By Cynthia Hubert

January 17, 2025

Even as it faces significant budget cuts, Sacramento State has much to celebrate as it approaches its Spring 2025 semester, President Luke Wood said Thursday.

In his annual Spring Address, Wood acknowledged challenging financial times ahead, as the CSU faces an 8% cut in state funding in the coming year, translating to $45 million at Sac State. But he pointed to enrollment gains, athletic success and faculty achievements among many positive developments propelling the University forward.

• See photos from the 2025 Spring Address and Convocation

The event was one of two held Thursday to kick off the new semester. In the afternoon, Wood presided over Convocation, the Sac State’s formal welcome to new students.

The Spring 2025 semester begins Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Momentum amidst challenges

During his morning address, Wood noted that graduation rates continue to rise, and while other universities are struggling to maintain enrollment, Sac State is trending upward.

Thanks in part to partnerships with regional school and community college districts, Sac State will welcome 2,300 new scholars to campus this spring, Wood said. Those students will join a campus community that continues to value underserved communities, even as other universities downsize or cut programs dedicated to diversity and inclusion, he added.

“We will continue to provide pathways for upward social mobility, and we will do so unapologetically, as that is a core part of our mission,” he said.

Wood also, however, acknowledged that the University is facing a tough budget situation, and “will have to do less with less.”

“We will have to identify what it is that we can’t continue to do anymore in order to reduce stress on staff and faculty,” he said. “We can’t be all things to all people in all areas, but we can be really great in the areas that we excel in.”

He devoted a significant part of his speech to honoring extraordinary faculty and staff members. Sac State soon will be classified by the Carnegie Foundation as an elite research institution that brings in tens of millions of outside dollars and awards a significant number of doctoral degrees, Wood noted.

“The future is bright because of all of you. You embody the Hornet spirit by ensuring that we can advance our mission day in, and day out.” -- Sac State Preisdent Luke Wood

Among the researchers Wood highlighted were Alex Petitt from the department of Physics and Astronomy, who has received a $230,625 National Science Foundation (NSF) award for his research in modeling spiral galaxies; Praveen Meduri, in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who received a $344,000 NSF grant to study ways of improving student outcomes in online STEM courses; and Nate Dutra from the Deaf Studies program, who won a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for work on language acquisition among Deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Wood also called attention to faculty members who have produced journal articles, published books and served as media experts on important topics.

“The future is bright because of all of you,” the president said. “You embody the Hornet spirit by ensuring that we can advance our mission day in, and day out.”

Wood kicked off his remarks by acknowledging several key hires, including new Provost Erika Cameron, who will join the University in March, and head football Coach Brennan Marion. He hailed the volleyball and women’s soccer teams for winning Big Sky championships, and mentioned the opening of the new Art building on campus.

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‘This University belongs to you’

Later that day, the University held its semiannual Convocation to welcome new students starting this semester. The event marks the formal beginning of students’ academic careers at Sacramento State, serving as a bookend to the Commencement ceremony that marks the completion of their degree.

Presiding over the ceremony, Wood frequently referred to the University as “Our Sacramento State,” saying it belongs to the community, its alumni, faculty and staff.

“And most importantly it belongs to our nearly 31,000 students who are on their pathway to creating a better life for themselves and their family. That includes you, here today,” Wood said. “This University belongs to you. You are not a guest at this moment, this day. This is your hive. This is your home.”

Wood also offered advice to incoming students.

“Get involved on campus,” he said. “Remember that half of what you learn at Sacramento State occurs outside of the classrooms, and laboratories, and studios, and the other half occurs inside those classrooms, laboratories and studios. You have the opportunity to get involved outside the classrooms.”

He urged students to use their time at Sac State to figure out their life’s purpose.

“It’s not really just about your degree,” Wood said. “It’s not even about your goals to become a scientist, business leader, health care professional, policy maker, educator, partner or community leader. It’s about what you do when you’re empowered with that title or that role to change the world.”

“Embrace every good and challenging experience as an instructive lesson on how we can and should change the world and lead this city, this university and this world.”

During the ceremony, students and family and supporters pinned each other with special Sac State pins, a symbolic acknowledgement of their induction into the Hornet Family and the role parents, friends and other loved ones play in students’ success.

Alyssa Dillingham, 21, a transfer student from American River College who will be studying Childhood Development, attended Convocation with her parents.

“Coming from ARC, we didn’t get to experience things like this,” Dillingham said. “This was a different way to start the school year off with good vibes.”

Her parents, Joe and Bennae, said they were “beyond proud” to attend the ceremony with their daughter.

“We want to celebrate her and honor her hard work,” Bennae Dillingham said.

Jennifer K. Morita contributed to this report.