From CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales:

Colleagues, Welcome to the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year.  The launching of a new term always brings with it the opportunity for a fresh start, built on the achievements of the previous year, addressing the issues identified by students, faculty and staff that need to be improved, and with a renewed commitment to meeting the goals of our Strategic Plan.  I am eager to move forward in partnership with all of you to help CSUSB continue to make a difference in the lives of the residents of our Inland Empire. My thanks go to the entire Cal State San Bernardino community for all your hard work in completing a successful and productive 2017-18.  We have the visible evidence on the San Bernardino campus in the new Coyote Village and Coyote Commons, the state-of-the-art student residence and campus dining complex which now anchors the southeastern end of Coyote Walk.  I am also pleased to announce the opening of a Starbucks in the Pfau Library (replacing Café Au Lib) and an Einstein Bros. Bagels Restaurant and Convenience Store in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Building.  These new eateries are part of our plan to offer more dining options in more areas of the campus. I have continued to meet with the campus community in small groups over the past year and have incorporated your feedback into the decision-making process for this coming year.  I look forward to holding more such meetings in the coming months. While our campus is intended to be a safe space for learning, growing and the exchange of ideas, the divisiveness and turbulence of the national and international world will continue to have an impact.  I will be reiterating to our students this year what I said in 2017-18: 
  • Take time to listen
  • Challenge your preconceptions
  • Expand your horizons and your ideals

 As their teachers, mentors and role models, it is important for us to renew our commitment to do the same: to listen to one another, open ourselves up to new ideas and possibilities and seek to expand our perspectives. My commitment to enhance and celebrate this university’s diversity in all its forms remains firm. I cannot say this often enough:  in addition to our academic excellence and our devotion to service, diversity is truly a CSUSB hallmark. The fires over the past few months have been devastating to our state and I hope that your family and friends have come through safely.  This campus has long recognized the reality of climate change and has been incorporating renewable energy and sustainable building and grounds elements into our planning.  We will redouble our efforts to address the impact of our region’s changing climate on our campus community and look for ways to address and mitigate. And while I hope that you had the opportunity to relax and re-charge with friends and family over the summer, we have truly become a year-round institution.  My thanks to everyone for your work over these past very hot months.  You have kept our students engaged (locally and globally), you have kept our day-to-day processes moving ahead, and you have kept both of our campuses in superb shape—they are truly beautiful places to come to work every day.  I am energized to begin the new academic year and look forward to seeing you all at Convocation on Monday morning.  And please plan on attending the new Coyote Village and Commons ribbon cutting at 2:00 p.m. and our annual Convocation Reception at 3:00 p.m.—the Reception will be held, for the first time, in our new Coyote Commons! Welcome back.  Let’s get started. Tomás D. MoralesPresident