college of Extended learning
Susan Summers, interim dean
Spring/Summer 2005
Walking with Wuhan
Last September, a group of 21 high ranking officials from
the city of Wuhan — which boasts 8.3 million residents — in
Hubei Province, China, moved into campus housing to begin five months
of training as part of a cooperative project between CSUSB’s College
of Extended Learning and the city of San Bernardino. The group spent half
of their time in the classroom and half learning through field experiences,
shadowing city staff from various departments, and visiting sites related
to their professional fields.
Although here for the longest period to date, this was
but one of 12 delegations of high government officials from the People’s
Republic of China to visit the campus in the fall. They came to train
in various fields, such as enterprise supervision and management, auditing,
human resources, career development, higher education, tourism and anti-smuggling/anti-terrorism.
The groups are part of an agreement worked out by the International Extension
Programs of the College of Extended Learning with FCC Inter-national,
one of the 22 Chinese concerns allowed to deal directly with the Bureau
of Foreign Experts in Beijing, the office in the central government in
charge of all international training for government officials.
The daily schedule was rigorous. In the classroom or on
location five to six hours a day, six days a week, the students received
instruction from campus faculty and outside experts. Most of the instruction
was delivered in English and the remainder in Chinese. They also received
instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) to improve their ability
to understand the lectures and interact with their counterparts in the
city.
In addition to becoming acquainted with the various departments
of the city of San Bernardino, the Wuhan group visited construction sites
in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace and Red Rock, and received presentations
from the Water Resources Institute on campus as well as from structural
engineering and construction companies, such as the Watson Group, Transtech
Engineering, Martin and Peltyn, and Rauch International. At their request,
they had the opportunity to observe our nation’s electoral process
on Nov. 2.
Very proud of their city and conscious that it is not
as well known as other cities in China, the group organized a day of Wuhan
cultural activities on campus in January. The event included an evening
presentation, preceded by a mixer for campus and community leaders, and
was attended by two officials from the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.
Support Your Local Student
Responsible for planning and developing training and educational
programs in support of outreach efforts in the Coachella Valley, Steve
McAdams has been hired by the College of Extended Learning as a program
administrator at CSUSB’s Palm Desert Campus.
“His understanding of the needs of business and
his experience in developing continuing education programs will serve
the region well. He’s a real asset,” said Susan Summers, interim
dean of the College of Extended Learning.
“I am excited to be working in the Coachella Valley,”
said McAdams, who lives in Cathedral City. “I look forward to working
with leaders in the public and private sectors, building partnerships
and playing a role in the community’s growth.” Prior to joining
Cal State San Bernardino, McAdams worked as the assistant director of
the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center in Riverside, which
is a division of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP). He supervised
its small business-related training programs.
He also has experience in developing and directing employee-training
programs for businesses in Los Angeles and continuing education courses
for Allegany College in Cumberland, Md. Originally from Iowa, McAdams
has been a resident of the Coachella Valley for the past six years. McAdams
earned his master’s degree in business administration from Frostberg
(Md.) State University and his bachelor’s degree from Colorado College
in Colorado Springs, Colo.
