Fresno State president’s goal: To make his university a world class ‘bastion of knowledge’

Editor’s note: Here are excerpts from the speech Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval gave during his investiture ceremony on Sept. 9:

It has been 16 months since the trustees of the California State University appointed me as the ninth president of Fresno State. CSU Interim Chancellor Dr. Joelene Koester first introduced me to the concept of the presidency as a tapestry. The presidency does not rest on the shoulders of one person, but on the strength of a set of interwoven and interconnected individuals, artfully coming together to form the leadership of the university. Over the past year and a half, it has become abundantly clear that each individual thread of this tapestry matters — each one brings with it its unique hue, without which the image would not be complete.

My journey is both unique and reflective of so many of the histories of migration, displacement and struggle that have shaped this Valley. These are not always pleasant histories to recall, but each culture, each interaction, has left its imprint on the region. Today, we are culturally rich and diverse. We challenge one another — how could we not, with such an abundance of traditions and perspectives? But we increasingly recognize our diversity as a source of strength and creativity. We are collaborators, celebrating the distinct gifts of each culture, but also sharing in our common humanity and the ever-present search for safety and opportunity — a brighter future awaits and we can weave our own destinies together.

I was born in the mountains of Zacatecas, Mexico, a region surrounded by a river where my brother Alfonso and I would fish. The home where I was born was built by my father’s family in 1780, and the history of the land ran deep in our bones. I tell you my story because it manifests the trauma of moving to a new land.

This story is repeated in the many communities of our Valley, beginning with the Mono and Yokuts peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial, and followed by 200 years of near-constant migration and global dislocations that affected waves of immigrants who left their lands with pain and sorrow and came here with hope and determination to make this Valley their home.

Altogether, throughout the decades, we have woven our collective energies of hope and determination to make Fresno County the most agriculturally productive region in the world, with a combined tri-county production of almost $20 billion. We are bound by our livelihoods and by our affection for home. We are a community, among the most linguistically diverse in the nation — speaking more than 120 languages in a place where food and music and stories transcend boundaries. And Fresno State is crucial to fostering these exchanges and bringing our communities together.

I became keenly aware of this burgeoning diversity when I arrived in Fowler in 1980, and by the time I had the good fortune to teach at Fresno State as a professor of Spanish and Portuguese in 2000, the different strands were forming the tapestry we have today.

Over the course of almost two decades, I taught our students, was coordinator of the Spanish master of arts, chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and provost and vice president for academic affairs prior to becoming your president. During this time, I have had the distinct honor of serving alongside some of the most talented faculty and dedicated staff — all giving of themselves to the success of our students and our region.

Throughout this journey, it is our students who have inspired me to work each day in service to this university. Today, we are proud of our formal recognition as a Hispanic serving institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institution. These are more than formal titles; they represent our commitment to lifting up diverse student voices. As your president, it is my distinct honor to build upon the strength of our diversity as a key element in the success of our future.

From years of teaching our students, I learned the following: Earning a degree from Fresno State is transformational for our students, their families and our community. Almost 68% of our students are the first in their families to attend a university. We are more than 275,000 living alumni strong, and the fact that 80% of our graduates live and work right here in the Valley is a testament to how Fresno State directly drives opportunity, social mobility and regional growth. Many of our community leaders at the local, state and federal levels are proud Bulldogs.

Indeed, Fresno State graduates elevate every industry in our region. And even if a local high school student, for some mysterious reason that I can’t fathom, were to choose another university, we at Fresno State nevertheless directly contributed to their preparation — over 75% of our K-12 teachers in the region hold degrees from our Kremen School of Education and Human Development. Our students excel because Fresno State alumni teach them excellence. And we can go further than that: As president of Fresno State, I can confidently state that every major economic, social, artistic, and local institution in the region is sustained by the distinction of our alumni — our Bulldogs contribute to an ecosystem of inquiry and innovation throughout our Valley.

That Bulldog spirit is palpable; its energy is all around us, and it invigorates us at Fresno State athletic events. At our football games, for instance, we can see, hear and feel the excitement of as many as 42,000 students, alumni and fans — from diverse cultural backgrounds, political affiliations, faiths, occupations, and socioeconomic statuses. They all put on their Bulldog red and unite behind one common cause — to cheer on the ‘Dogs! Fresno State Bulldogs are undeniably the Valley’s team — and we are the Valley’s university.

When I became president, I embarked on an industry listening tour, in which I hosted six official listening sessions and had numerous informal conversations with industry leaders throughout our region.

The key takeaways from these conversations identified specific priorities:

▪ Grow a pipeline of diverse workers who bring with them transdisciplinary skills –for example: highly communicative STEM majors, or business savvy artists;

▪ Facilitate a connection between businesses and students, in order to promote experiential learning opportunities that will improve workforce readiness;

▪ Innovate and align advanced curriculum with employer needs in order to become critical partners in our region’s economic growth;

▪ Monitor and measure career success after graduation, in order to continuously assess our impact on the region and the economy.

These insights form the base for our upcoming strategic plan. The goal of my presidency is to take Fresno State from the regional powerhouse we are right now to a national and internationally recognized bastion of knowledge in matters of water, agriculture, engineering, business, STEM and health care. These are some of the threads that weave together to form a vibrant and thriving community and an innovative world. It is only fitting that the most productive agricultural region in the world be recognized for its application and research, product development and branding.

To achieve this vision, we will focus on innovation and entrepreneurship as foundational elements. The importance of research, recently highlighted by our R2 classification, will be paramount. The power I see comes from our shared history. As we continue to weave our communal tapestry, the resolve to better our region is strengthened by the love we have for friends, family, and neighbors. With so many deep roots, our future looks promising, and entirely within our grasp.

I end with a heart overflowing with gratitude for the talented students who have chosen Fresno State and bring with them their dreams of a better tomorrow, friends who are gathered here, my family who has strengthened my spirit and determination, the staff who power all processes at the university, the faculty who have invested their energies to the success of our students, and the community of supporters whose loyalty to Fresno State makes us such a special region and university.

I commit to serving this university with everything I have, and I invite you to join me on this journey, in which every thread of this vibrant tapestry matters.

Thank you Fresno State and Go ’Dogs!