​To All Members of the Campus Community:
 
On May 16, there will be an opportunity for students in some colleges to obtain unclaimed tickets to Spring Commencement. At 10 p.m. on that day, students in those colleges will be able to log in and request additional tickets. A message will go out in advance to students that will detail where to go to request the additional tickets.

While I know that this will be a blessing to some students who are able to get additional tickets, I also understand that there will be other students in colleges that do not have extra tickets available who will be left disappointed. I know that each of you wants all of your friends and family to be there to celebrate this most important day. 

We are graduating the largest class of Hornets in Sacramento State history – a momentous achievement. With that achievement comes an estimated 50,000 people who will be in attendance over a two-day period. I look forward to seeing you at Commencement and celebrating your graduation day at Golden 1 Center!

Sincerely,

Robert S. Nelsen

​To All Members of the Campus Community:

 Did you know that an estimated one in four adults lives with a diagnosable mental health disorder? Almost one-third of all college students report having felt so depressed that they had trouble functioning. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students, claiming the lives of 1,100 students each year. Sadly, 80 percent to 90 percent of college students who die by suicide did not seek help from their college counseling centers (Active Minds, 2016).

Sacramento State’s Active Minds Chapter and Student Health and Counseling Services have teamed up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to host our sixth annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Sacramento State at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, starting on The WELL lawn. I am hoping that students, organizations, departments, faculty, staff, and community members will take this opportunity to come together to help raise awareness of suicide prevention.

As a Hornet Family, let’s join one another not only to remember and honor those whose lives have been lost to suicide, but also to raise awareness about the topic of suicide so that no student ever feels alone or is afraid to seek services. Together, we can bring these numbers down and be the difference in creating a safer, more inclusive community.

Register for free at Sac State Out of the Darkness Walk 2017. For more information or any questions, please email Jennifer Burton at jennifer.burton@csus.edu.

Sincerely,

Robert S. Nelsen

To All Members of the Campus Community:

In light of President Trump’s recent executive orders on increased border security and stricter enforcement of immigration laws, I would like to remind all students, staff, faculty, and administrators of the resources available at the Dreamer Resource Center (DRC) at Sacramento State to undocumented students and students from mixed-status families. I strongly encourage the campus community to utilize the DRC and familiarize themselves with the center and its multidimensional programming. We must take care of and support one another.

The DRC is designed to help make the dream of a college degree a reality for undocumented students and students from mixed-status families. The DRC offers programs and services that help students overcome the unique challenges that get in the way of achieving academic, personal, and professional excellence. DRC events are open to campus and community members. 

Amongst its different services, the DRC hosts ongoing immigration briefings and consultations presented by attorneys from the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CFLAF). The foundation makes presentations on know-your-rights, naturalization, and citizenship; updates on new executive orders; Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); and other changes enacted by the new administration. The briefings are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month (March 27, April 10 and 24, and May 8) from noon to 2 p.m. in the River Front Center, Room 1027. CRLAF is available for drop-in immigration legal consultations on the first and third Monday of each month (March 20, April 3 and 17, and May 1 and 15) from noon to 2 p.m. in the River Front Center, Room 1027. The DRC calendar is available here.

The DRC also offers ongoing Dreamer Ally Trainings, which provide an overview of federal and state policies that impact undocumented students on a day-to-day basis, the unique conditions experienced by these students, activities to better understand the needs of this population, and tools to become allies and ultimately advocates for undocumented students and students with mixed-status families. Attendees receive a Dreamer Ally decal upon completion of the training. To RSVP for the next training on Thursday, March 30, at 2 p.m., please visit https://springdreamerallytraining.eventbrite.com. I highly encourage all staff, faculty, administrators, and students to attend a Dreamer Ally Training. 

I also want to remind the Sacramento State community that we are aligned with and committed to Chancellor Timothy P. White’s statement: 

“The California State University is committed to being an inclusive and welcoming institution of higher education that is enhanced by our global community. As such, we will continue to make every lawful effort to provide a safe and welcoming campus environment for all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of our community. 

“Our university policy departments will not honor immigration hold requests, and our university police will not contact, detain, question, or arrest individuals solely on the basis of being – or suspected of being – a person who lacks documentation.”   

In the event of being approached by federal officials on campus, please contact the Sacramento State Police Department. If approached outside of campus, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) provides advice on its website. 
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I again highly encourage students, faculty, and staff alike to become acquainted with the programming the DRC offers so we can all do our part to help support undocumented students and students from mixed-status families. As I have mentioned before, we are a Hornet Family and are committed to ensuring that our undocumented, international, and DACA students can continue their studies without fear. This commitment extends to all of our students, regardless of political persuasion, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, disability, religion, sexual identity, nationality, or documentation status. 
As always, we must band together to support one another.

Sincerely,

Robert S. Nelsen