This past weekend, the University held its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards gala. With commencement week now upon us, this memorable event last Saturday evening seemed a fitting time to remember the distinguished accomplishments and contributions of students from prior graduating classes who have contributed to Cal State Northridge’s growing legacy and reputation.
At the banquet, we had the privilege of honoring three very accomplished Cal State Northridge alumni: Mr. Harvey Bookstein, one of the state’s most respected accountants who established the Harvey and Harriet Bookstein Chair in Taxation and the Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation on campus; Dr. Debra Farar, past chair and current member of the Board of Trustees of The California State University, who is known nationally for her leadership on higher education issues; and the Honorary S. James Otero, United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
Each of the honorees spoke with great pride of being Cal State Northridge graduates. They spoke glowingly of their experiences at the University, acknowledging that Cal State Northridge faculty played key roles in preparing them for success after graduation, and that their education gave them the skills, knowledge and opportunity to excel. As we wind down our celebration of the University’s 50th anniversary and 50 years of life-changing opportunity, I know all of us associated with this great institution were proud and moved on Saturday night to hear in a very specific and personal way about how the University had made a difference in the lives of these outstanding individuals. It was a memorable and enjoyable evening, and the Cal State Northridge Alumni Association deserves recognition for a fine, stylish event.
When I look out this week at the many happy faces of this year’s graduating class, I will do so with the knowledge that our students have been given an education that is second to none, and with the pride that they, too, are now distinguished Cal State Northridge alumni. A future Distinguished Alumni Award recipient may even be among this year’s graduates!
In my previous blog marking the close of the academic year, I spoke about the many challenges we faced during the past year, as well as the achievements and events that made it so memorable. However, there are also many events and rituals that occur throughout every academic year which are unique to higher education. Such customs, which can be found in other fields and institutions in society, play an important role in people’s lives by providing a sense of order and continuity. I’m sure that the subject of academic tradition and custom at Cal State Northridge will be a theme I revisit often in this blog.
Of course, there is no annual tradition better known in higher education than the one Cal State Northridge celebrates next week: commencement. As its very name suggests, commencement marks not an ending, but a symbolic beginning for almost 10,000 students who will be awarded bachelor’s and master’s degrees next week. It is truly fitting that we commemorate this new phase of our graduates’ lives in the spring, nature’s own traditional time of renewal and fresh beginnings.
With this in mind, I ask the entire campus community to join me in congratulating the Class of 2009 (many of whom are currently completing their final exams!) as they complete their studies and begin to assume their new mantle as Cal State Northridge alumni, and the community’s next generation of citizens and leaders. They have worked hard for this moment and they have been helped on this journey by all of you, as well as their families and friends. Commencement is a time to celebrate their many achievements as students here.
I hope everyone will have an opportunity to observe and attend a commencement. They are always joyful and celebratory, and a wonderful reminder of why our work at Cal State Northridge is so important.
And if you cannot attend personally, the ceremonies again will be broadcast live this year. Anyone interested in watching the ceremonies will find a link from the main page of the University website during commencement week. (Update: The direct link to commencement is here.) The full graduation schedule is available at the commencement website.
Speaking of tradition, next week the University also holds the Honored Faculty Reception. Jointly sponsored by my office and the Northridge Chapter of the California Faculty Association, this annual spring event also celebrates achievement—achievement by the faculty who, of course, provide the foundation of knowledge and teaching that drive the primary mission of the University.
While the Honored Faculty Reception recognizes and awards individual faculty members for excellence and service, the focus of the event is to formally honor the esteemed faculty members who have been conferred emeritus status by me in my role as University President on the recommendation of their faculty colleagues. Emeritus status is granted to faculty in appreciation of service to the University and their contributions to their disciplines, the academic profession, and the State of California. Emeritus status is a mark of academic distinction that formally becomes part of a faculty member’s official title and forever affirms their legacy as a distinguished member of the California State University, Northridge faculty.
I congratulate our new emeritus faculty and look forward to personally recognizing them at the Honored Faculty Reception.
As we approach the end of the 2008-09 academic year and prepare to graduate a new class of students, I wish to express my appreciation to our faculty and staff for their continued outstanding work on behalf of the University and its students.
Looking ahead, I hope everyone will find time during the coming summer to enjoy themselves and spend quality time with friends and family. And as I traditionally mention before the summer break, please note that the President’s Annual Convocation to mark the start of the 2009-10 academic year is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, August 20, on the Oviatt Library Lawn. I hope everyone will take a few moments to note the date on your calendars.
While every year is eventful, this year seemed to have more than its share of uncertainty and challenges. The consequences and impact of issues such as the delayed state budget and the worldwide economic crisis, enrollment impaction, the Metrolink crash, wild fires, the arrest of one of our graduate students doing research overseas, concern over the H1N1 flu virus, and other events have affected us as individuals and collectively at the University. Such events are a powerful reminder that we, as a campus community, share a common purpose, and that the ability of the institution to meet such challenges depends on the strength and resiliency of its students, staff and faculty.
Of course, we also had much to be proud of this past year. Most memorably, we celebrated “50 years of life-changing opportunity” during 2008-09. We kicked off this milestone achievement with Founders Day in September and continued the commemoration with several subsequent events, which reached its apex at the wonderful Grand Reunion last month. Although commencement formally marks the end of our 50th year anniversary, I know we begin the next 50 years and beyond with a renewed sense of pride and appreciation for the important role Cal State Northridge plays in the lives of so many people as a regionally focused and nationally recognized institution.
Summer is the traditional time in education for people to re-energize and renew themselves, and to prepare for a new year devoted to helping students achieve their goals and reach their full potential. With this in mind, I wish each of you a productive and personally fulfilling summer.
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