Provost's Message - February 14, 2018
A Message From Provost Jersky
As news has spread about this year’s commencement ceremonies changes, I understand the response and that transition is never easy. The changes for this year are made of necessity, and we have had to prioritize some new critical elements.
Unfortunately, some mistaken details have circulated and has led to some inaccuracies being spread. I offer the correct details. My hope going forward is that we all know the real facts about commencement, and can help clear up other’s misinformation.
This year’s ceremonies will be located in the intramural fields. This decision was largely driven by safety concerns for our students and families. We are a campus that has grown in numbers each year, and we simply cannot accommodate the increasing number of graduates and their families in the quad.
Security has also become a very important concern for all college campuses, ours included. This new venue provides us with not only more space, but the ability to secure the location more effectively. At the end of the day, President Conoley and I have to make decisions to ensure our events are safe.
Also, we want the ceremonies to be more accessible to all in attendance. Over the past few years, we have received numerous complaints from families and students about how far the parking was in relation to the commencement location. We had families missing the beginning of the ceremonies simply based on the parking location being far away from the event. This new venue provides easy access to parking.
We have decided to return the live music provided by our student band. We reviewed all the responses from faculty and students, and have figured out a way to financially accommodate this request. Thank you for expressing your thoughts, feeling, and concerns. Your collective passion and voice matter to me.
I am confident this year’s commencement will be not only beautiful but have elements of traditions past that students and their families will appreciate. At the heart of this decision are our students and their families. We know this day is one of the most important events in any student’s life. We are treating these ceremonies with all the care, attention to detail and creative elements our students deserve.
News
- Gazettes: Inside Long Beach State University, by Jane Close Conoley
- Partnership with St. George's University Sets Medical Students on Path Toward Being a Physician
- Student Success - Be Part of the Solution
- BUILD Annual Research Symposium, Keynote Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Gomez, San Francisco State University
- Long Beach State University’s ‘Feed a Need’ Drive Will Provide More Than 1,000 Meals for Food-Insecure Students
Faculty in the News
Dr. Bita Ghafoori was selected to receive a Fullbright Specialist Grant at University of Coimbra Portugal, where she served as a specialist in the field of mental health/traumatic stress. Congratulations, Bita!
In Memoriam
Publications and Grants
Dessie Underwood, Surface Waters Ambient Monitoring Program. State Water Resources Control Board. CNSM. Biological Sciences. Total Award: $348,585. (November 2017 – March 2020)
Academic Affairs News
- Position Available - Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research in the College of Health and Human Services
- Position Available - Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs
- Position Available - Associate Dean for Administration, College of Business Administration
- President’s Commission on the Status of Women Call for Nominations (PDF)
- CSU Transportation Research and Workforce Development RFP (PDF)
- New EV Charging Stations at CSULB
The next Provost’s Message will be published on Wednesday, March 14. Items for the upcoming message should be submitted by Friday, March 9, to aa-communication@csulb.edu.
