President's Messages - 2020

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Dear campus community,

Too many of my campus messages this year have sadly focused on how hard 2020 has been—and it has been in so many ways. As I write this, most of us are under strict stay at home orders, our hospitals are overwhelmed, we have experienced too much illness and death, and millions are unemployed. It would be almost impossible to exaggerate what we have endured this year. But we have endured. As we get ready to celebrate the many holidays that December brings, I write today to wish you well and to encourage you to think about the things that we can look forward to in 2021.

The news about multiple vaccines is incredibly promising, and we are fortunate to live in a state and region that will prioritize effective distribution to all its citizens. Last week, based on this news, the CSU and SF State announced that we plan to return to in-person instruction for Fall 2021. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and we now have a timeline for when we reach it.

I have every confidence that we will receive more assistance from the federal government, including relief from Islamophobic travel bans and renewed support for DACA and undocumented students. I am also hopeful that we will receive financial support to help our students and the University weather the financial challenges of the pandemic. This should include aid to students and funds to strengthen remote instruction/services, support for our pandemic prevention plan and creation of a financial safety net for our enterprises hardest hit by the pandemic. We have much to gain.

California’s better than expected 2020 tax revenues also generate some optimism. While we still have work to do to address our structural deficit and make permanent reductions to meet last year’s budget cut, the increase in state revenues leaves me hopeful that we might not have to address additional budget cuts. Working together, CSU students, faculty, staff and administrators now have a better foundation from which to advocate for funding for student success and for our campuses. We will spend much of the first half of 2021 advocating for the CSU and its absolutely critical role in the social, economic and cultural health of California.

And we have much to look forward to on our campus. Our newest academic building will open this spring, and we received $150M in one-time capital funds to build a long overdue science building. Our students deserve state-of-the-art spaces in which to learn, particularly in majors requiring intensive hands-on learning. Our faculty and staff deserve to work in buildings that enable them to best teach and serve students. These two new buildings go a long way to helping SF State meets its mission as a transformative university.

There are so many examples of how hard all are working to ensure that our students make progress toward their degrees this year. I have been inspired by the creativity of our faculty, the determination of our students, the diligence of our staff, and the flexibility and kindnesses exercised by many. Time and space allow that I share only two today. First, I urge you all to take a few minutes and visit the School of Art 2020 Stillwell Exhibition. I was left breathless by the pieces and the use of technology to replicate a museum visit. Second, I urge you to spend an hour listening to our students tell their stories of this year in Learning Alone: College in the Time of Corona, a Devised Radio Drama. I defy you to remain dry-eyed. I was both greatly saddened by all that our students have given up this year and remarkably heartened by their perseverance and creativity. So, please, join me virtually for a tour of the exhibition and experience, through the words and voices of our incredible students, Learning Alone.

The current health news is overwhelmingly bad. The days are long and dark. Some of us are separated from our families during the worst possible time of year. Many are struggling. But we must persist and look toward 2021 with optimism. We successfully completed another remote term. We have what it takes to complete another. And then we know that it will end. 

I wish you all good health and rest over the holidays and winter break. And I say with great certainty that I cannot wait to see you on campus in 2021!

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Dear Gators,

Yesterday, we received encouraging news from the chancellor of the California State University (CSU): The CSU expects its campuses (including San Francisco State University) to return to primarily in-person instruction for the fall 2021 semester. This announcement gives us a ray of hope during these short winter days and allows us — and you — to do some important planning ahead.

• While spring will be largely virtual, it is critical that you remain focused on your educational goals.  If you haven’t already done so, be sure to register now for your spring classes, and stay on track for your degree. 
• San Francisco State is here to support you as you continue your studies in these challenging times. With many student academic support programs to choose from, you will have the help you need to be successful. 

I am so proud of the commitment and resilience you have shown this fall, and I am excited at the prospect of a day in the not-so-distant future when we’ll be together again enjoying all that our campus, the Bay Area and the City of San Francisco have to offer. Until then, please stay safe — while taking steps to join us for another life-changing year of education at SF State.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Dear colleagues,

Yesterday, the California State University announced the anticipated return to primarily in-person instruction in fall of 2021. This announcement was made to provide current and future students and their families with assurances that the CSU is and will continue to work diligently on the health protocols needed for a safe return to campuses in fall and to allow all more time to plan. 

Despite increased restrictions due to the current surge in cases, recent news about COVID-19 vaccine development allows us to begin to plan for this step. In addition, the CSU recently extended the fall application deadline for first-time freshman and transfer student admission to December 15 to allow students additional time to submit application materials.

As always, the health and safety of our campus community will be our top priority. Throughout the pandemic, we have lived in a rapidly-changing environment, and we don’t have enough information yet to make an informed decision about Summer 2021 instruction. Obviously, our ultimate goal is a safe return to fully-normal operations, but our campus planning work will continue to be driven by science and the guidance of public health experts.

I am grateful to our faculty, staff and administrators who are working diligently to make the college experience the best it can be as our students continue their progress to degree.

The prospect of a partial return to normalcy is tremendous news and cause for great optimism. Brighter days lie ahead of us, but we must continue to be vigilant and careful to ensure that we all reach those days safely. Recent changes to local and state health guidance had minimal impact on our already-cautious approach to in-person, on-campus experiences, but we can give one another the gift of good health by continuing to follow the guidance of health experts and also by enrolling in California’s recently-launched statewide exposure notification system.  

More updates will be provided as the situation becomes clearer in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, stay safe and look forward to the days when we may safely return to campus together.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Monday, November 23, 2020

Dear campus community,

I think I speak for many when I say that there has never been a semester in which we all needed Fall Recess more. I have never seen a university work this hard nor look so fatigued and in need of a break (I may be projecting just a bit!). But I know that the holiday that anchors Fall Recess brings for some great pain. For some, it is a palpable reminder of genocide and centuries of white supremacy. For others, it brings the pain and loss associated with individual family dynamics and stories. This year, the isolation driven by the pandemic will be particularly acute next week. In this complicated context and in an ongoing attempt to redefine the holiday as a week of thanksgiving, I pause to express my gratitude.

I am grateful to the Ohlone and Coast Miwok peoples on whose lands I live and work.

I am grateful to our students whose resilience and engagement inspires me and reminds me of the value of the work we all do at SF State. Over the past few weeks, I have met with dozens of student leaders. Many are balancing work, complex lives and remote instruction. And yet, our conversations center on the future—how do we make SF State more welcoming? How do we recruit students for whom our form of education would be transformative? How do we graduate more students? And, often, how do we simply make the world a better place?

I am grateful to my colleagues—our faculty, staff and administrators. They too are accomplishing their work under unimaginable circumstances. I marvel at the work that our Academic Senate and other committees are accomplishing remotely. I am inspired by faculty who continuously work to make remote instruction work and offer our students much needed flexibility. I am awed by the dedication of staff who are also reimagining their work in so many ways to ensure that the University and our students thrive. I am grateful to our administrators whose efforts to work collaboratively to meet many unexpected challenges are helping us navigate the ongoing pandemic. And, I am most grateful for the moments when I see all working together to ensure our success.

Like many of you, this week will be different for me. I will not be able to see my four siblings, their families, and my parents, all of whom live back East. And no visits with Bay Area family and friends either as we try to flatten the curve yet again. But I will find joy and gratitude in other moments. I am blessed to have my grown children and husband with me. I live in this beautiful city that will afford me time outdoors. And I plan some quiet time with a novel and yet another jigsaw puzzle. I hope that you too find these moments.

And, maybe most importantly, other than with family and friends, I wish you all some Zoom-free days. 

Please stay safe and well!

