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Cal State Long Beach opened the academic year by appealing to the campus community to be resolute in the pursuit of achievement while adhering to an ethos of public service, understanding and respect.

“You can say what you mean and you can mean what you say, but it’s a choice whether you say it mean,” said Convocation 2024’s keynote speaker, Loretta J. Ross, a reproductive rights advocate and Smith College faculty member. “Don’t pretend it’s not.”

Convocation is the ceremonial start of the academic year, taking place days before students return to campus for months of study, discovery and socializing. Beach leaders selected “Calling In: Pluralism and Joy” as the theme for this year's event. Ross, President Jane Close Conoley and Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn reinforced each other’s affirmations of diversity, empathy and mutual respect while addressing faculty, staff and students Aug. 23 at the

By doing so, Ross and campus leaders sought to establish a tone for the coming academic year. Although international conflicts – notably the Israel-Hamas War – and a rancorous domestic political climate can arouse emotions that run contrary to the ideals of inclusive excellence, The Beach is strong enough to sustain a harmonious community.

“We can most certainly control how we treat each other,” Conoley said. “I know we can learn to live with others of different faiths or belief systems and use our freedoms in ways that do not limit the freedoms of others.”

'Calling in' versus 'calling out'

Ross, a lifelong activist, recounted being surprised by how easy it is for people to be mean to each other over social media when they would not likely be so brash in a face-to-face interaction. This motivated her to write the forthcoming “Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel.”

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Using the term “calling in” as a counterpoint to the often digitally enabled forms of public shaming known as “calling out” or outright cancellation, Ross put forth that anyone who is trying to change minds is not going to be very successful if they are simply trying to deal out negative consequences instead of attempting meaningful engagement.

"We can seek accountability through love and respect better than we can seek it through anger and disrespect,” Ross continued. “Guess what? If people have made a mistake and they think that they’re going to be reamed out for making that mistake, they’re going to run as fast as they can from accountability, because nobody runs to the firing squad.”

Also rejecting negativity, campus leaders emphasized campus’ value as an inviting place. Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn opened Convocation with the words “Welcome all, and I you know I mean that with a capital ‘A,’ capital ‘L,’ capital ‘L. Welcome all.”  

Scissum Gunn extended special greetings to President’s Scholars seated at the front of the theater, as well as Long Beach College Promise students watching remotely. Affirming students to be at the center of The Beach’s mission and values, she challenged listeners to imagine what kind of community they want to experience on campus.

"We believe in our compassion, we talked about that in kickoff last year, and in extending our selves to be our better selves to others,” Scissum Gunn said. “As such, we must commit to having conversations within and across our perspectives – making space for others to be heard and appreciated. None of us own a singular point of view on matters. After all, isn’t that what intrigues and feeds our curiosity in academia? Inclusive conversations and inclusive practices matter and are, in fact, vital in the academy.”

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Memorable accomplishments

Convocation’s primary focus on the coming academic year leaves room to celebrate recent accomplishments. Conoley reminded the Carpenter Center gathering of several highlights from the past academic year.  

For example, No Barriers concluded as the most successful philanthropic campaign in the campus’ 75-year history, raising more than $313 million. The past academic year was also a time to begin new projects, notably Beach XP for first-year enrollees and the Black Excellence Collegium and Black Student Success initiatives.

Students, faculty and staff also received several accolades over the previous academic year. As a supportive place for Latine students, the campus earned the Seal of Excelencia, athletes claimed six conference titles, the Bob Cole Conservatory Wind Symphony traveled to the nation’s capital for its first-ever performance at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Beach earned a full five-star rating from Money magazine and The School of Nursing earned the distinction of being singled out the state's best by RNcareers.org.

“We are worth working hard for,” Conoley said. “We’ve moved from a regional master’s comprehensive university to a national research-intensive university without abandoning our students, but by bringing them along with hundreds of opportunities for them to experience high impact educational practices, such as research with faculty members, paid internships, maker spaces, semester or yearlong assignments, fieldwork with faculty members, study abroad opportunities and service-learning placements to name just a few.”