A Moment with President Tomás Morales – May 2023

The long-awaited day of graduation is almost here for our Class of 2023! 

Spring Commencement will be in-person on May 19-20, 2023, at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.  Graduates from both the San Bernardino and Palm Desert campuses will be recognized. The schedule is as follows:

• Friday, May 19 @ 2PM and 7PM:  College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Saturday, May 20 @ 9AM:  College of Arts and Letters and James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education
• Saturday, May 20 @ 2PM:  Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration
• Saturday, May 20 @ 7PM:  College of Natural Sciences

Our incredibly diverse student body continues to comprise a majority of students who are the first in their families to obtain a college degree.  The impact of this achievement, therefore, does not stop with our graduates’ own lives.  By obtaining a degree, they are demonstrating to their immediate and extended families along with their communities that earning a degree is not only accessible, it is achievable. 

One of the pandemic’s after-effects has been a drop in student enrollment, throughout our entire public educational system from K-12 onto community college and our universities. It is happening across the nation as families have struggled with the impacts of loss, feeling that people need to step away from their education to focus on growing their income, re-location and mental and emotional health challenges. Higher education remains a key driver in bettering lives right here in the Inland Empire and growing a healthier, more robust and sustainable future. Our 2023 graduates, who have had to navigate different methods and means of learning while we have gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, are incredible individuals. That resilience is hard fought and hard won. I am incredibly proud of these students and believe strongly in their future.

Before I close, I want to share with you the final awardees of the campus-wide faculty excellence recognitions that have been announced since my April blog.  The Outstanding Professor Award was presented on April 10, 2023 to Dr. Montgomery “Monty” Van Wart (Public Administration) and the Outstanding Lecturer Award on May 2, 2023 to Ms. Lacey Kendall (Communication Studies). As I said in April, these faculty awards are a wonderful CSUSB tradition, and I love the opportunity to step into a classroom and present the surprise award to the faculty member, in front of their own students (who may have had a hand in that faculty member’s nomination, too).

Also, if you are in the area, please stop by and view the new student-designed and -created tile mural at the James R. Watson and Judy Rodriguez Watson College of Education.  Entitled “Eternal Learning,” it will show humans working, studying and playing amongst a wide variety of scenes depicting learning activities. In addition, a wall opposite the mural’s main portion has been dubbed the “Selfie Wall,” where students can photograph themselves—or be photographed—on milestone days along their academic journeys. 

Have a wonderful start to your summer. We will be moving from the regular academic year into our summer class schedule and planning for the 2023-24 academic year.  As I have come to know well, at CSUSB our students, faculty and staff will be continuing to innovate and make things happen.  I am looking forward to the months ahead.

Until next time—