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Dear campus community,

Last week was long and hard. Just how fractured we are as a nation and a society was evident as journalists shared voting results in real time, and Americans glued themselves to their preferred media outlets to watch the ever-shifting tallies. Someone somewhere remarked that Tuesday alone felt three-days long. And then on Saturday morning, the Associated Press and CNN called the election for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Here in the city, where 86 percent of voters supported Biden and Harris, the celebrations were swift and strong, breaking out in neighborhoods across the city. Many celebrated, in particular, Kamala Harris’s success. The daughter of immigrants and a long-time resident of the Bay Area, her service as the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president signaled opportunity and possibility—at a time when both seemed in retreat. For many here, it was a very good day.

For those of us in higher education, the feelings of relief and hope were equally swift and strong. President-elect Biden earned his undergraduate degree at a public university, and our future first lady is a faculty member dedicated to teaching. In addition to a renewed understanding of the value of higher education, we are hopeful that we will see support for international education and research; a resumption and expansion of DACA, including paths to citizenship for our undocumented students; restored support for scientific research and expertise; and a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion education and action. And, of course, hope for a coordinated approach to containing the pandemic and federal economic aid for universities and states.

We should be hopeful, and we should celebrate in particular the election of a vice president who shattered several ceilings. We should also celebrate the efforts of many to drive participation in this important process to record levels. Our own Associated Students’ voter registration drive resulted in 1565 newly or reregistered students, a commendable achievement. Across this city and region, members of the University community worked on voter registration drives, participated in local campaigns, served as poll workers and took to the streets to protest and to celebrate. Democracy is alive and well at San Francisco State!  

As a University, I also urge us to pause and reflect as the election comes to a conclusion. What did we learn from this election and the years preceding it? We learned that democracy is fragile. We learned that vast numbers of Americans feel unheard and millions suffer daily from institutionalized racism. We learned that the fault lines in our society are deep and painful. We have learned that it is easy to demonize one another and really hard to listen and learn. We have learned that we have a lot of work to do.

Like many, I have been obsessively reading election postmortems. I was struck by the observation one New York Times columnist made predicting that the U.S. “simply cannot do anything ambitious anymore — like put a man on the moon — because ambitious things have to be done together.” We have so many ambitious goals which demand we work together: achieving economic and racial equity, immigration reform and environmental sustainability among them. But can we? As I look at our University community, I think the answer is a resounding yes!

I challenge us to think about how as an institution of higher education we can bridge divisions, bring an educational focus to issues and problems and encourage engaging in conversation with others even when we disagree, maybe especially then. We have a unique opportunity as an intellectual community. We should and must continue our activism and our active dissent, but we should also double down on our educational mission to educate toward common goals and the collective good. Let’s use this moment to leverage our resources not just for change but for unity.

It’s been a long semester. Many are tired. Almost all of us are stressed. This is especially true for our students. I urge us all to remain compassionate and patient. I have been so proud to serve as your president these few months. And, as we pause this week to honor Veterans on Wednesday, I remind all to be kind to themselves. Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments, small and large. Remember, good is good enough.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Dear campus community,

Five years ago, a series of reports from the Public Policy Institute revealed our state would soon face a critical shortage: too few college graduates. If not addressed, the report suggested, by 2030 California's gap could exceed one million educated workers. The California State University, the greatest degree producer in the state and its greatest source of upward mobility, embraced the opportunity to produce more graduates. 

A CSU Advisory Committee composed of faculty, staff, students and administrators quickly identified two key challenges—first, socioeconomic, racial and ethnic gaps in degree attainment and, second, longer than typical time to degree. Four-year graduation rates for students entering the CSU directly from high school and two-year rates for community college transfers lagged woefully behind those in other states attending comparable institutions. And, if the CSU did not make progress at increasing the graduation rates for low-income students and for students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, California would not have the educated workforce it needs. Living up to its core commitment to educational equity, the CSU embraced the challenge and set ambitious goals for the entire system and for each university, launching the program known as Graduation Initiative 2025.

Last Friday, in the largest virtual gathering in the history of the CSU, almost 4,000 people learned just how successful this project has been to date. Despite the disruption of a global pandemic, over 120,000 CSU students earned their baccalaureate degrees in 2020—an all-time high—and 20,000 more than when the CSU launched the graduation initiative. Today, graduation rates in the system are higher than they’ve ever been, including the goal that represented the heaviest lift for the CSU—the four-year rate for freshmen. In 2015, only 19% of students who entered as first-time freshmen graduated in four years. Just five years later, 31% do, and 44% of community college transfers now graduate in two years, up from 31% in 2013. These are remarkable numbers and represent significant financial gains for students and their families. While the data and our figures in particular demonstrate there is more work to do, we are moving quickly in the right direction.

Friday’s event also included acknowledgments of some of the CSU’s outstanding students and faculty. I encourage you to watch the video. Among the highlights: a performance by an SF State alumna, Cherokee White. A theater and cultural anthropology student, Cherokee’s piece powerfully expresses why Black Lives Matter and why they must matter at SF State and across the CSU. Her interview demonstrated the power of an SF State degree and her clear awareness of how the support of faculty and staff enabled her success. Additionally, faculty member Jae H. Paik was recognized with a 2020 Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award, reserved for faculty who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership to advance student success. As always, I am so deeply proud to serve as your president.

While the success of Graduation Initiative 2025 can be neatly summarized by data, we are all keenly aware that every data point represents a student whose achievement is transformative—for themselves, for their families and their communities. And, despite the greatest disruption in higher education in recent history, the CSU and SF State are transforming lives. The persistence of our students and the hard work of faculty, staff and administrators are the foundations of the CSU. Let’s pause a moment to congratulate our students and ourselves. And then let’s get back to work helping students graduate and advocating for the funding the CSU needs and deserves to continue its efforts to transform lives and California.

With wishes for good health.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Dear campus community,

The California State University plays a critical role as an engine of equity and social mobility. This morning, the CSU Board of Trustees announced that Dr. Joseph Castro, president of Fresno State, will serve as the eighth chancellor of the CSU, an affirmation of its commitment to inclusive excellence. I have been grateful to Dr. Castro for his mentorship as I began my presidency. SF State was honored to have him serve as our keynote speaker at our event, A Campus Conversation: The City’s University. These are challenging times for our nation and for higher education. The CSU and its students are fortunate in the choice of Joe Castro, for there is no finer leader to guide us in these times.

I hope you can make time to participate in a live broadcast opportunity to meet our new chancellorFriday, September 25 from 11 a.m. to noon. 

Dr. Castro’s appointment signals a continuation of the important and proud legacy of the CSU. I am grateful for everything Chancellor Tim White has done for the CSU, and I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Castro. I look forward to continuing to work together to build on the accomplishments of the nation’s largest four-year university system.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Dear campus community,

As I wrote to you all recently, San Francisco State finds itself again at the center of a national discussion about the boundaries and consequences of freedom of expression and academic freedom. 

The University remains steadfast in its support of the right of faculty to conduct their teaching and scholarship free from censorship, in this instance the right of two faculty members to host “Whose Narratives? Gender, Justice, & Resistance: A Conversation with Leila Khaled” as part of a virtual class. A university can, at the same time, allow its students and faculty the freedom to express contrary, even objectionable, views while also condemning anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, racism, and other hateful ideologies that marginalize people. These are complex issues but universities above all other places should be places to debate and question complexities.

The legal limits of academic freedom and freedom of expression are frequently challenged. We learned late yesterday that Zoom will not allow the virtual class to go forward on its platform because Zoom believes that the event may violate its terms of service with the University and possibly the law. Although we disagree with, and are disappointed by, Zoom’s decision not to allow the event to proceed on its platform, we also recognize that Zoom is a private company that has the right to set its own terms of service in its contracts with users. 

We worked hard to prevent this outcome and have been actively engaging with Zoom.  Based on the information we have been able to gather to date, the University does not believe that the class panel discussion violates Zoom’s terms of service or the law.  The University has also shared with Zoom the assurances received from the faculty members that: Ms. Khaled is not speaking as a member, representative, spokesperson, or surrogate for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; and Ms. Khaled is not receiving compensation from the University of any kind for her participation in this event.  Speaking through their legal counsel, the faculty members have also assured the University that they have no intention of violating the law.

