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Office of the President

Craven Taskforce

CSUSM Campus

Recently, many institutions of higher education across the nation have sought to understand the history, context and impact of various campus namings. At CSUSM, President Neufeldt charged a task force in fall 2021 to examine CSUSM’s connection to Senator William A. Craven.

 

Taskforce Charge

In alignment with our commitment to our mission and values, and an intent for this to be an inclusive and deliberative process that draws on the voices and perspectives of our internal and external campus community, the workgroup was charged with the following: 

  1. Discover and objectively document the historical record of William A. Craven’s statements and actions as they relate to his past leadership roles and affiliations with CSUSM, our region and our state. 
  2. Analyze and build a common understanding of the  contemporary issues surrounding the William A. Craven name and his legacies.  
  3. Develop opportunities for open and informed discussion with the internal and external campus community regarding the issue under consideration as it relates to our institutional mission and values.  Opportunities to receive diverse perspectives may include: open forums, encouraging individuals to submit their perspectives in writing, and listening sessions with individuals or groups. 
  4. Building on the results of an educational and information-gathering process, articulate the potential impacts of retaining, replacing or contextualizing the name and representation of William A. Craven at CSUSM with supporting evidence and arguments.

In August 2022, President Neufeldt met with the task force and requested a formal recommendation on the naming.

Task Force Report

Read the report.

Read the cover letter to the report.

Share your FeedbackWe welcome broad input.

Taskforce Membership

Membership comprised of 24 individuals including 4 administrators, 2 staff representatives, 8 community representatives (including 2 affiliated with the CSUSM Foundation Board, 3 affiliated with the University Council, and 2 affiliated with tribal partners), 4 faculty representatives, 1 library representative, 1 alumna, 3 current students, and 1 graduate student support staff.  

*Some members of the Taskforce served only a portion of time throughout the term of meetings.
**Some members of the Taskforce changed roles based on certain circumstances surrounding their constituency groups.