Today marks the official start of the academic year. As I have mentioned, we also will be celebrating CSUN’s 50th anniversary throughout the year, marking “50 years of life-changing opportunity.”
This always is an exciting time, when Cal State Northridge welcomes both new and returning students. I always look forward to opportunities to go out on campus during these first few weeks to meet students and staff as they go about their daily business, and hear how things are going.
I also recognize it can be stressful, particularly for students. Finding a parking space, locating classrooms, attending the first day of a new course, making adjustments to class schedules, purchasing books, standing in various lines, and meeting new friends all heighten the excitement and frenzy of the first few weeks of the year.
Please be assured that as everyone begins to settle into the rhythm of their class and work schedules, a lot of these difficulties will ease. So in the meantime, I ask that everyone—students, faculty and staff—exercise patience and bear with us as we enter what I know will be an exciting new academic year, full of plenty of activities and achievements.
Welcome to 2008-09!
Yesterday, I had the pleasure to deliver my ninth convocation address as president of Cal State Northridge. This annual event brings together faculty and staff for a morning coffee and is a wonderful way for everyone to come together as a community as we prepare for a new academic year. The new academic year, 2008-09, is especially significant because it marks Cal State Northridge’s 50th anniversary. So this year’s convocation address was an opportunity to talk about how far we’ve come since our founding and what lies ahead in our future.
The title of this year’s convocation address is “California State University, Northridge: 50 Years of Life-Changing Opportunity.” Anyone wishing to review my remarks can find it posted at http://www.csun.edu/presofc/speeches/2008convocation.html. A video streaming version of the address will be posted and announced shortly, and be linked at the above website as soon as it becomes available.
CSUN’s alumni include past state Teachers of the Year, Grammy Award winners, noted public officials including a current state governor, nationally-known cable news personalities, and a space shuttle astronaut. Their success reflects the hard work and determination of Cal State Northridge’s diverse student body and the commitment of the University’s faculty and staff to help students fulfill their goals and dreams.
Like many institutions, Cal State Northridge has embraced the World Wide Web, and I am confident you will find our Web site to be an outstanding resource for information about the University, its mission, its goals, and its colleges and departments. Detailed information about our academic programs and services can be found online, including the University Catalog.
The Web site also increasingly has become more interactive and important to supporting and advancing the day-to-day work of the University. Many faculty, staff and students, for example, now conduct their work and academic efforts online, and prospective students conveniently can apply to CSUN on the Web.
Whatever your reason for visiting CSUN’s Web site, we hope you find your tour enjoyable and enriching.