Zoom’s cancelation of the event will be deeply wounding to some members of our community who will feel themselves and their dissent silenced once again, just as the participation of Leila Khaled in a class panel discussion is deeply wounding to others in our community. And many across the University and beyond may fear the further erosion of the rights of faculty and see this as damaging to the role of the university in a liberal society. 

I am – and will remain – steadfast in my support of freedom of expression and academic freedom. I have reached out to student members of our Jewish community about their rights to dissent, and I will reach out to student members of our Arab and Palestinian communities to affirm our commitment to them.  We cannot embrace the silencing of controversial views, even if they are hurtful to others. We must commit to speech and to the right to dissent, including condemning ideologies of hatred and violence against unarmed civilians.  

I encourage and expect our campus community to have courageous conversations centered on challenging issues. We now find ourselves living in such a moment. I urge us to use this as an opportunity to speak with one another, to listen to one another and engage in respectful dissent. Let this University lead by example in its support of, and commitment to, freedom of speech and academic freedom.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

The California State University once again leads the country in making the right decision about Spring semester and making it early. But for many of us that now means we have to prepare for even more months of the “New Now.” Late last week, I sent a video message to our students. I know that the news of a remote Spring deeply affected them. In the days after that announcement was made, I received numerous emails and read dozens of social media posts. People expressed their anxieties, their frustrations, their anger and their relief — frustration with remote teaching and learning, anxiety about the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic, relief that the decision about spring was made early and prioritized public health — and many expressed what I would describe as an angry fatigue at the unfairness of the whole situation.

We have entered our seventh month of remote instruction. It has now been six months or longer since we saw many of our friends and families in person. We have adjusted to wearing face coverings, and we seemingly bathe in hand sanitizer. Many of our families have experienced pandemic-related tragedies of illness, death and economic devastation. The same week that the CSU announced continued remote instruction, over 100 SF State employees were laid off, a decision I was forced to make with the heaviest of hearts. And then, with much of the state in flames, the sky turned orange and we experienced firsthand what an environmental apocalypse might look like. It was a hard, hard week.

This week, I listened to dozens of our students, staff and faculty speak at the Board of Trustees meeting asking that the CSU protect staff from layoffs. I have never been sadder nor more proud. Sad that our budget challenges require that we make permanent budget cuts that will hurt our staff, many of whom are alumni. But I was proud to hear person after person stand up for SF State, its mission and its students. While we cannot avoid these layoffs, we can advocate together to get funding restored to the CSU and to ward off future cuts. Additional permanent funding and enrollment growth would also allow us to hire back staff. 

In my recent video message, I told our students that I believe that this is the hardest moment in recent U.S. history as multiple troubles collide. Last Friday, for many, the moment took a darker turn with the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, a feminist icon and a leader in the fight for women’s rights. I turn to her example now as we navigate ongoing public health and environmental crises, growing economic hardship, and increasing social and political unrest and conflict. 

Many will find something in Bader Ginsburg’s writings, actions and life to help plot a course through the next few months. Her career as a litigator demonstrates how individual, incremental gains can add up to incredible change. Her work as a justice on a conservative court demonstrates the impact of dissent. Even when you don’t win, your dissent has value and power. Her judicial activism demonstrates that advocacy works. This extraordinary woman overcame great professional obstacles and leaves a nation transformed by her quiet but powerful intellect and drive. 

Like another great leader who transitioned earlier this summer, civil rights icon John Lewis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life reminds us that we are not powerless even in the face of great challenges. We can and will move forward, however hard the moment may feel. We can advocate together to protect the state’s greatest educational resource – the California State University. 

I conclude with observations made by RBG’s former law clerks, Abbe Gluck and Gillian Metzger, published in the New York Times on Saturday.

     “Her commitments were always the same and grew ever louder. Even at the very end, she reminded us how much more work there is left to do.” 

Let our commitments to our students and to our communities remain steadfast over the next months as there is much left to do.

As always, I thank everyone for all they are doing and wish you all good health.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Friday, September 18, 2020

Dear Fellow Gators,

I am sharing this video message with you today now that we have had a week to digest the expected but unfortunate news indicating the Spring semester in the California State University will overwhelmingly be held remotely.

There are many questions to be answered as we construct our plans, but I want you to know that I share your sadness at the situation in which we find ourselves. Our decisions will be driven, as they have been since March, by the ultimate goal of preserving the health and safety of our campus community.

Nothing I can say will bring us back together sooner, but we can all work together to help make it happen by following the guidelines put forth by experts and keeping ourselves safe until we are on campus together again. Meanwhile, we will continue supporting you as you progress toward your degree. Please know that your faculty, and all of us, continue to work hard to improve our remote instruction and find other virtual ways of staying connected. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts—how can we do this even better? How can we help you succeed?

Stay safe and healthy.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Saturday, September 05, 2020

Dear campus community,

In any other year, during Fall semester we would expect to walk across the Quad on our way to class or a meeting and experience the diverse perspectives held by those who compose the San Francisco State University community. You would likely encounter get-out-the-vote campaigners, invitations to join a club or participate in a demonstration and multiple invitations to add your voice. These activities and conversations make universities truly extraordinary places—where critical thinking is prized and nurtured and where disparate and often divergent opinions and world views are shared.

This exchange of ideas, though, is not always conflict-free, and San Francisco State finds itself again at the center of a national discussion about the boundaries and consequences of freedom of expression. Let me say clearly and quickly that SF State and I strongly condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, racism, and other hateful ideologies that marginalize people based on their identities, origins or beliefs. Let me say equally emphatically that we support the right of our faculty to academic freedom and to conducting their teaching and scholarship without censorship. And I say this while also condemning the glorification and use of terrorism and violence, particularly against unarmed civilians. These need not be mutually exclusive positions. In fact, rejecting binaries and embracing hard-to-reconcile complexities are the hallmarks of the educational experience.

SF State is regularly noted as one of the most diverse campuses in the US—a point of pride for many of us. Our students are much more likely to sit next to someone from a different ethnic, racial, religious or socioeconomic background than students elsewhere. Often this promotes rich discussions and new understandings and enriches the academic experience. But we may also find ourselves seated next to or hearing from someone with completely divergent views and even views we find personally abhorrent. These encounters, here and at other universities, have sometimes led to discord, anger, confrontation and fear. We can allow these moments to pull us apart. Or we can use them to launch new conversations, offer alternative viewpoints and affirm our commitments to viewpoint diversity. We can use these deeply painful moments as opportunities to counter speech with more speech and more education. As an educational institution, all are encouraged to invite speakers, take positions, engage in debate without fear of retaliation or censorship. There is--and must be--space for all viewpoints at SF State.

We must couple our collective commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression with a collective commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive campus. We condemn ideologies of hatred and violence. We do this not by restricting protected speech, teaching or scholarship but by providing resources for those in need of support and, again, by facilitating educational opportunities that align with campus values and promote viewpoint diversity. We will exercise compassion and support those who are marginalized or fearful. Students who feel targeted, marginalized or discriminated against will find allies in all corners of our campus. The Division of Equity and Community Inclusion provides many resources for students and the community. I urge all to participate in their programs and get involved with their centers.  Students who feel targeted or who are harassed should immediately contact our Dean-on-Callor the Office of Equity Programs & Compliance.

Last year, I talked about engaging the campus in courageous conversations. There are no harder conversations than those centered on volatile political and cultural issues. My goal remains that we commit together to having these conversations, to allowing diverse viewpoints and to demonstrating compassion. But I am a realist and a historian. There will be times when conversation, let alone agreement, is impossible. There will be times when we find a course’s content or a speaker deeply offensive. I urge us to use these moments as opportunities to invite others to share their thoughts, ideas and words and not as evidence of permanent or widespread disagreement. We should not allow ourselves to be defined by the moments that divide us but by the opportunities to come together for the kinds of rich courageous conversations that only one of the most diverse universities in the world can foster.

