In delivering the 2022 Convocation from the stage of the Meng Concert Hall, Cal State Fullerton President Framroze Virjee recounted the university’s recent achievements – there have been many – and expressed hope for a future built on those achievements, a future where every student feels welcome and is provided with the necessary tools to thrive in an ever-changing academic landscape.

Speaking in front of an assemblage of faculty members, deans, department chairs, staff and students, Virjee characterized the Sept. 8 Convocation as a time for reflection and celebration.

“I have to say that I live for these moments where I can be in true community with my Titan Family,” the president said. “Your energy and commitment have transformed me personally more times than I can count, and with more depth than I can describe.”

Noteworthy achievements

Fostering an environment of inclusion, diversity and acceptance among students, faculty and administrators has been a core mission of CSUF in recent years.

And for the fourth year in a row, CSUF received INSIGHT Into Diversity’s 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for its work championing diversity and inclusion.

The university also received of the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education, the nation’s premier authority in advancing Latinx student success.

More black students earned doctoral degrees than in any other year in the university’s history, and more Latinx students earned bachelor’s degrees than in any other year in history.

More historically underrepresented students earned their bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees than in any other year in history, and more women earned their degrees than in any other year in history.

CSUF increased graduation rates for first-time freshmen and graduated one of the largest classes in Titan history in 2022.

“Our students are resilient; however, we cannot expect them to find their way or thrive academically if we do not do our part in creating an inclusive campus, where they can develop a sense of belonging,” Virjee said. “They must have the sense that they are not just tolerated or accepted, but actually included on our campus, that they are the reason we are here, and they are recognized for the value they bring. When students do better, society benefits. Families change, communities are lifted and we are all positively impacted.”

The university’s first-ever philanthropic campaign, “It Takes a Titan,” surpassed its fundraising goal of $250 million, way ahead of schedule.

Funds raised from the campaign are earmarked for projects that “enhance academic innovation, empower students, transform campus structures and enrich the community.

Several infrastructure upgrades are underway, including construction of a new Visual Arts Complex and Aquatics Center and renovation of the baseball and softball facilities.

A new residence hall complex featuring multiple amenities and housing for up to 600 students is opening.

The campus will also benefit from greater connectivity through advanced IT services and technology.

Tuffy’s Basic Needs Services Center is also being expanded to better identify and serve students who have experienced an unanticipated hardship, emergency or crisis.

The center, in partnership with Associated Students Inc., has provided a permanent, on-campus food pantry that has served nearly 4,000 students and their families.

“When students do better, society benefits,” Virjee said.  “Families change, communities are lifted and we are all positively impacted.”

Virjee was welcomed to the stage by Carolyn Thomas, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, who said the president is himself a student of the CSUF campus.

“He is always asking questions,” Thomas said. “He has a deep interest in all that we do, how in the end does it combine to draw out the unique capacity in all of each of our students, to shape a more just and inclusive world. This interest he has often reflects us back to ourselves, with insight, detail and care.”

Pointed comments

Before getting into the crux of his talk, Virjee started by delivering pointed remarks on what appeared to be a racially motivated incident that occurred near the campus a few days earlier.

A dumpster on the grounds of a nearby off-campus apartment complex had been tagged with graffiti described by the president as “insidious, disgusting and reprehensible.”

“For me, fighting against marginalization, hate, discrimination and prejudice is fundamental and critical to our mission at Cal State Fullerton,” Virjee said. “It is highly personal to me and has been part of what we as a campus have been working toward and for over virtually my entire five years here. Without winning this fight, truly fulfilling our mission is simply not possible.”

Fullerton Police were investigating the matter, with support from CSUF’s University Police Department, he said.

The president then got back on topic and proceeded to highlight the university’s successes over the past year.

Natalie Graham, professor of African American Studies, kicked off the Convocation with a poem she wrote, aptly titled “Convocation.”

The poem read, in part:

“Here. We are called together. In this fragile hour. In this time of beginning. Convocation. A summoning. Who here will lift?  Who will rise? Whose hand will you hold? On your journey. There is no one else but us.”

Related Articles