Fall 2018 Newsletter

As I reflect on the semester that has just drawn to a close, one word comes to mind: Whew!

Life on campus has been hopping, with lots of great things happening, some growing pains, some hard goodbyes and some new faces, and more than our fair share of interruptions from Mother Nature.

On December 14-15 we celebrated the graduation of our newest crop of Forty-Niner alumni. This was our first time having three ceremonies as part of our December commencement. And wouldn’t you know we’d have a very unusual snow and ice event right during the middle of final exams! Lots of people pulled together to make the best of a difficult situation, and we were able to get all of the final exams squeezed in before the first commencement service, which actually had to be pushed back a few hours in order to accommodate the rescheduled exams. I appreciate the hard work and can-do attitude of the faculty and staff who made it all work, and the flexibility and understanding of our students and their families, many of whom were inconvenienced by the unavoidable schedule changes.

So yes, it was challenging, but we pulled it off and managed to give a proper 49er sendoff to more than 3,700 new graduates.

The following pages will share a number of highlights from the Fall 2018 semester and will also give a preview of some exciting projects on the horizon. If you would like more information on any item covered here, please contact my senior executive assistant, Shari Dunn, or check the Chancellor’s Outbox.  

As you can see, it’s been a very busy and productive few months. There will be plenty to do in the New Year, but I hope you’ll enjoy some well-deserved down time over the holidays. Enjoy time with loved ones and I’ll look forward to seeing you in 2019. 

Cordially,

Philip L. Dubois

Chancellor