As always, now, I wish you good health.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Monday, August 31, 2020

Dear campus community,

As we begin the Fall semester under unusual and uniquely challenging circumstances, most of us are doing so remotely. Relying heavily on technology for communication and connectivity, we are vulnerable to many potential disruptions. With the threat of wildfires, poor air quality and planned or unexpected power outages, it is critical that we all plan ahead to be sure we are as prepared as possible. As we know all too well, 2020 continues to throw challenges our way.

San Francisco State University faculty have been asked to develop resilient teaching plans to ensure that students progress toward their academic goals. Our courses are driven by student learning outcomes and, as they have shown over the last few months, faculty continue to find alternative ways to engage our students in meaningful learning experiences.

Students who are impacted by events, notify your professors of disruptions as soon as possible. Students with longer-term challenges should also contact the Dean on Call.

Faculty and staff who are living and teaching in impacted areas should contact their supervisor or department chair to inform them of disruptions. If employees are unable to perform their normal work duties, they should contact the appropriate administrator and follow normal departmental practices. If classes must be canceled, please notify students and department chairs as soon as possible. Our Instructional Continuity Guide supplies additional resources for teaching and learning.

Over the last few months, I have been struck most by the care and compassion that our University community has shown. As we begin the semester and enter fire season, please continue to practice patience and compassion for our fellow Gators as we work our way through these unpredictable and demanding times. 

As always, continue to make safety and wellness — yours and others’ — the top priority.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Dear campus community,

Welcome to Fall 2020! As I said at our Opening Convocation, this year and this semester will be unlike any others. We managed our swift transition to remote education. We planned early for a remote Fall. We will work transparently to create a financially-sustainable budget. And, with the early, brutal arrival of wildfires, we will again plan for sustaining operations as declining air quality and power outages wrack California. I know I speak for many in the Gator family in wishing the best for those impacted by recent fires. 

I have every confidence that SF State will, as it always has, meet the challenges we face this semester directly and collaboratively. Thanks to many, many weeks of planning by faculty, staff and administrators, we are as ready as we can be to ensure that our students have a good fall semester. 

This summer more than 1,200 faculty took advantage of workshops offered by the Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning to strengthen remote teaching and learning. Staff from all units spent the summer welcoming new students, advising and registering students, preparing to support remote instruction and work, and engaging in extensive planning to keep the small number of people on campus healthy and safe. I am deeply, deeply grateful to all.

I imagine we have all wrestled with how to describe what we are going through. Period of pandemic-driven temporary restrictions? The new normal? None seem appropriate. This has gone on for far too long to be described as merely temporary. It is certainly not a new normal. While some things may never return (handshaking?!?), we will again host thousands of in-person classes, events and celebrations. So, no please, today’s circumstances can never be “normal.” They are, however, constantly shifting. Rules change from day-to-day, and businesses (and other universities) open and close and then open and close again. How do we describe this? How do we manage it?

Several weeks ago, Wendy Tobias, director of the Disability Programs and Resource Center, hit upon just the right description — the New Now. It is always new and ever-changing. It encourages us to take this moment by moment. And, most importantly, it reminds us that this is just now, not forever. We will embrace the “now” and do the best we can for our students and for one another.

It will likely be another long few weeks. As always, take care of yourself and find pleasure and joy wherever and whenever you can. Remember, good enough is in fact good enough for the New Now.

Wishing all a healthy and good fall 2020!

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Dear campus community,

It seems almost impossible, but the start of the fall semester is quickly nearing. I know that for many this summer has been unimaginably busy. I want to thank all of you. Thank you to the staff, faculty and administrators who kept our campus functioning all spring and summer. Thank you to the faculty and staff who spent their summers improving remote teaching and working to best serve our students. Thank you to the many involved with planning for Fall 2020, particularly the Budget and Logistics review team who guided our decision-making process and ensured that our plans prioritized health and safety. 

We have focused our planning efforts on remote teaching and services with very few courses being offered in-person, with most services being conducted and provided remotely and with few students in residence. For the few (less than 600 students and even fewer faculty and staff) who will be on campus, we will implement a health and safety plan that includes a daily health screening, the use of face coverings, physical distancing and hand sanitizers and hand washing. 

As with all things related to the global pandemic, our plans will change and perhaps change rapidly, if protecting public health demands it. Please regularly review our Campus Plan website for details about Fall 2020. We continue working to improve our communications knowing that we can always do better. Please send your questions and suggestions to president@sfsu.edu.

Protecting our University community’s health, whether in our homes and neighborhoods or on campus, requires that we all comply with local health requirements, particularly using face coverings and practicing physical distancing. We have all seen photos where people failed to do that … and then read later about the consequences. At San Francisco State University, we pride ourselves on rising above individual needs to embrace the needs of the many and the collective good. I expect no less of us now. So, wherever you are, wear your face covering and give people distance. Demonstrate that we put the welfare of our communities at the center of all we do.

Again, I express my deepest gratitude to all who are making remote learning, teaching and working effective — particularly our students and faculty who are ensuring that we meet our core educational mission during the most challenging of times. 

I guarantee that Fall 2020 will be one for the record books and that San Francisco State will emerge as a model for protecting public health and ensuring that students continue to make progress toward the academic goals that will serve their families, communities and the city and Bay Area well.

With wishes for good health.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Monday, July 20, 2020

Dear colleagues,

I know that our budget news and the CSU’s email about layoff provisions have generated a lot of anxiety. The consequences of the pandemic, growing economic inequality, decades of inadequate funding for the California State University system and local enrollment declines have combined to leave us with daunting challenges. We recently received confirmation that our campus will receive $22M less in state funds for 2020-21, and we continue to project a $16M decline in tuition revenues. As you likely read in the email forwarded to you this morning, Chancellor Timothy White has informed us that the CSU will not be pursuing furloughs to mitigate budget reductions this year. We will have to manage this budget reduction at the campus level. These are daunting numbers. This is all hard news, and I know that many are rightfully concerned. 

As I said in an earlier budget email, I cannot promise good news for the foreseeable future, but I can promise transparency and a deep commitment to shared governance as we navigate very difficult times. The University Budget Committee (UBC) will be the vehicle for budget transparency and shared information. The committee is currently revising its charge and reviewing plans to expand its membership with the goal of becoming more inclusive to enable broader input into the budgeting process, including more faculty, staff and union participation. UBC meetings are open to the public; all are invited to learn more and participate. We will also hold several budget forums throughout the year to share details with the full campus community, and all presentations will be posted to the web. 

The University’s state budget cut has been compounded by an almost equally severe decline in tuition revenues. Enrollment presentations have been regularly shared with the UBC. Find the most recent one on the UBC website. Prior to the pandemic, we had projected a 7% enrollment decline. Not surprisingly, the pandemic has resulted in additional consequences for enrollment, particularly for new freshmen. The most recent presentation to UBC projects an 11% decline. This will result in approximately 3,000 fewer students enrolling at SF State in the fall, including more than 1,000 fewer freshmen. We are currently projecting approximately 25,800 students for fall 2020.

Lecturers have felt the impact of declining enrollments quickly. As we do every year, and as contractually stipulated, we must align our lecturer hiring with our enrollment demand. In a climate of enrollment stability, lecturer hiring will be stable. In an unstable climate, the need for those positions and the tuition to fund them will be unstable. Our enrollments have been unstable for several years due in part to a statewide shift which has led to declining enrollments at most Northern California campuses. The effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated this. I am making stabilizing our enrollments a priority. I took action last fall to address this by establishing a Strategic Enrollment Advisory Committee, but that work will not help us address last year’s reduction in enrollment and the dramatic decline for Fall 2020, or the multi-year reverberations of a small 2020 freshmen class.

