President Dianne Harrison hosted her second convocation at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on Aug. 22.
More than 800 people attended the celebration, filling the Great Hall to maximum capacity.
“[Harrison’s] speech was inspiring, motivating,” said Debra Hammond, executive director of the University Student Union. “It gave us a push toward the start of the year.”
During her speech Harrison encouraged faculty and alumni to offer their continued support to incoming freshmen and transfer students so that they can transition smoothly into college life.
This fall CSUN has admitted the largest group of incoming freshmen and transfer students in its history. The headcount for students enrolled totals more than 39,000.
This year Harrison’s primary focus is centered on the importance of CSUN’s external influence.
Since the president’s inaugural address last Aug. 23, 2012, CSUN has received praise and recognition from numerous institutions.
“Financial Planning Magazine” ranked CSUN’s Financial Planning Program among the top 25 in the nation and “The Los Angeles Press Club” named the Daily Sundial the the best college paper in 2012. The “National Collegiate Athletic Association” (NCAA) gave CSUN a $900,000 grant to further athletic programs.
“I want CSUN to be the envy of institutions who also strive for success and diversity, because we do it better than anybody else,” said Harrison.
Harrison also mentioned that her vision for CSUN is to grow cohesively through the promotion of diversity and student health.
The president also stressed the importance of students ability to access information through technology. This semester students can download the free CSUN Mobile App to complete tasks such as adding classes and making payments. They will also be able to gain access to several software and file-sharing programs such at Microsoft Office, CSUN Box, Lynda and more at no cost.
There will also be approximately 1,000 students in seven different departments participating in the myCSUNtablet initiative. The myCSUNtablet initiative links students with academic resources via their iPad device. This initiative aims to reduce the cost and increase the quality of learning materials for students.
