Koester will talk about "Mapping the Future for a University on the Move." She will discuss the university's achievements of the past year and the goals for the coming year.

The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast reception on the lawn in front of the Oviatt Library, followed by Koester's speech at 9 a.m.

Public radio station KCSN, which is located on the campus, will broadcast the convocation live. It will be the third year in a row that it has done so.

Koester's convocation is just the first in a series of events planned to celebrate the start of the fall semester.

In addition to freshmen and new faculty orientations, there will be individual department and college welcomes as well as a "Welcome Picnic" for students on Thursday, Aug. 27.

California State University, Northridge has more than 31,500 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."