1
The only snow day in CSUB history took place on January 25, 1999, when the area received 8 inches of snow, the most snow in more than 100 years in Kern County.
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The California State University system authorized the establishment of CSUB in 1965, hence the year on the university seal. The first day of classes was October 1, 1970.
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CSUB's original name was California State College, Bakersfield. It earned university status in 1987.
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The six original student housing buildings that comprise the Student Housing West complex are named after locations from the Lord of the Rings book series.
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The CSUB mascot is the Roadrunner, a bird endemic to the area. The Roadrunner became the university's mascot after 33 mascots were nominated for consideration. The idea for the Roadrunner came from a group in Buttonwillow, as the bird was also the mascot of Buttonwillow Elementary School. The other mascots under consideration included the Condors and the Cobra.
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More than 56,000 alumni claim CSUB as their alma mater, and 65% stay in the region after graduation to live and work.
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CSUB was ranked as a top public school by U.S. News and World Report in 2019.
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There are 16 athletic teams competing in NCAA Division I.
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CSUB is the only public university within nearly 100 miles.
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CSUB students built an augmented reality sandbox, an interactive topographical map and one-of-a-kind educational tool. It is regularly used for community outreach events.
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There are over 65 undergraduate and graduate degree programs at CSUB.
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In 2018, CSUB was ranked No. 2 "Best Bang for Your Buck" in the West by Washington Monthly.
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The CSUB Edible Garden, which serves the CSUB Food Pantry and Pop-Up Produce Pantry, is 100% organic and uses no chemical pesticides.
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The CSUB campus is the home to many endangered San Joaquin kit foxes. Their dens can be found in open areas all over campus, as they have acclimated to survive in urban environments. You may see them tagged with a collar, which is used to monitor their population.
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The CSUB Distinguished Speaker series brought big names to speak at campus, including Tesla founder Elon Musk in 2013.
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CSUB was ranked No. 3 for Upward Mobility by the Equality of Opportunity Project in 2017.
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In 1970, the first year classes were held, 920 students were enrolled at CSUB. That has grown to over 11,000 students in 2020.
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CSUB is a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, with over 63% of students identifying as Hispanic/Latinx.
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In 1973, Chief Justice Earl Warren gave the commencement speech to what was then called California State College, Bakersfield. Warren was the Supreme Court Justice who presided over the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. He had ties to Bakersfield because he was a 1908 graduate from Kern County Union High School, which is now known as Bakersfield High School.
20
Commencement ceremonies have been held in various places on campus as the student population has grown. The original commencements were held in what is now referred to as the Admin Quad. Later, they were hosted in the CSUB Amphitheatre to accommodate more guests. Today, CSUB utilizes the soccer fields, working with vendors to build a stage from the ground up. The first fall commencement in a decade was held at Mechanics Bank Arena in 2019.
21
CSUB houses the Multicultural Collection in the Dezember Reading Room, which was created by former librarian Pat Robles. The collection includes topics from the following ethnic groups: Asian American, Black American, Hispanic American, and Native American.
22
The first "`Runner Nights" event was held at CSUB in 2015. This event, a favorite of students, brings a full-scale carnival to campus in the fall. In the spring, students are treated to popular music acts that have recently included Tyga, Wale and Miguel.
23
The Bakersfield Jazz Festival, with its rich history of featuring prominent musicians for 32 years from 1987 to 2018, was hosted on campus at the CSUB Amphitheatre.
24
The famous Jane Fonda spoke at the Doré Theater on May 22, 1979 to kick off the Woman's Day events. Her talk was entitled “Economic Democracy,” and it touched on the issues of socioeconomic disparity in the U.S., our foreign oil dependence, and nuclear energy's dangers. That day, there was also a performance of “A Doll's House,” where Jane Fonda played the lead role of Nora.
25
CSUB's Sculpture on Campus program celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018. This program invites an artist every spring to display a temporary installation or sculpture on our campus for a year or more. There have been over 35 artists so far, who are from local, domestic, and international areas.
26
The Alumni Association's Party in the Park is one of the longest-standing fundraising events for CSUB. This year's Party at Your Place will be the 23rd annual event and have a '70's disco theme, a nod to the first class of 1970.
27
Each year, the Kegley Institute of Ethics hosts The Charles W. Kegley Memorial Lecture in honor of Dr. Charles W. Kegley, first chair of the California State University, Bakersfield Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. Dr. Kegley believed in practicing philosophy in connection with real people and real problems. This lecture continues this tradition, featuring engaging talks on topics ranging from poverty, human rights, and environmental ethics to free speech, education, and health care (among many other topics). Examples of past speakers include Tracy Martin, Mira Sorvino, Daniel Ellsburg, Paul Rusesabagina, Peter Singer, Cornel West and Jocelyn Elders.
