President Erika Beck鈥檚 Tenure at 华体会
by Kim Lamb Gregory
After more than four years at the helm of 华体会, President Erika D. Beck, Ph.D., will become the next President of CSU Northridge (CSUN) beginning January 11, 2021.
Beck accepted the post after four and a half years of leadership at 华体会, noting that leaving the campus was bittersweet.
In a message to the campus community Beck stated, 鈥淚t is with mixed emotions that I leave this campus,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淚 have cherished the opportunity to serve as your President. Your unwavering commitment to student success, your resiliency to challenges鈥攁nd we鈥檝e had our share!鈥攁nd your support of one another has been most impressive. Your individual and collective work truly transforms individual lives, generations of families and entire communities.鈥�
The numerous campus accomplishments that distinguish Beck鈥檚 tenure at 华体会 are rooted in her belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to earn a college degree, and enough support to thrive and graduate on time.
Achieving this level of equity on campus required a multi-tiered, multi-pronged effort involving students, faculty, staff and a strong connection with the community.
鈥淎s an institution, we have never been more involved or more engaged or had more conversations about diversity, inclusivity, equity and racial and social justice,鈥� said Associate Vice Provost for Student Success & Equity Initiatives Amanda Quintero, Ph.D.
Listening, learning and laying a foundation
Beck began her tenure at 华体会 in August of 2016 and was formally recognized and celebrated as president at her investiture in May of 2017.
鈥淭he thing I most admired about her is she took almost a year doing a listening tour of the campus,鈥� said 华体会 Foundation Board Chair George Leis. 鈥淪he felt it important enough to get the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and foundation board鈥檚 perspectives before she implemented her strategy.鈥�
鈥淪he listened to community leaders, she listened to the faculty, she listened to students,鈥� said board member Lynn Pike. 鈥淲ith it being a public institution and the huge gap California was going to have in terms of college graduates, she was focused on that goal and mobilized everybody. She turned everything upside-down, shook everything out and reassembled it.鈥�
Beck looked to solid data when figuring out ways to support historically underserved students who were often the first in their family to attend college.
华体会鈥檚 status as a federally-recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) was something Beck and campus leaders took seriously. In 2019, 华体会 became one of only nine institutions in the nation and the only university in California to earn the inaugural Seal of Excelencia for facilitating the success of Latinx students.
鈥淚 think there are several things she has done to make our campus more than a Hispanic-enrolling organization, but a Hispanic-serving institution,鈥� said Program Chair and Professor of Chicana/o Studies Jos茅 Alamillo, Ph.D.
鈥淪he empowered me and my colleagues to speak our minds.鈥� 鈥� Jos茅 Alamillo
For example, in 2017, Beck established the President鈥檚 Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence with Alamillo serving as founding chair.
鈥淪he saw the need for more diverse leadership and she sought out faculty who were passionate about this,鈥� Alamillo said. 鈥淪he empowered me and my colleagues to speak our minds. I think she really put equity front and center on our campus.鈥�
Inclusion at all levels
Beck also began creating spaces that reflect the campus commitment to equity and inclusion with the installation of an exhibit in University Hall to honor Chicana artist/poet and Oxnard native daughter, Michele Serros, as well as the trail restoration/rebirth of Sat鈥檞iwa, a sacred site of the Chumash.
Beck named Associate Professor of Nursing LaSonya Davis, DNP, FNP, as the inaugural fellow for the President鈥檚 Faculty Fellow program, which is designed to cultivate faculty leadership through the advancement of institutional mission fulfillment.
鈥淚 told her 鈥楾hank you for seeing me,鈥欌�� Davis said. 鈥淭hank you for seeing me as a Black woman, as one of the few black faculty on this campus. Thank you for providing me with opportunity and support.鈥�
Student Government Vice President Isaiah Ball and former Student Government President Atticus Reyes appreciated Beck including students in key decisions.