Across the University, an incredible amount of work has been done over the last several weeks to cut costs and slow hiring while still working to provide the courses and services our students need to succeed. This has enabled us to make considerable progress: we’ve reduced projected expenses by approximately $20M for 2020-21. This is good news, but it still leaves us with a budget gap of $18M for 2020-21. 

Our greatest resource is our employees — faculty, staff and administrators. But they also account for the vast majority of our spending. In 2019-2020 our general operating budget was $354,834,431 (plus $47.7M in financial aid and federal work study). Compensation and benefits accounted for 90% of that ($318,796,222), giving us very little budgeting flexibility. The combined $38M reduction exceeds our ability to close the funding gap by reducing hiring and implementing other cost-cutting measures alone.

We will create a multi-year plan to use eligible University reserves to mitigate some of our budget gap. Unlike a business which generates reserves intentionally, our reserves are better understood as carry forward funds — funds allocated for activities including hiring, programs, capital improvements and deferred maintenance, for example; but not expended in the current fiscal year and carried forward to the following year. A portion of these reserves are available to bridge some of the funding gap, but others are already allocated and needed for core operations in our colleges and units, including core operational support in the College of Science and Engineering and student life programming in Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. We will review our reserves with the UBC and identify funds that can be re-allocated as short-term bridge to fill the gap. Governor Newsom has predicted that we can expect tight state budgets for at least three years, so we will need to use these funds judiciously to plan for funding gaps beyond the current fiscal year. 

We are reviewing the use of additional cost saving measures, including other sources of one-time funds such as federal stimulus dollars and will explore with the unions the possibility of offering an early exit program. Unfortunately, our reserves and current cost-cutting efforts will not be sufficient to avoid implementing the layoff provisions in our collective bargaining agreements. This step is painful but necessary. With a budget gap of this size, we cannot forestall making permanent reductions in personnel. We will work closely with our unions as we navigate this. We plan to meet with the unions in the next several weeks to begin discussions. Please know that in such situations reductions will be made in close consultation with our unions. 

I send this email with a very heavy heart. The last few weeks have been almost unimaginably hard. The pandemic precludes us from being together at the same moment when issues like the need to eliminate white supremacy, to support our international students and to navigate tough budget times make coming together even more critical. Last week marked my first anniversary as your president. As I have said before, in no world is this where I imagined we would be. But as I look across the leadership at this campus — our Academic Senate, our Associated Students, our unions — I see great strength. But only if we work together. We must continue to work collectively to ensure that our students succeed, that we better realize our potential as a model of inclusivity and educational equity and that we manage our budget in transparent ways to make judicious budget cuts that allow us to serve our students in the manner they deserve.

Please know how deeply I value your contributions and the commitment you show to the ongoing success of our students, and as always, I send this with wishes for good health.

Best, 

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Friday, July 17, 2020

Dear campus community,

Nearly a month ago, San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney affirmed in a campus email our role as an engine of educational and economic equity for Black students and communities and committed the University to action. In the intervening weeks, we have engaged in many cross-campus conversations, inventoried current work and generated a set of initiatives and goals. We are very grateful to the many students, faculty and staff who have emailed us or spent time speaking with us. We want to thank Chair Teaster Baird Jr., Chair Doris Flowers, Director of Educational Opportunity and Pathways Programs Oscar Gardea, Assistant Vice President Fred Smith, Dean Amy Sueyoshi, Associate Dean Rob Williams and the Executive Committee of the Black Faculty and Staff Association for their work to move Black Lives Matter @ SF State forward. 

As leaders representing all of the University and its colleges, we commit to the following actions:

• Implementing workshops and other educational opportunities for University employees addressing white supremacy and anti-Blackness and requiring these for all managers
• Improving our hiring practices for faculty, staff and administrators to include anti-bias education and other best practices to ensure more diverse pools and hiring
• Incorporating education about the ongoing, pernicious consequences of anti-Blackness, asset-based understandings of Blackness and support for anti-racism in all Student Life programming, including new student programming, leadership development and wellness initiatives
• Recruiting, retaining and graduating Black studentsby developing partnerships with regional K-12 and community college districts and by strengthening work to eliminate equity gaps 
• Developing new programs that strengthen the pipelines to graduate education and careers for Black students
• Bolstering Black student life on campus by increasing support for the Office of Equity and Community Inclusion and the Black Unity Center.
• Raising philanthropic funds for the College of Ethnic Studies and for the financial support of students whose studies focus on the Pan-African diaspora or Black populations
• Advancing curricula that support Black student success by increasing the number of faculty whose work lies in the Pan-African diaspora or who have a demonstrated record of success in research, teaching and/or service with Black populations. We will also offer pedagogical workshops for faculty, solidify pathways for double majors or minors in identity-based degrees and increase community service learning opportunities with our Black community partners
• Reallocating funding from policing to ensure continued support for campus programs that support BLM and anti-racist initiatives, reviewing and revising University protocols related to policing, and creating an advisory council for campus safety

So many across this University are already deeply engaged in BLM work, but we know we can and must do more. We remain committed to listening, to learning and to taking meaningful actions. As a University community, we must work together and keep our eyes on our goals. As the events of the past months recede from the headlines, our intentions and focus will remain. We will effect change.

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Jennifer Summit, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Beth Hellwig, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Yim-Yu Wong, Ph.D.
Dean, Lam Family College of Business

Cynthia Grutzik, Ph.D.
Dean, Graduate College of Education

Amy Sueyoshi, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Ethnic Studies

Alvin Alvarez, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Health & Social Sciences

Andrew Harris, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Carmen Domingo, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science & Engineering

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

On June 19, 1865, the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation was finally fulfilled when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned that the Civil War was over and that slavery had ended. In the decades that followed, the date provided an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate emancipation at Juneteenth parades, events and gatherings. If in winning the Civil War the U.S. had also scored a victory for racial justice, this would be a national holiday that all Americans celebrate. But as we have been reminded yet again, while the Confederacy may have lost the battle, white supremacy won the war.

Never more so than this year does Juneteenth provide an opportunity for all Americans to pledge not just their support for racial justice but to commit their time and resources to action to effect real change. That starts with us, with me and with San Francisco State University.

The pursuit of racial justice should not still be a necessary conversation in the United States. Four hundred and one years after the introduction of slavery, 155 years after the end of slavery, and 55 years after the Civil Rights Act, we should not still be talking about the persistence of white supremacy, police brutality and the myriad inequities wrought by centuries of systemic racism. But despite the efforts of many, including many here at San Francisco State, we still are. 

Black Lives Matter at SF State. Our role as an engine of educational and economic equity has never been more important. Providing better access to a world-class university education and better ensuring degree completion are critical for economic equity and mobility for Black communities in San Francisco, the Bay Area and across the state. 

As we look to the future, we affirm our core commitments and pledge to realize them.

We are committed to listening to our Black students, faculty and staff and local community leaders.

We are committed to a renewal of the SF Promise that sets ambitious goals to recruit, retain and graduate more African American students and students from all communities of color. 

We are committed to recruiting and retaining Black faculty, staff and administrators, as well as new colleagues from other historically underrepresented communities. 

We are committed to anti-racist education and policies, including the repeal of Prop 209.

We are committed to not asking those who have already done so much to do more, especially African Americans and other communities of color, but are committed to asking others, particularly white allies, to do more and do it now.

Few of us have likely seen anything like the last few weeks. And while tragedy and pain abound, there are signs of real change, including dramatically increased support for Black Lives Matter and for the repeal of Proposition 209 to strengthen equity in higher education. As in 1968, the need for San Francisco State University to lead is great. As the president of SF State, I embrace our role and commit us to action.

