SCHOOL ON THE MOVE; UNIVERSITY BEGINS TRIP TO NEW HOME.

Byline: David Greenberg Staff Writer

Overseeing parts of the move from CSUN's 30,000-square-foot Ventura satellite campus to the new Camarillo facility is no small task, but a very familiar one for history professor Steve Bourque.

With a traveling salesman as a stepfather and two decades spent in the Army, he has moved 40 times in 50 years, never staying in one place longer than a four-year stint once in Connecticut.

``Moving is always stressful,'' Bourque said. ``But I'm used to it. And everybody wants it to happen. The things we do are going to set the tone for what happens to the university in the next 20 years. It's groundbreaking. Instead of just going to work, they're really going to leave a mark.''

But first, faculty and staff must leave the Ventura campus, where they have taught Cal State Northridge students for 25 years - first on Maple Street and, for the past 11 years, on Alessandro Drive.

While new equipment and furniture began arriving at California State University, Channel Islands, campus on the grounds of the former state hospital in Camarillo - classes begin Aug. 30 - Ventura campus staff were busy packing and tagging their inventory to be shipped next week.

Chipman Corp., a Long Beach affiliate of United Van Lines, has been contracted by CSUCI to transport the items for a cost not to exceed $26,312, according to Anna Pavin, administrative systems coordinator.

That inventory includes 400 desks with attached chairs, another 175 separate chairs, 100 small tables, 150 computers, 20,000 books, 45 white wallboards, 105 folding tables, eight executive desks, 38 secretary desks and 45 bookcases. There is also a television, VCR and overhead projector in each of the Ventura campus' 17 classrooms to be shipped.

``We're still functioning,'' said Steve Lefevre, director of the Ventura campus. ``We're still answering the telephone, and students are still coming by to ask questions about next year.''

Three 60-foot trailers full of new furniture arrived on the new campus Monday, with an additional trailer of office and classroom furniture expected to arrive later this week.

A shipment of 200 new computers arrived last week, said officials, who did not know the purchase and delivery costs of the new inventory.

``We're ordering it on a regular basis,'' Pavin said. ``The items are on several spreadsheets.''

As many as 1,800 full- and part-time equivalent students are expected to enroll in the new campus this fall, up from the 1,650 that just completed spring courses in Ventura.

The new campus will begin with 25 classrooms and will add four more later in the fall as courses fill up.

With renovations to the building that will house the library not set for completion until October or November, the school's 20,000 books will be placed in storage, said Dan Wakelee, associate director of the Ventura campus.

Instead of cracking a book, students can surf the Internet to obtain instructional texts and place book orders with CSUN's main campus library - which will dispatch couriers to the new campus on a daily basis.

``We'll be able to serve our students much better,'' Lefevre said. ``It's going to feel like a real university. We're excited about being on a permanent campus.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo: (1 -- color -- Conejo edition only) Desks are arriving at California State University, Channel Islands. The new campus provides a permanent home to the Ventura satellite campus of CSUN.

(2 -- color in Simi edition only) Movers unload furniture onto the CSUCI campus, which is located on the grounds of the former state hospital in Camarillo.

Lilly Barrett/Special to the Daily News

(3 -- color -- Conejo edition only) no caption (CSUCI insignia)