CSU Restoration in San Jose
How to honor the original California State

Many believe restoration of its original California State identity could be an important step in San Jose's development as a University at this time. Many believe this could enhance the value of the degrees the school grants and help unify and elevate the entire fragmented CSU system. Those who believe this have developed the folowing proposed program to achieve these goals:


1.     Restore Dual State-City Identity - Like most major state universities, San Jose should have a dual state-city identity, allowing students and graduates who don't care for the provincial "SJSU" identity the freedom of choice to market themselves as CSU graduates. To accomplish this the school should restore the words "California State University" as an alternate identity or in some other manner, while also maintaining a strong San Jose identity. The school should also try to phase out "San Jose State" in favor of "San Jose" (similar to the UC Berkeley's use of "Berkeley").

2.     Restore 1862 - Stop dishonoring the State of California and restore recognition of the school's authentic year of establishment: 1862.

3.     Restore Marketing Integrity -- Restore recognition of San Jose as the "oldest public institution of higher learning in California" and discontinue use of the false and inconsequential "oldest public institution on the West Coast".

4.     Restore Eureka Seal -- Restore San Jose's historic Eureka Seal as an important symbol of the University.

5.     Market San Jose's California Primacy -- Celebrate and heavily market the school's California identity, including its status as the oldest California institution of higher learning and original CSU, instead of attempting to hide and obfuscate this status is currently done by "SJSU".

6.     CSU Reintegration -- Reintegrate San Jose with the rest of the CSU system, promoting the school's status as the oldest CSU and forging alliances with other schools for development of a powerful "California State" identity to rival the "California" identity promoted by the oldest UC campus in Berkeley.

7.    "Desination" Residential Campus -- Promote the development of San Jose's CSU as a residential "destination" campus, instead of as a city college commuter school as is currently done. This incudes promoting redevelopment of the campus area, particularly with respect to student-oriented housing and retail.

8.    Geographical Diversity -- Use the school's restored California State identity to promote greater geographical diversity among its incoming students, and a higher percentage of traditional college age non-commuter students..

9.    Increase Admission Standards -- Once recognition and interest in the school starts to increase as a result of its more nationally and internationally recognizable California State identity, slowly increase admission standards to help secure San Jose's reputation as an insitution of academic excellence.

10.   No More CSU Campuses -- Stop CSU 'brand dilution" by convincing the CSU Chancellors office not to create any more CSU campus, at least until the oldest one is able to establish a solid CSU identity.