We will listen, we will learn and we will do better. On this Juneteenth, a day also of reflection and education, celebrate freedom and commit to realizing it for all.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Friday, May 29, 2020

George Valentine.
George Floyd.
Christian Cooper.

On March 25, George Valentine, an aide to the mayor of Washington D.C., struggling to breathe, entered the hospital and died two days later, a victim of COVID-19.

On May 25, George Floyd died after being handcuffed and pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis police officer.

On May 25, Christian Cooper was birding in Central Park when a white woman weaponized her race and gender to falsely accuse him of a crime.

These men did not know one another. They held different jobs, lived in different cities, grew up in different circumstances. But they are all African American and all experienced the consequences of the United States’ long history of persistent racism.

African Americans are at least 2.4 times more likely to die of COVID-19. With heartbreaking regularity, unarmed African American boys and men are killed by police. And every day African Americans and other people of color experience microaggressions and overt acts of racism, some of which place individuals — like Mr. Cooper — in potentially grave physical danger.

The national climate is illuminating a number of challenges facing marginalized communities, including growing anti-Asian and Pacific Islander sentiment and the grossly disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on African Americans, Latinos and the Asian Pacific Islander and Native American communities. Students who are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients are anxiously waiting to hear about the future of DACA from a federal administration that has made clear its stance on immigration and undocumented Americans, including recently explicitly excluding them from receiving much-needed federal COVID aid. While we, on some levels, come together as a nation to face the greatest health threat in a century, evidence of division, hatred, intolerance and ignorance abounds.

In a recent piece in The New York Times, Sabrina Strings, a sociologist at the University of California, Irvine, asked “Why are black people so sick?” She quickly and strongly identified the cause: slavery.

While her argument focused on the impact and legacy of slavery on health and access to health care, her answer is widely applicable. Centuries of structural racism and its persistence into the 21st century impact all communities of color and affect their health, access to health care, their treatment by police, the ways in which they are perceived, access to education, upward mobility and more.

We know that San Francisco and San Francisco State University are not immune to this. Our students, faculty and staff are regularly on the front lines challenging institutional racism and all inequities. To borrow from the work of scholars on cultural humility, including San Francisco State Professor Vivian Chavez, we need to engage in critical self-reflection and demonstrate compassion. That doesn’t change for us as a university community, whether we’re on campus or remote. Clearly there is more that many of us need to learn. SF State affords us all opportunities to learn and contribute to the change we seek. Enroll in a College of Ethnic Studies course, engage in a conversation or activity sponsored by the Office of Equity and Community Inclusion or watch Professor Chavez’s video on cultural humility.

We need to recognize and challenge power imbalances and inequities. And we must become even better at modeling this commitment as a university now as much as ever. There is much more to be done. And we all need to do it.

Best, 

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

Just a few short weeks ago, I thought that I would spend the past week attending campus celebrations and culminating events and crafting my remarks for what would be my first San Francisco State University Commencement. Having celebrated 12 graduation seasons in the CSU, I knew what to look forward to — senior performances, research competitions, beautiful and touching decorations and messages on the caps of graduating students, and the smiles and tears of thousands of graduates and their families. But this was going to be particularly special as I would get to celebrate with all of you as part of the Gator family that I so quickly came to love this past year.

Instead, I write this from my home where, instead of all this, I attend endless Zoom meetings, work with colleagues to plan a successful fall semester and try to remain as connected to as many of you as I can remotely. As I have said before, it is okay to mourn all that we lost, keeping in mind that some among us are experiencing unimaginable loss. But I want to stress now that we also need to celebrate what we have accomplished over these last incredible weeks.

As the semester ends this week, stop and congratulate yourself for things large and small. For learning how to use Zoom, for learning how to share videos remotely (this was a really tough one for me!), for learning how to focus without the rhythms of a highly structured day or with noise and family around you. Congratulate yourself for having found a face covering and for wearing it in public and for having mastered the directions for how to navigate supermarket aisles (a tough one for my husband!). Congratulate yourself for whatever it is you have had to do differently and for getting it done. Doesn’t matter if it was perfect, you got it done.

Recently, two students emailed me to share selfies they had taken with me earlier this semester. One student I bumped into near Seven Hills, the other outside my office building. Both have stayed in touch to share their stories and to reach out for help or advice. Like many of our students, they worked hard to get here and continue to work hard to succeed. They are why we do this. They are why we will continue to do this and continue to do it as well as we can.

With Miguel and Juthaporn earlier this semester and before physical distancing

So, thank you, Miguel and Juthaporn. Thank you for sharing your stories, thank you for making me smile, and thank you for reminding me that even now I have the best job in the world.

I encourage you all to join me this week to celebrate the end of the term with a virtual performance by the School of Music’s Alexander String Quartet. And then again on June 18 as we celebrate the Class of 2020.

We made it. Celebrate it!

Best, 

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Dear Fellow Gators,

As you may have heard, San Francisco State and other California State University campuses will continue with largely remote instruction through the fall. I know this affects you most of all and am sharing this video message with you.

Please know this difficult decision has not been made lightly. The health and safety of our campus community remains our top priority. My campus announcement and this video provide some details. More will be forthcoming quickly.

Many thanks to all of you for your patience and persistence. I look forward to nothing more than an eventual resumption of campus life and to seeing all of you.  

As always, stay safe and healthy.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Dear Campus Community:

Over the last two weeks, I have spoken with and heard from hundreds of students, and faculty and staff. No question has weighed on me more than the one almost all ask: What is our plan for fall? In the midst of unimaginable uncertainty, we want answers, we want stability and we desperately want a return to “normal.”

I know that many universities are waiting until mid-June to make announcements about fall. But I have heard from too many people anxious to plan for fall to delay making a decision. With the health of our students and employees uppermost in my mind, I have made the very hard decision to continue with predominantly remote instruction through the fall semester.  We hope to be able to grant exceptions for a very small number of courses that require specialized in-person learning experiences and are necessary for student degree progress. We will work to accommodate students unable to participate in face-to-face instruction.

Please know that this decision is consistent with guidance issued by the California State University as a whole, as the Chancellor shared at this week’s CSU Board of Trustees meeting. Like all CSU campuses, we are planning for a semester that will be primarily virtual. Most academic disciplines will be exclusively virtual. We will also be prepared to go fully virtual if public health demands it.

I understand the news I share with you today will unleash a torrent of questions. Colleges, department chairs and faculty are working quickly to identify the small number of courses that may qualify for an exception. Students registered in these courses will receive detailed communications and guidance from their department chairs as soon as plans have been finalized. I will provide another update by the end of this month with additional details. I know that staff also have questions. Our goal for fall, with health and safety in mind, is to limit the number of people on campus to allow those who must be here to be here safely and allow others to continue working from home to limit their contact with others. 

While San Francisco’s mitigation efforts have been successful to date, COVID-19 will be with us for many months. Public health officials have urged us all to continue to be vigilant. We remain vulnerable until better treatments are developed, a vaccine is created and the majority of people have acquired immunity. Experts from departments of public health, medical centers and research universities anticipate that we will have a second wave of illness in the mid- to late-fall. And if history is any indicator, it could be far worse than the wave we just experienced. We must remain cautious and assiduously follow health guidelines.

At this time, the ability to increase face-to-face contact requires not just face coverings and physical distancing. Opening businesses and schools will also necessitate acquiring quantities of personal protective and sanitizing equipment. It will require frequent testing, tracing and quarantining. It will require monitoring waste systems to see if there is live virus present. And, as we saw recently with cases at the White House, even the stringent use of all these measures is no guarantee.

What makes universities unique and wonderful places also makes them uniquely vulnerable to the spread of disease — ask any faculty member who has faced a class full of coughing students in January or any student who has lived in a densely populated residence hall. We thrive on social interaction, on working huddled closely around a table, in a studio or over a microscope. Mitigating a highly contagious disease under these circumstances is near impossible and would be prohibitively expensive — at a moment in which the governor of California has announced that the state faces a $54 billion deficit and all anticipate dramatic cuts in funding to the California State University system.

