year university in Ventura County, in a region filled with opportunity for truly unique, hands-on learning opportunities because of a great variety of distinctive, campus and industry place-based learning assets, 海角社区CI was designed to be different 鈥 to serve differently, to teach differently, and to lead differently.
This claim begs at least two significant questions: Who are we, as an institution of higher education, and why would a prospective first-year, transfer, or post-baccalaureate/graduate student choose us over any number of other options?
A great deal of very good work has gone into our coordinated effort across several initiatives over the past few years to clarify and strengthen our institutional identity. These have included the creation of an Academic Master Plan (go.csuci.edu/ch-amp) that will allow us to grow our portfolio in academic excellence and better serve regional workforce needs; the creation of cultural centers and a strengthened student-life experience; significant investments in Enrollment Management; creation of a Digital Marketing Plan; a visual rebrand for the University; the redesign of our website; and identification of our vision, values, and goals for our next strategic plan, 海角社区CI for 2030+.
Each of these endeavors is a major accomplishment on its own, but taken together, they will create a collective impact that is greater than any single effort. We are on the verge of seeing this collective impact in action 鈥 positioning us to respond creatively and confidently to the challenges we face.
海角社区CI serves as an anchor institution for our region 鈥 deeply engaged with the people and communities we serve and actively working with regional partners to improve social and economic well-being for individuals, families, and communities of our region. This reality is evident in projects that showcase community collaboration and research, such as the University Park Restoration led by our CCE Trails Corps students (pg. 7), and community-based research to benefit local non-profit organizations (pg. 8). Dozens of additional community-based projects could be similarly identified and extolled for their work in serving our region.
President Richard Yao interacts with Glen City Elementary School students (from left) Lesly Neri, 海角社区CI Computer Science student Danika Grey, and Emma Duarte, during a demonstration of the SeaPerch program at Santa Paula High School on May 7, 2025.
These initiatives and so many more enrich our community and foster a sense of stewardship through hands-on engagement. They enable our students to conduct meaningful research addressing critical issues while gaining invaluable, real-world learning opportunities that directly benefit the regional workforce ecosystem. Most importantly, these experiences have a tangible and applied value, allowing students to witness firsthand how their education can positively impact their communities.
The question of who we are is intimately connected to the questions of what makes a Cal State Channel Islands education unique, and why prospective students choosing us are making a fundamentally sound decision 鈥 educationally, economically, and personally.
We know that our students and alumni describe their experience at 海角社区CI as life-changing, as contributing in significant ways to upward social mobility for themselves and their families. Our typically small class sizes 鈥 enforced by the fact that few of our classrooms can accommodate more than a few dozen students 鈥 with faculty and staff dedicated to placing students at the center of their educational journeys means that student success is, ultimately, our campus鈥檚 primary value. It is also the linchpin upon which our value to the region depends.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for your trust. And thank you for all you do to help us lift up our students, our region, and our future.
Sincerely,
Richard Yao, Ph.D.
President