鈥淧resident Beck really walked the walk,鈥� Reyes said. 鈥淓verybody says 鈥榃e really prioritize students,鈥� but President Beck really did that. When I was president, we had the Borderline shootings and the fires, and she didn鈥檛 hesitate to bring the students into the fold.鈥�
Leadership during a crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic and campus switch to virtual learning was another crisis through which Beck led the campus.
鈥淪he kept us in the loop and said that it鈥檚 going to be hard at times and there are a lot of different challenges to virtual instruction,鈥� Ball said. 鈥淎nd that they were trying everything they could to offer a quality education for students.鈥�
Staff leaders like former Staff Council Chair Rosario Cuevas appreciated Beck including staff voices during the fast-moving crises that befell the University such as the 2018 fires and subsequent evacuations.
鈥淪he had a special meeting of the Staff Council to talk about concerns on behalf of the staff,鈥� Cuevas said. 鈥淪he made sure the entire President鈥檚 cabinet and Police Chief heard about our concerns.鈥�
When current Staff Council Chair Annie Block-Weiss took the post and met with Beck, COVID-19 had changed everyone鈥檚 lives.
鈥淲ith the fires and COVID-19 and everything, I told her staff morale was really low,鈥� Block-Weiss said. 鈥淪he came up with virtual cupcakes that sent staff recognition through dancing cupcakes on email. I heard from a lot of the staff that the simple recognition made them feel so appreciated.鈥�
The campus-community connection
Throughout her presidency, Beck cultivated partnerships between the community and the campus.
The relationship between the county and the campus has strengthened during her tenure according to Ventura County Chief Executive Officer Mike Powers, who referenced the Data Analytics project as of one of the rewarding collaborations between 华体会 and the county.
鈥淭he project brought the County staff together with 华体会 students for a real-world use of machine learning and data science to analyze diabetes prevention, breastfeeding determinants and opioid prescription abuse,鈥� Powers said. 鈥淲e have many 华体会 students who have participated in our internship program and have become County employees. We are grateful to have had the partnership with Dr. Beck and the University. I appreciate her enthusiasm, passion and commitment to education and our community.鈥�
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D鈥揟housand Oaks) championed a new Mechatronics program on the floor of the state legislature and 华体会 welcomed its first Mechatronics students in fall of 2018.
鈥淧resident Beck understood the need to develop a workforce that especially serves companies in the county,鈥� Irwin said. 鈥淭he incredibly diverse student body at 华体会 will be exposed to an interesting and constantly evolving field that provides a good living. The profession benefits because it has historically lacked the perspective and talents of women and people of color.鈥�
Framework for the future
Irwin recognized that 华体会 has the potential to be a model for providing an early childhood education center, which will offer childcare for students and area farmworkers. Irwin moved this idea forward to realize a successful $5 million ask to the legislature, which resulted in funding for a feasibility study for the early childhood education center.
鈥淓ven though I will no longer be serving as your President, know that I will be supporting your work and cheering you on!鈥�鈥揈rika D. Beck
Under Beck鈥檚 leadership, the campus launched the largest planned capital improvement project to date 鈥� Gateway Hall at the entrance to the campus. Other projects also include the renovation of Manzanita Hall for the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics; a campus-wide facilities and emergency communication upgrade to strengthen campus safety and security; completion of the third phase and most recent renovation of Central Mall; a feasibility study for a mixed-use capital program; and the realization of a $2 million bequest for a new performing arts theater.
A sustainable campus was a priority during Beck鈥檚 tenure, so a solar array project is being installed at the front of the University to provide 68% of the campus power load.
Beck stressed that she leaves the 华体会 campus filled with Dolphin pride.
鈥淚 am grateful to be continuing my work alongside you in the CSU, and furthering its mission for access, equity and excellence. Even though I will no longer be serving as your President, know that I will be supporting your work and cheering you on!鈥�
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漏 Fall 2020 / Volume 25 / Number 2 / Biannual