Please know that I make this decision with a heavy heart. I want nothing more than for us all to stay well and be together. The COVID-19 pandemic sadly, however, does not allow us to have both … for now. I promise you that this will end and that we will all return to campus. For now, though, we will focus our attention on perfecting remote learning, teaching and working. It will not be the same, but it will be good. And we will focus on our students and their degree progress. They must earn their degrees, and we must help them.

I remain so very grateful to be here and to serve as president of this incredible university. We have served as a model for higher education before, as home to the first College of Ethnic Studies, as a leader in the upward mobility of our graduates and as one of the most diverse universities in the U.S. 

We can lead again now. We can be a model of a university that puts the public good first by protecting public health, by creating an excellent remote learning experience and by continuing to foster upward mobility for our students, their families and communities.

As always, I thank you for your patience and wish you good health.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Monday, April 27, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

As always, I hope this finds you well and managing the myriad challenges posed by sheltering in place and learning and working remotely. In alignment with the City’s extension of the stay at home order to May 31, SF State will continue with our current plan which includes most University work being handled remotely.

One thing that I find most difficult in the current situation is living with so much uncertainty. I imagine that this is true for many of us. In particular, I know that all are wondering what fall holds for us. While the future, unfortunately, remains very uncertain, one thing I can assure you: We will have a fall semester. Any decision about fall will align with public health requirements. Your health and that of our communities remains paramount. We are hopeful that current mitigation efforts will allow the return to at least some face-to-face instruction. There are indications we will be asked to continue with mitigation efforts such as physical distancing, which may require continuing much of our instruction remotely. We recognize that some learning is best done in person, and we are working hard to make it possible for experiential learning to take place in the fall. 

So, while I can’t guess what the fall will look like, I can tell you that we are planning actively for multiple scenarios including one that features a combination of remote learning and in-person instruction. Yes, this spring has been challenging and the fall may bring challenges of its own. Our students’ academic progress remains a top priority. We will have a fall semester, and, regardless of how it is structured, we are working hard to make sure it’s a good one! 

If we have learned anything in the last few weeks, it is that persistent socioeconomic inequalities in the U.S. have resulted in poorer people suffering the health and economic consequences of COVID-19 faster and harder than other groups. A college degree has been proven repeatedly to foster upward mobility and provide graduates with greater job security and access to health care, among other gains. San Francisco State is proud of its long history as an engine of educational equity and economic development. 

Later this week, we’ll be distributing information about the CSU Cares Program which offers emergency grants for CSU students experiencing financial hardships due to the current health crisis. The planning around distribution of these funds has been aligned with our University’s core value of social justice to address the economic challenges facing our lowest income students and provide resources for some students experiencing COVID-related financial difficulties. Details will be forthcoming later this week.

Providing access to a quality affordable education is key to who we are. While public health requires that we do this differently, the needs of our students and region require that we do it as well as we can. We are and we will.

With continued wishes for good health!

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Friday, April 17, 2020

Dear SF State Community,

Like all of you, I’ve been looking for ways to stay connected as our shelter-in-place reality continues. That’s why I gave something new a try: a video message to the University community shot in my own living room. What it might lack in production values and polish I hope it makes up for in sincerity. Because its message — about how proud I am of what our students, faculty, staff and alumni are accomplishing in the face of enormous obstacles — comes from the heart. I hope you’ll watch and find yourself reassured, as I’ve been, that we have the ingenuity, compassion and resolve to overcome this and any other challenge.

Best wishes for a safe and healthy spring,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Dear Campus Community,

Many of us had high hopes and grand visions for 2020. I do not imagine that for many of us these included obsessive handwashing and weeks at home. Accommodating current public health needs has been hard in so many ways, and we are grieving the loss of the plans and hopes we had for 2020. And some of us are worried about gravely ill friends and family or tragically mourning the loss of a loved one. I reach out to you today not to talk about remote instruction or shelter-in-place nor to remind you to wash your hands and not touch your face. I write instead to ask about you.

How are you doing? How are you managing all the change and anxieties that COVID-19 has wrought in your lives and in the lives of your family and friends? How are you taking care of yourself? What ways have you discovered to manage anxiety and the stress of balancing the new demands of daily life? How are you staying connected to others? 

For me, it means walks outside and evenings in the kitchen. I start almost every morning with an hour-long walk with my husband. I am blessed to live in a beautiful city with hills and hidden staircases — most of which are pretty quiet first thing in the morning and allow for physical distancing. I am heartened by the stuffed bears that have popped up in windows and by sidewalk chalk art that reminds me “It’s Gonna Be Alright” and we are “Stronger Together.” And, after years of busy careers interfering with dinners at home, we now have family meals every night. I worry, though, about friends and family who are far away or alone. For that, I gratefully turn to Zoom to connect and check in.

I hope that you, too, have found ways to assuage anxieties exacerbated by unimaginable uncertainty and to make connections in a physically distanced world. As always, our own faculty offer guidance. Professor Melissa Hagan offers advice on managing coronavirus anxiety. Professor Erik Peper offers advice on reducing “TechStress” and the health benefits of an open window. Some may need more support during this time, particularly those who are experiencing the consequences of this deadly virus more directly. The Employee Assistance Program offers University employees access to a variety of helpful services. Students can contact a dean on call or schedule a tele-health visit with one of our counselors. And our Basic Needs team, as always, stands ready to help.

Even those of us who haven’t been directly impacted by the pandemic need relief from stress and anxiety to stay healthy. Some may find exercise to be the perfect distraction. The Mashouf Wellness Center is here to help with group exercise instruction via Zoom. Check out the Campus Recreation website for the latest information on class formats, days and times as well as Zoom links and passwords. Or perhaps take advantage of the many museums and educational institutions who have opened their programs remotely. Check out, for example, the California Academy of Sciences’ Academy @ Home, which offers an array of science-centric games, videos and DIY projects. This is a great site to share with children and family members.

We will one day return to campus together, I promise. But shelter-in-place will persist for at least several more weeks and physical distancing likely even longer. So pace yourself, be kind to yourself and reward yourself. Now is the time to remind yourself that good enough is in fact good enough. I promise, it is. 

Above all — in every way possible — stay well!

Best, 

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Friday, March 27, 2020

Dear San Francisco State Family,

The last three weeks have been extraordinary. At no time in my career did I anticipate that I would be writing to you in a world in which students and faculty are all learning and teaching remotely, in which entire cities and nations are sheltered in place and in which we ask for heroic efforts from the people we depend upon for our well-being — from health care providers to those who staff our grocery stores and pharmacies. As we get ready to resume remote instruction next week, I would like to thank each of you and assure you that San Francisco State University will not only survive but thrive.

Students, particularly members of the Class of 2020: This is certainly not how you expected to spend spring 2020. And, despite the fact that many of you have always lived in a world with the internet and cell phones, losing face-to-face contact with your faculty, peers and others who support you on campus can be difficult. I know, though, that you will work through this and continue to make progress toward your academic goals. You will develop skills and strengths that students before you did not even know were needed. And we are here to help. Most University services are available remotely. Additionally, the campus remains open for very limited services. Please consult the websitefor details, and avail yourselves of virtual resources at the ready to help you succeed.

Universities are sometimes criticized for being slow to adapt and quick to resist. Faculty and staff at San  Francisco State repeatedly have proven otherwise. Over the last few weeks, thousands of faculty have moved even more thousands of courses to remote instruction, not always without pain. I am appreciative of how hard this has been, especially for particular types of instruction. I am grateful for the effort and for the support of the faculty and staff who are helping others make the transition. Thank you.

Staff across all offices and divisions have similarly moved to working remotely as the need to physically distance ourselves from one another became obvious. Not a single University function has been left untouched. Like faculty, our staff are reinventing their work processes and modalities and ensuring that we all get needed services. And many faculty, staff and students are doing this with children and other family members to care for at home. Thank you.

