CSUN President Erika D. Beck kicked off the 24-25 academic year on Thursday, Aug. 29, with her annual President’s Welcome Address, a multimedia presentation to share highlights from the past year and goals for the future.
The presentation began with a traditional cultural welcome by Rudy Ortega Jr., Hon.D. ‘23 and Mark Villaseñor ’16 (Global Supply Chain Management) from the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. Then, Larrissa Gayton, a senior communication studies major, read the John Masefield poem “There are Few Earthly Things More Splendid Than a University.” Beck noted that the poem, written in the aftermath of World War II, eloquently describes the ways in which universities serve their communities.
“We offer our students the opportunity to explore the wonderment of the human experience, ignite their intellectual curiosity and make sense of the world and their unique place in it. We foster inquiry and discovery, grounded in evidence and the pursuit of truth.”
Beck welcomed 40 new faculty members to CSUN and highlighted academic excellence facilitated by faculty, including the breadth of research work that is happening on campus. She praised professors’ efforts to secure external funding for their projects–which reached a new high of $46 million.
Beck noted that at a time when many universities are experiencing significant drops in enrollment, CSUN has experienced a “modest increase” in enrollment numbers, with an estimated 5,500 freshmen and nearly 4,300 transfer students starting this fall. She also highlighted improving graduation rates, including substantial gains in the four-year graduation rates for first-time freshman and two-year rates for transfer students. Beck also noted that CSUN’s alumni has grown to 425,000 Matadors across the globe.
Check out the photos from the event, which included highlight videos, a performance by the CSUN Jazz “A” Band and the a cappella group “CSUN Acasola” as well as a reception.
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