Inside: 2 Founding President Prator, 1907–2005 3 B3 Parking Structure Opens 4 Academic Affairs Directory 6 New Posts for Nakagawa, Kearns 7 FYI 8 Calendar Vol. X • No. 1 August 29, 2005 Cal State Northridge—The Intellectual, Economic and Cultural Heart of the San Fernando Valley and Beyond Alumna and Husband Give Northridge Record $7.3 Million Largest Cash Gift Will Expand Student Scholarships, Aid Valley Performing Arts Center former San Fernando High School wanted to help. This was her way of art teacher who graduated from helping,” Barsumian said. A Cal State Northridge and her Mary and Jack Bayramian each husband have donated their entire had Armenian parents from Aintab, $7.3 million estate as a bequest to Turkey, who came to the United States the university for expanding student to escape persecution. The two lived scholarships, marking the largest near each other as teenagers and cash and alumni gift in the graduated together from Hamilton university’s history. High School in West Los Angeles in The endowment created by long- 1939, marrying in 1942. After Navy time San Fernando Valley residents service during World War II, Jack had Mary and Jack Bayramian—who passed a 20-year career as a Pacific away in November 2002 and January Telephone and Telegraph Co. 2005, respectively—will fund two major technician. new university scholarship programs, After the war, the couple first including a $2.3 million portion to lived in Reseda and later bought a launch student scholarships for the Northridge house several blocks west future Valley Performing Arts Center of today’s university campus. A project on the campus. homemaker who returned to college “This remarkable gift from Mary in her late 30s, Mary Bayramian and Jack Bayramian will empower Gift from Jack and Mary Bayramian will fund major CSUN scholarship programs. attended from 1960 to 1963, earning a the university to support outstanding bachelor’s degree in art and a teaching students,” said Cal State Northridge Hall. President Koester called the Family Scholarship Fund. A reception credential from San Fernando Valley President Jolene Koester. “The dedication a fitting tribute, because in celebration of the Bayramians’ State College, which later became Bayramians, who were devoted to the building houses the university’s “generosity and vision” will follow. Cal State Northridge. each other during more than 60 years scholarship, financial aid and other “Because Aunt Mary graduated After graduating, Mary Bayramian of marriage, now have extended that student support services offices. from Cal State Northridge, she had a went on to teach art at nearby San caring to improve the lives of hundreds The president and members of the great feeling for the university,” said Fernando High School, where she of our students.” campus community will gather at the Don Barsumian, Mary Bayramian’s was affectionately known as “Mrs. B,” To honor the gift, the California Student Services building at 8:30 a.m. nephew, who is the couple’s trustee. until the couple retired in 1971. State University Board of Trustees in Tuesday, Sept. 13, for the official “I think she had a real love for At age 50, they moved to Laguna July approved renaming the university’s dedication ceremony for Bayramian young people and for education. Beach in Orange County and lived Student Services Building as Bayramian Hall and the creation of the Bayramian Mary believed in education and she Bayramians continued on page 2. Commitment to Students at Heart of Convocation Address President Koester Discusses Efforts Reflecting University’s Mission to Serve Students Well al State Northridge’s commitment mended improvements, designed numerous projects creating new “I am calling upon you to act on the to “student learning and student to reduce the GE program’s ways to design, assess and evaluate belief that our students can succeed C achievement” formed the center- complexity and number of student learning. when we set high expectations, and piece of President Jolene Koester’s required units. President Koester noted that a that it is our responsibility to help .sixth convocation address, delivered ٗ An effort to ensure that campus change in individual expectations of them do so,” she said August 25 to a large campus audience offices provide students with students and a renewed commitment Turning to budget matters, the on the Oviatt Library lawn. “consistent and accurate” infor- to be more helpful to them requires president reported tangible positives “Today I am going to ask you to mation about CSUN policies and no initiative, task force or committees. President’s Convocation continued on page 2. envision the future of our university requirements. through the eyes of our students— ٗ The commitment to make CSUN’s past, present and future,” President written communications with its Koester told the assembly. Rather than students clear, integrated, consistent, introduce any major new initiatives, and free of technical