Neufeldt to Talk Student Success, Social Mobility at Report to Community

With Cal State San Marcos having welcomed the largest first-year class in its history, President Ellen Neufeldt will deliver her annual Report to the Community on Tuesday, Sept. 26, highlighting the university’s role as a powerful engine for good.  

About 350 individuals representing a broad cross section of regional business, nonprofit, education and government leadership are expected to attend the event. 

In her remarks, Neufeldt will discuss how CSUSM is dismantling barriers to educational access and leading the conversation on student social mobility. The university ranks first nationally out of more than 1,400 schools measured in the Social Mobility Index by the online publication CollegeNET. The rankings were released last November.

Also, next month, CSUSM will host the sixth annual National Social Mobility Symposium, inviting higher education leaders from across the country to discuss ways to create pathways to social mobility for students and the communities they serve.

Enrollment for the fall increased 3% compared with last year, including a record group of 2,766 first-year students.

Neufeldt also will discuss future growth at CSUSM. The university is raising money for the construction of what it will call the Integrated Science and Engineering Building, which will house many of CSUSM’s rapidly growing STEM programs. Nordson Corporation recently provided the first corporate gift of $300,000 toward the building.

This will be the fifth Report to the Community for Neufeldt, who started in her position in July 2019. Report to the Community is an annual tradition that CSUSM has hosted since 2005.  

During the event, CSUSM will present its annual Community Partner of the Year award to three regional community colleges: Palomar College, MiraCosta College and Mt. San Jacinto College. 

It also will hand out the Fran Aleshire Leadership Award to Bret Schanzenbach, the president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. The Leadership North County alumni network presents the Fran Aleshire Leadership Award to a graduate of the program who, in the spirit of community leader Fran Aleshire, exhibits the characteristics of great leadership. Individuals are nominated by their peers.  

The emcee of Report to the Community will be Sara Vaz, community relations manager for Nordson and the chair of CSUSM’s University Council. Also scheduled to speak is Ernest Cisneros, president of Associated Students, Inc.  

Media members who wish to attend Report to the Community in person or would like to request an advance copy of President Neufeldt’s prepared remarks should contact Brian Hiro at bhiro@csusm.edu or 760-750-7306.  

Report to the Community is hosted each year by University Council, a citizen advisory board consisting of community leaders interested in the development and welfare of the university.  

North City is the presidential sponsor of Report to the Community. The premier sponsor is SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union. The signature sponsor is Hunter Industries.  

What: CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt’s annual Report to the Community address  

When: 8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 26 (doors open at 7) 

Where: University Student Union ballroom on campus