President Ortiz takes a tour of the Rose Float lab for his final weekly video message of 2011. The lab is one of the busiest on campus, especially in December when dozens of students are spending every waking hour working on the float.

Ortiz congratulates past and present Rose Floaters for their hard work and many successes. And he also highlights an important fundraising campaign initiative.

"Simply put, these students are working on perhaps our most public project in extremely poor conditions," he says. "It is our intent to build an enclosed facility that will give current and future generations of Rose Floaters an appropriate learning laboratory. This will require support from our alumni and friends in the community who recognize the importance of this unique program."

More information about supporting the Rose Float program will be available in the coming weeks.

State funding for the California State University has dropped nearly $1 billion since 2007-08. Ortiz calls on the campus community to raise their voices in support of higher education to the governor as he prepares his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. To be heard, visit https://bit.ly/reinvestCSU.

At the end of the month, the campus will be shut down for critical repairs to high-voltage electrical system. The campus will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 27 to Friday, Dec. 30. Campus buildings will not be open, and power will be supplied to only a few locations that maintain critical functions and sustain research, animals, public safety and property. Faculty, staff and students are asked to remain off campus during the repairs.

Before leaving for winter break, make sure to:

• Unplug any and all electronic devices in your office, including computers, printers and scanners.
• Remove all food from refrigerators and freezers, and then be sure they are unplugged.

To read the video message, download a PDF of the transcript.