September 2024 A&F Times
September Column
It’s truly invigorating to see the campus come alive again with the return of our students, bringing with them a renewed sense of energy and purpose. The buzz around campus is unmistakable, and it's a reminder of why we all work so hard to make this institution the vibrant community it is.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has dedicated their time and effort to preparing the campus for the fall semester. From our tireless Facilities team to the staff in Financial Aid, Seawolf Services, Conferences and Events, Police Services, and every other department that has contributed to creating a welcoming and safe environment, your hard work does not go unnoticed. It’s because of your dedication that we’re able to provide our students with a positive and supportive start to their academic year.
In the Budget Office, we’ve successfully wrapped up the planning for the 2024-2025 budget. This year presented its challenges, with necessary budget reductions to address the ongoing deficit, but there is good news on the horizon. The legislature has provided new base funding to the CSU, which will support workforce investments, student success, and mandatory cost increases. Additionally, we’re seeing our campus enrollment stabilize for the first time in four years—a reassuring sign for our future.
These positive developments will position us better to tackle the challenges ahead. I encourage everyone to stay informed about the budget by attending the upcoming Fall Budget and Planning Forum—details will be announced soon.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your continued dedication and hard work in making this campus a special place. Your contributions are what make this community thrive every single day.
What's Happening on Campus
Campus Safety Week
Risk Management and Safety Services is excited to launch this week-long initiative dedicated to fostering a safe and secure environment for all members of our university community. From September 16 to 20, 2024, join their team and many campus safety partners for a series of interactive workshops, informative sessions, and engaging activities designed to promote awareness and preparedness on a variety of safety topics, including personal safety, emergency response, mental health resources, and more. Whether you're a student, faculty member, or staff, there's something for everyone to learn and contribute. Together, let's build a safer campus for all! Details about events can be found at the Campus Safety Week website!
Ready, Set, Glow!
Join REACH and Risk Management and Safety Services on Wednesday, September 18th at 7:30pm for a Glow in the Dark Safety 5K Event for a fun and illuminating way to promote campus safety, featuring a vibrant, nighttime run with glow sticks and safety tips along the route! Open all students, faculty, and staff. Meet at the Beaujolais Meeting Room to get your glow in that dark accessories on before taking off on the course.
SSU Big Blue Weekend
Get ready to ignite the vibrant spirit of our campus during the inaugural BIG BLUE WEEKEND: THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE SSU, taking place from October 4-6! Together, Associated Students, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Alumni Relations and Athletics have joined forces to package a spectacular lineup of events, all culminating in one unforgettable weekend of celebration at SSU. This is more than just an event—it’s a chance for us to engage our students, welcome parents, connect with our community, and honor our alumni. The full line up of events can be found on the Big Blue Weekend website.
Coming Soon: CSUBuy Procure to Pay
As part of our ongoing effort to participate in the CSU’s Multicampus Collaboration efforts, Sonoma State will be launching CSUBUY Procure to Pay (P2P) at the campus in November 2024. CSUBUY P2P will transform the way we do business with our vendors – from the procurement of goods and services, to the payment of invoices. Among the many benefits of this web based solution, CSUBUY P2P initiative will enable new processes and tools to automate the ordering of goods and services, confirmation of the receipt of those goods and services, and the review and payment of vendor invoices. It will increase the visibility of our spending at a product and vendor level, enabling our operations and finance teams to make better informed decisions on a daily basis. Some of the CSUBUY features that are currently utilized within our procurement and accounts payable departments include strategic sourcing, spend analytics, and a shared marketplace.
This past month, SSU's core implementation team joined the Chancellor's Office, Cal Poly Humboldt, and CSU San Marcos at a CSUBuy configuration workshop in San Marcos to prepare for the launch at SSU and learn how to best support our campus and vendors through the process. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new system!
How Flexibility Fuels Evolution
Our campus ticketing system, AudienceView Unlimited, recently published a case study highlighting the Sonoma State University Box Office. The SSU Box Office has used AudienceView Unlimited for the past 12 years to power their ticket sales and distribution, leveraging the technology of the system to provide a better experience for their customers and campus community. Check out the case study to learn more about how Associate Director for Entrepreneurial Activities, Megan Christensen, and her team are using data to make smarter decisions and provide the best guest experience possible!
Anniversaries & New Hires!
Welcomed to SSU in August
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Michael Boots | Maintenance |
| Michael Wells | Maintenance |
Celebrated Anniversaries in August
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Ian Carlson | IT Web Services |
| Mariana Hernandez | Kitchens |
| Christopher Corwin | Workstation Security & Services |
| Abbie Davis | Enterprise Infrastructure Services |
| Sadie Pettit | IT Project Management Office |
| Jenna Spolarich | Student Center Operations |
| Kelsey Moss | Office of the VP for A&F |
| Aremi Cruz | Talent Acquisition & Workforce Administration |
| Samuel Gordon | Enterprise Applications |
| Vyacheslav Fedotov | Operations & Engineering |
| Yolanda Ruiz | Housekeeping |
| Maria Bernabe Chavez | Kitchens |
| Whitney Mcdowell | Financial Aid |
| Robert Cunningham | Landscaping |
| Carson Williams | Financial Aid |
| Holly Galbraith | Kitchens |
| Laura Lupei | University Budget & Planning |
| Susan Gutierrez | Financial Services |
| Neil Markley | Entrepreneurial Activities |
| Nicole Hendry | Facilities Administration |