Welcome to the 2019 Spring Semester

January 22, 2019

To the Campus Community:

Welcome back to campus. This week, we embark on what will be the last semester for many students who will be among the more than 10,000 students eligible to participate in this spring's Commencement exercises. New beginnings present at the start of each semester inspire hope and optimism for each of our nearly 40,000 students.

To the entire CSUN community, I hope you enjoyed a peaceful break after what was a particularly unsettling and disruptive conclusion to the fall semester. I share my deep appreciation and thanks to the faculty, staff and students who showed incredible resilience in the face of significant challenges. We saw, yet again, that our students are supported by caring and resourceful faculty and staff invested in the success of every student.

I want to provide an update on the investigation into the threats against our campus in December. Following a thorough review, CSUN Police and our law enforcement partners believe the intent of the person or persons responsible was to disrupt the administration of final exams. However, to safeguard the well-being of the CSUN community, we will always treat such threats with the utmost seriousness, as we did in December. CSUN Police continue their investigation, and I ask anyone with information on the threats to contact CSUN’s Department of Police Services.

As a university, we are steadfast against the hate and cowardice expressed in these threats. We stand united against words or acts of hatred against our African American and Jewish communities or any others who are targeted, harassed or experience discrimination because of their group status including race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, immigration status, or political views. Across campus, we will be looking both at opportunities to bring our community together and also how we can best address such challenging circumstances in the future, ensuring safety for all. We have the strength to overcome any challenge placed in our path — to reach our goals and realize our potential, as individuals and as a university.

Inside our classrooms, research labs, lecture halls and in the many settings where students engage outside the classroom, this semester offers innumerable new learning opportunities. Inside our art galleries, performance spaces, and athletic courts and fields, we provide exciting and engaging events to enrich the academic experience. I encourage you to take advantage of these resources this spring.

I wish you a very successful semester.

Sincerely,

Dianne F. Harrison, Ph.D.
President