language. the president said she wished to ask “Communications to students must faculty and staff to embrace and build be timed and sequenced in a way 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California 91330-8242 upon the efforts currently underway that makes sense to them,” the that reflect the university community’s president said. shared belief in the collective respon- ٗ A project-in-progress being headed sibility for student success. Some of by University Assessment Coordinator these ongoing efforts include: Marilyn Filbeck and the Academic The Faculty Senate recently com- Affairs Assessment Committee that ٗ pleted its year long study of CSUN’s establishes program-level learning General Education (GE) program, outcomes. led by the GE Task Force under ٗ A partnership between Academic chair Jennifer Matos, professor of Affairs and Student Affairs to make biology. Determined to improve CSUN an institution “firmly grounded” the graduation rates of CSUN in higher education’s new concepts students, the university is moving and expectations. Learning-Centered to implement the Senate’s recom- University grants are supporting Cal State Northridge’s Founding President Dies at 97 Ralph Prator’s Ten Years as Leader of San Fernando Valley State College Capped Eventful Career ongtime college administrator Ralph Koester said. Prator—the founding president Born of a ranching family in La Veta, L of the institution that became Colorado on Nov. 16, 1907, Prator California State University, Northridge, attended the University of Colorado, now one of California’s largest public earning a bachelor’s degree in history universities—died Monday, July 25, in 1929 and a master’s in the same in his Ventura County retirement field in 1931. After serving in the hometown of Camarillo. Prator was 97. U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945, Prator A lifelong athlete and avid golfer earned his doctorate in educational who briefly played baseball as a young administration from the University of man with pitching great “Dizzy” Dean, California at Berkeley in 1947. Prator amassed a 30-year career as a His tenure at San Fernando Valley college and university administrator. State, which became the only four- That was capped by Prator’s 10 years year public college and later university as president of San Fernando Valley in its region, included recruiting most State College from its founding in of the faculty hired in the early years July 1958 until his retirement in and setting the academic direction September 1968. In 1972, the college for the institution. became a university and was renamed Prator is survived by his sister o California State University, Northridge. o Elizabeth Bryan in Oklahoma; three h C During that first decade of explosive e adult children: eldest Bruce in Oregon, e L y growth in the San Fernando Valley, b Lewis in Fountain Valley and Roxanna o t Prator oversaw the construction of the o (Prator) Gottsacker, a CSUN education h P campus’ original core of permanent President Jolene Koester with Ralph Prator, CSUN’s founding president alumna, in New Hampshire, and four buildings (most of which remain adult grandchildren. Prator’s wife of today), quadrupled the college’s 3,500 develop a new campus. Recalling his Cal State Northridge’s Department of nearly 60 years, Lois, who was a original students to more than 16,000 retirement from San Fernando Valley Educational Leadership and Policy schoolteacher, died in 1996. by his retirement, and spearheaded State in later years, Prator once said, Studies and later was named In lieu of flowers, the family is major land acquisitions that assembled “I felt as an administrator I was best President Emeritus. requesting donations to the CSUN most of today’s 356-acre university able to start and push something to “Cal State Northridge would not University Women’s Club Lois and campus. its maximum possibilities. But to be the strong institution it is today Ralph Prator Scholarship Fund. Prior to that, Prator had served settle down and run it was not my without Ralph Prator’s leadership and Checks can be made payable to the eight years as president of Bakersfield cup of tea.” vision. As the founding president, he Cal State Northridge Foundation, College in Kern County from 1950 to After retiring, Prator became a gave us a solid foundation upon which 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 1958, similarly helping that college professor emeritus in what became to build the university’s excellence,” 91330-8275. ᭿ Bayramians… continued from page 1. Recipients will partner with faculty for private funds to match the state there another 30 years, investing, members on scholarly projects. The dollars that will build/operate the improving and managing real estate, scholarships include a $5,000 award, Valley Performing Arts Center, due to and settling in an ocean-front home. bookstore discount, priority registration open within the next five years.