28
65% of CSUB graduates stay within Kern County to live and work. Statistically, most go on to become educators, with nurses coming in as the second most popular career choice.
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The CSUB Small Business Development Center (SBDC) promotes the development, growth and success of small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties.
30
The Associated Students, Inc. were instrumental in the planning, development, design, and construction of the Student Union, which was completed in 1994. In addition, `Runner Park was completed in 2000 and was designed and funded entirely by the Associated Students, Inc. for the enjoyment of students, past, present, and future. Currently, the Student Union houses Panda Express, Starbucks and the CSUB bookstore, as well as study, meeting and office spaces.
31
In 2020, Geology assistant professor Dr. Katie O'Sullivan arranged for NASA to send CSUB moon rock samples for her students to study.
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Earlier this year, the School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering unveiled a new Magic Planet installation in its Science I building. The 30-inch diameter globe uses 3D technology and real data to convey concepts of earth science.
33
In 2019, CSUB bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters to Jane Elliott, renowned social justice advocate. Previous recipients of an honorary degree at CSUB include Rayburn S. Dezember, Chuck Yeager, Merle Haggard, Harvey Hall, Walter W. Stiern, and Ben and Gayle Batey.
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CSUB's campus spans 375 acres and was previously agricultural land before being converted to its current state.
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CSUB has a satellite campus at Antelope Valley, which offers nine undergraduate degrees and six graduate degrees. CSUB offers limited regional programs through Extended Education in the following locations: Santa Clarita, Hanford, Lancaster, or online.
36
CSUB president Lynnette Zelezny was honored by the Tejon Indian Tribe with a ceremonial shawl in honor of her Investiture in May 2019. The Tejon Indian Tribe has hosted their annual Honoring our Ancestors Pow Wow on CSUB's campus for the past five years.
37
The Office of the President's Division of Equity, Inclusion, and Compliance partnered with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to bring the first Naturalization Ceremony to CSUB. On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, the university had the honor of hosting a naturalization ceremony that conferred U.S. citizenship on 100 of our fellow Valley residents, who entered the Doré Theatre as nationals of countries around the world, but left together as American citizens. Naturalization is the process by which a person not born in the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen.
38
The CSUB Alumni Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize graduates whose career accomplishments, community service and/or support of the university have made their alma mater proud. Inductees include Wendy Wayne, John Nilon, Jon Van Boening, Monique Rogers and Tara-Nicholle Nelson.
39
Juan Felipe Herrera, former U.S. Poet Laureate, composed and presented an original poem for President Lynnette Zelezny on the occasion of her investiture in 2019.
40
The Student Recreation Center had its grand opening in May of 2009. In 2019, they added the SRC Challenge Course, a high-ropes course with eight thrilling elements, including a zipline.
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CSUB has served as the start and finish line for all four runnings of the Bakersfield Marathon. On average, 60% of the runners who participate are local.
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The 2019-2020 fiscal year was the most successful fundraising year in CSUB's history. Over $10 million was raised to support student success.
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The pond located in Alumni Park is home to many coi fish and turtles. There are even food dispensers so you can feed them! While you're there, you can place a wish on the ASI wishing tree, which draws on the Japanese tradition.
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The CSU system was established through the Donahoe Higher Education Act of 1960. Both the act and Dorothy Donohoe Hall, which is located on CSUB's campus, are named after the Assemblywoman from Bakersfield who paved the way for the CSU system, the largest state university system in the U.S.
46
The first 12 doctoral degrees completed entirely at CSUB were conferred in 2019. Previous Ed.Ds were earned through a joint degree program between CSUB and Fresno State.
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The Runner, CSUB's student newspaper, is a bi-weekly publication that is distributed throughout campus. Student journalists, which number between 40 and 50 each year, also maintain a news website.
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There are over 85 student clubs on campus with topics as wide-ranging as gaming, biology, film and politics.
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CSUB offers over 50 study abroad programs for students, with destinations that include Japan, Germany, Costa Rica and South Africa. International students also come from all over the world to study at CSUB. Each year, President Zelezny hosts a luncheon to introduce them to American holiday traditions.
50
In 2017, the CSUB Fab Lab was awarded the Beautiful Bakersfield Award from the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. The Fab Lab was established in 2014 to support the new engineering majors at CSUB. In addition, the Fab Lab provides programming that inspires and empowers the Bakersfield community and encourages K-12 students to imagine STEM careers as a possibility for the future.
