Palm Desert University Unveils New Presidential Fellows Program

PALM DESERT, CA — Cal State San Bernardino Palm Desert just became the first California university to adopt a presidential fellows program honoring former President Gerald Ford, the campus announced Wednesday.

The fellows program aims to encapsulate the values of the 38th U.S. president, which include civic engagement, ethical leadership and bipartisan cooperation.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellows Program will provide students with advanced leadership and mentorship opportunities. Applications will be open to any major at any level of education.

Students will be required to join a campus organization registered with the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement. During the candidacy semester, students will need to accrue 10 points in three categories of participation: regular meeting attendance, event attendance and service.

The next step is becoming a fellow and maintaining that status, which will require students to gain seven additional points every semester and network with the program's community, according to organizers.

Selected students will be able to participate in leadership training workshops, public service projects throughout the Coachella Valley, training in civil dialogue and bipartisan cooperation, one-on-one mentorship from community leaders, seminars, lectures and hands-on experiences with diverse communities, officials said.

"Becoming the only California chapter of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellows Program underscores our commitment to preparing the next generation of ethical leaders and engaged citizens," said Kevin Grisham, professor of global studies and faculty advisor of the program on campus.

CSUSB Palm Desert joins the University of Michigan, Hope College in Michigan and Middle Tennessee State University in adopting the program.

Ford was originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"Grand Rapids and the Coachella Valley are bounded together by [President Ford's] legacy of hard work, public service, personal integrity, bipartisan cooperation and courageous action," officials said.

Visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Fellows Program webpage for more information.

Ford died in 2006 at 93 in Rancho Mirage, California, where he lived after leaving the White House.