I want to particularly thank employees whose work requires that they come to campus. This includes those who are facilitating remote learning, those who are ensuring the health and safety of the campus, those who are supporting our remaining residential students and those who are guaranteeing that our key business and enrollment functions continue. Thank you.

I have been deeply touched, as well, by the generous offers of support from alumni and friends of the University. The economic ramifications of this are just being understood, but we do know that numbers of our students will need greater financial support as they and their families wrestle with lost jobs. The quick generosity of local businesspeople and alumni will help us support these students. Thank you.

The individual and collective actions of the SF State family ensure that our students will continue to move forward even when it feels like much of the world has ground to a halt. They also ensure that we will emerge from this ready to resume our work. We will enroll new students, welcome returning students, return to face-to-face instruction and work together with fresh enthusiasm and renewed appreciation at being together on campus. I look forward to that day.

For now, I continue to urge you to take care of yourselves and one another by staying indoors except for essential trips. And, while I urge everyone to practice physical distancing, I also encourage you to find new ways to form social connections. Schedule virtual family (and Gator!) gatherings, take part in virtual coffee and happy hours with friends and classmates, wave at people from your front window or porch. We will emerge from this, yes, different but also stronger if we stay true to our values of inclusion and compassion.

We are all here for one another. I am here for you. Stay in touch.

All my best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

I am often asked why I chose to specialize in 19th century U.S. history. I began my studies following the rise of what’s known as the “New” Social History. Its focus on democratic inclusiveness and on the history of “ordinary” people conveyed a richer history of the past and held promise for a better future.

The 19th century saw some of the worst of U.S. history — slavery, Jim Crow and segregation, the decimation of native peoples, rampant xenophobia, worsening economic inequalities and the list goes on. But the century also saw ordinary people increasingly demand more for themselves. They demanded freedom, the right to vote, citizenship and equal rights. Much like our own time, it was a period of great injustice and great hope and change. I am reminded in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, that our ability to participate remains a precious right. Here at San Francisco State University, we take our right to participate seriously. Without it, social change and social justice would be unattainable.

Our votes matter. Information on participating in the upcoming election can be found on the California Secretary of State website. Of particular importance to San Francisco State and the CSU is Prop 13, a $15 billion general obligation bond measure that would provide resources for improving the facilities that serve California students. Information on how the funds would improve the CSU and SF State can be found on the CSU’s Building California’s Brightest Future website. I urge you to educate yourself on the election and exercise your right to vote.

I encourage everyone to take seriously opportunities to participate this spring by voting in March and completing the U.S. census. Every 10 years, we are given the opportunity to be counted. Our representation in Congress and resources devoted to the health and wellness of our communities depend on accurate numbers. Participation may be a cause for anxiety for some, particularly those in our undocumented communities. The information collected is not shared with any other agency and is only used to gather big-picture data (not an individual’s personal details). Information on the census, including its confidentiality, can be found online. I urge us all to exercise our right to participate.

Students, please exercise your rights further by voting in the Associated Students election and completing the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The Associated Students represents you in important discussions on and off campus. They are your voice in efforts to empower students and enrich your student experience. I urge you to participate in the election and even go a step further by participating in student government yourself. And, finally, freshmen and seniors, you have the opportunity to share with us details about your experiences at SF State so that we may better serve you and the students who will follow you. Please take a few minutes to share with us your student experience by completing the NSSE.

Participation is power. Exercise it.

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Dear campus community,

As I have mentioned in earlier messages, San Francisco State University is in so many ways a model of a diverse and inclusive university. There are moments, however, when even we are tested. We must remain resolute in our values of inclusion and meet the challenges with education and resolve.

The emergence and spread of the coronavirus is such a moment. Across the country and beyond, we have seen an increase in stigmatizing rhetoric and behaviors toward Chinese and Asian American communities (an increase that Professor Russell Jeung, chair of the Asian American Studies Department, has commented on in nationally broadcast interviews). At this time, rather than acting out of fear and ignorance, we at San Francisco State will respond with compassion, knowledge and justice. As with all viruses, there are things we can do to protect ourselves and one another. Please take time to review basic health tips and respect one another as we protect our collective health and stand in solidarity with those who are ailing and those on the frontlines fighting this illness.

But this is not the only test of SF State values. In the past week, I was deeply saddened by a small but concerning number of bias incidents on campus, including the use of racial and anti-Semitic language. Over the last decades, the notion that “words can never hurt you” has been soundly discredited by academics, health care professionals, civil right activists and spiritual leaders, among others. At SF State, we embrace and protect free speech, but this does not absolve us of our responsibility to create a welcoming environment for each other. We meet these incidents not with censorship but with education. Words hurt; let’s teach one another why and be open to learning. Faculty, staff and students across campus have initiated many excellent programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Have a suggestion for additional programming? Please share it with Frederick Smith, AVP, Equity & Community Inclusion at FrederickSmith@sfsu.edu.

San Francisco State University is rightfully proud of its reputation for diversity, equity and inclusion. I ask that we work collectively to ensure it.

Best,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Thursday, January 30, 2020

At Convocation and in some of my earliest messages, I talked about the importance of people and their stories. Ours is a university rich in voices and experiences. And listening to you and learning your stories is something I’ve been doing a lot of since I became San Francisco State University’s 14th president last summer. I’ve spent the past months asking you — our students, faculty and staff — to tell me about your challenges, your successes and your hopes for the University.

You all have been incredibly generous in sharing with me your time and insights. As a result, I’ve learned a lot about San Francisco State and its unique role in the Bay Area. I discuss many of these lessons in a new video that’s just been posted to our SF State YouTube channel. I hope you’ll watch it and share even more of your stories with me.

Despite all I’ve learned, I’m sure the future holds many more lessons for me. I’ll be looking to you and our entire University community to teach me those lessons as we work collaboratively toward the goal we all share: making SF State as inclusive, as effective and as transformative as we know it can be.

Best wishes for a fulfilling spring semester,

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

As we begin a new year, we find ourselves again navigating turbulent times. The consequences of climate change threaten communities and ecosystems as wildfires consume Australia. The U.S. Congress voted to impeach the president as concerns about threats to democracy spread. And, most recently, unstable relations between the U.S. and Iran have resulted in tragedy and pain. Our thoughts are first with the families and victims of those tragically killed in the downing of a Ukranian airliner and with the Iranians and Iranian Americans who may find themselves victims of discrimination and harassment, including those who have been detained at our borders.

This rocky start to 2020 can leave many, especially young people, feeling as if the world is on the verge of collapse. As always, though, San Francisco State University can provide a source of light at dark moments. In recent weeks, I have been struck by how the nation has turned to our faculty for understanding and guidance. Professors Persis Karim and Mahmood Monshipouri have provided national media outlets with historical and contemporary contexts for the conflict and its consequences for the Iranian and Iranian American communities. Our faculty, departments and units, including the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies, serve as important academic resources and offer support for Iranian and Iranian American students, staff and faculty. As an institution based on academic excellence and social justice, we serve as a model of an inclusive community. All are welcome here. Students, faculty and staff concerned about the national climate and its effect on our campus climate are urged to contact the Office of Equity and Community Inclusion.

On Monday, San Francisco State and the rest of the nation celebrated the transformative work and life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Let us look to Dr. King for guidance as we think about our role in turbulent and tragic times. As an institution of higher education it is our role to educate. Dr. King noted that “nothing pains some people more than having to think.” Our job is to make people think and think hard — question their assumptions, draw complex conclusions based on fact and not ignorance, and take pains to understand others. No university is better poised to do this than SF State as an academic community driven by social justice and devoted to inclusive excellence and serving our communities.

I thank you for all you do to make this a great university!

Lynn Mahoney, Ph.D.
President