A Message from President Morishita: Inside East Bay, January 2020
- January 24, 2020
Welcome back to campus and to Spring Semester 2020! We have a busy semester ahead of us and several events which impact us all.
The deadline to register to vote in the March 3 California election is right around the corner—February 18, 2020. I encourage each of you to ensure your students, households and neighbors are ready to participate in the election. Details on the qualifications and how to register are available . The Alameda County ballot drop box on the Hayward Campus near the University Union will be opened on February 3, .
One proposition measure that should be of interest to those of us in higher education is . Not to be confused with the property-tax based Proposition 13 from 1978, this general obligation bond would provide important funds to update our academic facilities. On our campus, over 64% of our buildings and infrastructure are over 30 years old—that’s older than the average age of most of our students. In fact, 44% of our buildings are between 50-59 years old. Fourteen years have passed since the last state supported bond and while we have worked hard to use our scarce resources, in order to significantly improve our aging infrastructure, more funds are needed. I would encourage each of you to read more about this important measure.
Keep your eyes open for tabling on the Hayward campus. In mid-March, households will begin receiving invitations to complete the census. All who live in the United States or its territories on April 1 counts towards these numbers, including citizens of other countries. The “will determine congressional representation, inform hundreds of billions in federal funding, and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade.” Healthcare, education, transportation, housing and food for Alameda and Contra Costa County depend on the results of this important initiative.
Lastly , the university will host two events aimed at supporting middle and high school students in their journey to college. On February 8, the Ed Summit will take place on the Hayward campus from 9-1 pm in the gym, providing workshops and information about the application process. Later in the month, we will participate in the 14th annual Super Sunday on February 23 at churches across the Bay Area to promote the power of a college education in our communities. I encourage you to share information about these events with your friends, family and neighbors.
Enjoy the semester!
President Leroy Morishita