The Center for Communication Skills at Cal State Long Beach received a $1 million donation from former professor Luster E. Hauth and his wife, Audrey Nichol Hauth.
Luster Hauth was a professor at Cal State Long Beach for 28 years until he retired in 1992. The Hauths have always envisioned a center where students, faculty and community members could come and learn how to become better and effective communicators. With their recent donation, the Hauths are hoping there will be an increasing awareness of the center.
“I hope that it helps to make the center more visible and expansive,” Mrs. Hauth said. ” I look forward to seeing it develop and reach toward the local community.
Tim Plax, communication professor and director of the center, said the money will help to operate and sustain it. It will also assist with staffing part-time student assistants and full-time staff, as well as needed upgrades in technology.
This is the second $1 million gift from Hauths to CSULB. The first donation came in 1999 and was used to establish the Luster E. and Audrey Nichol Hauth Center for Communication Skills. It was one of the largest gifts of its kind from a retired professor in the California State University system.
Professor L. Hauth said the center has been very successful and the money will only help it move ahead.
“Many students get nervous about giving a speech and the center helps them feel more comfortable and that will help them in their personal world because they need those speaking skills for interviews and work,” Mr. Hauth said.
The director of the center said the Hauths are creating a legacy that will continue to serve thousands of students, faculty and community members.
“The Hauths have captured the spirit of philanthropy. Because of their unselfish and wonderful gifts, the Hauth Center will exist in perpetuity,” Plax said.
He explained that the $1 million dollar gift to the center will be secured in the Foundation.
“Because of the gift, the center will receive increased support from the university,” Plax said. “It is important that the center continues to grow and reaches out not only to those at CSULB, but also forge links with other institutions and the local community.”
Along with assisting students, the center also provides specialized orientations for faculty development.
“The center currently serves 1,000 students a semester, but that number is continually growing as increasing awareness of the center continues to grow,” Plax said.
Along with staffing the Hauth Center, Scott Allen, technical director, manages the state-of-the-art video and audio equipment for the center. Students are provided with individualized assistance for their oral presentations, interpersonal and group communication skills classes. Students can have their presentations recorded and then get feedback on how to improve their presentation skills.
The Hauth Center is located in the LAB-200, adjacent to the McIntosh building. For more information on the Hauth Center, visit http://www.csulb.edu/centers/hauth/or call (562) 985-7142 for an appointment.