April 2, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Harvey R. Levenson
Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department
805-756-6151; hlevenso@calpoly.edu
Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge Team for Student Printing,
Design and Communication Services
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department is teaming with the Cal State Northridge Department of Art to create a by-students-for-students, learn-by-doing venture to provide print and electronic communication services for both campuses.
The endeavor will pair student-run programs at each campus – the full-service University Graphic Systems printing and publishing company at Cal Poly and The Center for Visual Communication (VISCOM) marketing and advertising agency at Northridge – to provide design, printing and other services.
VISCOM educates students on modern design concepts for print and web development, and in animation graphics. UGS teaches students to produce printed products using some of the most modern traditional and digital technology available for prepress, press, and wide-format printing and finishing services.
VISCOM and UGS are academic programs in which students receive credit for work performed. Both groups provide services to the departments of their respective universities and to selective outside entities, providing projects to support student education and preparation to enter the workforce. The two campuses will now serve each other to enhance the learn-by-doing educational philosophy of each program.
“This relationship is a major breakthrough in demonstrating how two CSU campuses can partner in a win-win situation for students,” said Harvey R. Levenson, head of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department.
“The students who gain work experience in their respective programs find themselves ahead of the game when entering their profession, because they already have experience in things like graphic production, marketing, sales, customer service and distribution. They know design, software, hardware, and technology from a practical perspective.”
David Moon, managing director of VISCOM, said, “Prospective clients reap limitless benefits by using this ‘think tank’ of remarkable individuals that are focused on specialized areas in visual communication. VISCOM was formed three years ago and has successfully completed and helped launch many high-profile projects, including several for non-profit organizations. Many of these projects have received industry recognition as well as high praise from regional business leaders and city officials.”
Cal Poly and Cal State Northridge are inviting other CSU campuses to join this initiative by submitting design, web development, and printing projects to help support their on- and off-campus communication needs.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Harvey R. Levenson
Department Head
Graphic Communication Department
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Phone: 805-756-6151, Fax: 805-801-7118
E-mail: hlevenso@calpoly.edu
or
Professor Dave Moon
Managing Director/Professor of Art
The Center for Visual Communication
California State University, Northridge
Phone: 818-677-3022, Fax: 818-677-3631
E-mail: dave.y.moon@csun.edu
More on Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department
Founded in 1946, Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department (www.grc.calpoly.edu) includes concentrations in graphic communication management, Web and digital media, design reproduction technology, graphics for packaging, and individualized study. The program is strongly supported with grants and endowments and by industry donations of equipment, supplies and software for the department’s more than 33,000 square feet of modern laboratories. The Graphic Communication Institute at (www.grci.calpoly.edu) focuses on services for industry, including research, testing, product evaluations, consulting, training, seminars, workshops, and conferences. The department has national accreditation through the Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications (ACCGC).
University Graphic Systems was founded more than 40 years ago and has produced award-winning graphics in the printing and publishing fields. UGS produces the only university daily newspaper (Mustang Daily) in the nation that is fully produced by students on campus, and in full-color. More than 80 student employees and 14 student managers use sophisticated computer labs with the latest software applications along with four-color sheetfed, web, and digital presses.
UGS also staunchly advocates environmental preservation and uses sustainable practices in all of its print productions. UGS is the only student organization of its kind that has been awarded FSC certification.
About the CSU Northridge Art Department
California State University, Northridge is one of the largest higher education institutions in California, with approximately 36,000 students enrolled. The VISCOM Center is located in the Art Department, and many of its “Core” members are from the Art Department areas of Visual Communication that includes Graphic Design, Animation and Illustration. Over the past 50 years, the CSU Northridge Art Department has earned a solid reputation within the entertainment industry by producing outstanding alumni, many of whom hold high-level positions at such companies as the Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Sony, FOX and Universal, just to name a few. The Center for Visual Communication is self-funded and equipped with high-end hardware and the latest software for students to use. VISCOM also has numerous supporters and local partners providing scholarships and business development assistance, including Western Commercial Bank and Hamagami/Carroll, Inc.
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