President GonzalezFrom the President

The school year has come to a close, and we are looking forward to another successful Commencement.

More than 4,500 students will receive their degrees, and each has an inspiring story of success.

Many are the first in their family to graduate from college. Many have worked full- or part-time jobs to help make ends meet as they pursued their college degree. And 57 percent received some form of financial aid.

This academic year, Sac State also awarded nearly $4 million in scholarships from funds given to us by private donors.

In light of this staggering generosity, I am pleased that we will be recognizing two special individuals at Commencement in addition to the students we honor from each college.

George Crandell will receive the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service. He has served Sac State for nearly a quarter century, giving his time, expertise and resources to ensure that our students have greater opportunities for success.

Fred Teichert will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his years of service and leadership at our University and in the Sacramento philanthropic community.

Crandell and Teichert are just two examples of the outstanding people in our campus community who share their talents to help our students. Especially in times of economic uncertainty, it is important to recognize the contributions of those who help us provide educational quality beyond what is possible with state funding alone.

We are very proud to have served our campus’s 29,000 students so well amid this year’s challenging budget conditions. Despite cuts in state support, we continue to admit as many students as we always have.

As each graduate’s name is read at Commencement, our entire campus community finds great satisfaction in the work we have done to make their special day possible.

I hope you will join me in applauding these efforts.

Have a great summer, and thank you for your support of our students.

Sincerely,
Alexander Gonzalez President