SF State marks new year at Opening Convocation

At annual welcome event for faculty and staff, President Mahoney discusses protests, new buildings on campus 

San Francisco State University celebrated the beginning of the 2024 – 2025 academic year with its traditional Opening Convocation ceremony for faculty and staff on Thursday, Aug. 22. It took place in the University’s McKenna Theatre and was streamed online.  

In her annual address on the state of the University, San Francisco State President Lynn Mahoney said she is proud of the campus community for working together in the spring semester to “support student activism and keep our campus safe and operational.” An encampment on the Quad by pro-Palestinian student protestors ended after two weeks in an agreement with the University to work together to explore ways to limit investments in companies who profit from weapons manufacturing and commit to investments which advance human rights while providing greater transparency around all investments. The SFSU Foundation will post extensive information to its website on its investments. 

“In the spirit of academic freedom — something that’s constantly under threat these days — and free speech, let’s conduct ourselves peacefully,” Mahoney said. “We need not be silent. We should not be silent. But we must allow others to speak. We meet speech with more speech and with supportive services.”  

Mahoney’s remarks also highlighted the two new buildings opening this fall at SF State: the West Grove Commons, a 751-bed residence hall for first-year students, and the Science & Engineering Innovation Center, a 125,000-square-foot building equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and labs. 

Other speakers included Academic Senate Chair Jackson Wilson, California Faculty Association chapter President Brad Erickson, CSU Employees Union chapter President Christine Hintermann, Staff Council President Dylan Mooney, Associated Students President Brandon Foley and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Amy Sueyoshi. In addition, SF State administrators introduced 29 new tenure-track faculty members joining the University this year. 

Convocation also featured an awards ceremony honoring distinguished faculty and staff, presented by Mary Huss, board chair of the SFSU Foundation. This year’s winners:   

• Excellence in Teaching (Tenured): Nick Sousanis, Liberal Studies 
• Excellence in Teaching (Lecturer): Duc Ta, Computer Science 
• Excellence in Professional Achievement (Tenured): David Peña-Guzmán, Humanities and Comparative and World Literature 
• Excellence in Service (Tenured): Falu Bakrania, Race and Resistance Studies 
• Excellence in Service (Staff): Darleen Franklin, Biology 

Visit the Academic Senate website to learn more about the Opening Convocation.