President's Message

I am delighted to announce that Cal State Long Beach, together with the California State University system, will be closed on Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth. This day, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and celebrates the freedom of African Americans, has been designated as a permanent holiday for all CSU campuses. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, originated in Texas and marks the date on which enslaved people in Texas were notified of their…

This morning, many of us awakened to begin a new day with plans to go to classes and meetings. It is another day to take the opportunity to study, research, work, and be the special kind of community The Beach is every day. For the Michigan State University community, however, today is a day of grieving. Overnight, a gunman roamed the campus, where he killed three students and wounded five others. First and foremost, our hearts go out to the MSU family and its communities. We send our deepest…

Dear Beach Community: I grew up in the 1950s with the axiom, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I know the message meant well; don’t react to taunts or insults, just ignore. As decades have passed, however, I’ve learned that words do hurt especially when they are used to stereotype groups of people. I worry about all negative labels that demean members of religious, ethnic, ability, or sexual identity groups and am recently particularly concerned with the…

President Jane Close Conoley encourages everyone – whether they are part of The Beach family or one of the communities CSULB serves – to participate in coming local, state and federal elections. She also urges civility so that all of us can work together toward a better future. Download transcript (.pdf)