Nearly a year has passed since Ellen Junn’s inauguration, and the 11th president of Stanislaus State has her sights firmly fixed on the present and future of the University, particularly in the area of fostering student success.
That was Junn’s message on Tuesday as she delivered her Spring Welcome Address to a crowd of faculty, staff, students and community supporters at Snider Recital Hall.
“Since the vast majority of our more than 55,000 graduates have remained in Stan State’s primary six-county area, we know that the success of our students translates directly into the ability of Stan State to engage with our community and our region,” Junn said.
President Junn highlighted several key accomplishments of the University during 2017. She noted that the 3,022 students who received degrees or credentials last spring represented the largest graduating class in Stan State history. She also acknowledged that the record 1,438 students in the incoming freshman class boosted total student enrollment to more than 10,000 for the first time, and that enrollment at the Stockton Center increased by 18 percent in the last year.
Those milestones, combined with a commitment to student success, solidify Stan State’s position within the region and illustrate how the University improves the communities it serves, Junn said.
“The more Stan State graduates we have settling within an hour of our campus, the more the region will identify Stan State as not only the leader in higher education, but as the region’s University of choice,” Junn said.
She pointed toward the drafting and approval of Stan State’s University Strategic Plan as a key moment of the last year – one that will guide the University through 2025 and beyond.
“The University Strategic Plan builds on our current accomplishments and is designed to address and define student success at Stan State,” Junn said.
She pointed to the five goals of the University Strategic Plan: To be a student-ready university; to facilitate transformational learning experiences driven by faculty success; to boldly pursue innovation and creativity; to hone administrative efficacy through thoughtful stewardship of resources; and to forge and strengthen bonds with our communities, rooted in a shared future.
“The communities we serve are looking to us to educate tomorrow’s teachers, business leaders, artists, and those providing healthcare and social services to continue to build the prosperity and economic potential for our entire region,” Junn said.
The complete text and video of Junn’s Spring Welcome Address can be found on the president’s website.