e-mail this page
Printer Friendly Version

30 Year Profile: Vicki Kawamura

Vicki Kawamura

Vicki Kawamura has been a steady presence at Sacramento State’s College of Business Administration over the years, beginning as a student then working her way up to her current position as administrative budget analyst in the College.

After waiting in line for and being granted admission to Sacramento State College, Kawamura chose business administration as a major. “I knew as a business major there would always be a job for me in the workforce,” she says. “In fact, I got a job at Sacramento State as a student assistant in the Department of Accounting and Management Information Science. That job helped me pay for my books and registration, and I was only making $1.68 an hour.”

Upon graduation, Kawamura was hired in the Word Processing Center in the College of Business Administration. While being trained to use the first IBM magnetic card typewriter, she began an interest in the latest hardware and software technology. “There have been so many changes in technology since then,” says Kawamura. “At that time, typewriters and ditto machines were prevalent, and they’re practically obsolete now.”

Knowing the latest technological changes was vital when Kawamura later moved to the Department of Accounting and Management Information Science as a department secretary. “In A&MIS, we had to stay on the cutting edge of technology,” she recalls.

The transition to A&MIS from the Word Processing Center put Kawamura in touch with more members of the university community. “When I began as the department secretary for A&MIS, there were 29 full-time and 43 part-time faculty members,” says Kawamura, “and I learned so much about the operations while working in this position. It was also a pleasure to work with the department chairs, because they encouraged my initiative and problem-solving skills.”

Kawamura was subsequently hired as the senior secretary for the associate dean for Academic Affairs. “In this position, I learned more about policymaking, report writing and coordinating complex schedules. I’m glad I held this position, because I really began to focus on the changing environment of the University as a whole. I was always thinking of how to improve the efficiency of our operations.”

Those habits have served Kawamura well in her position as an administrative analyst in the College of Business Administration and particularly during her service on the Continuous Improvement Committee for the College. “The committee updated the mission and vision statements and reviewed the organizational practices and processes for the College of Business Administration,” she says. “It was part of the accreditation process and the College continues to review our strategic plan, vision, mission, and updating our goals.” Today, her focus is on the financial operations for the College initiatives, finding solutions, and information analyses.

Kawamura’s dedication to the University and especially the College of Business Administration is clear in her long record of service. “The College is a wonderful place to be, and I’ve worked with a great group of people,” says Kawamura. “The deans I have worked for gave me the opportunity to do a lot of things. They have consistently encouraged, supported, and appreciated my work and commitment to the College.”