Sonoma State University

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Dear Campus Community,

As I have mentioned before, it’s an exciting time to be at Sonoma State University. Thanks to the concerted efforts of faculty and staff, over the past few months we’ve preserved academic programs once slated for closure, grown our dual enrollment and guaranteed admissions programs, kicked off a campus vibrancy project that will add student-centered amenities and resources this fall, and announced a major upgrade to Nichols Hall that will yield a state-of-the-art facility for nursing students, faculty, and staff. We graduated nearly 2,000 successful students during May’s Commencement ceremonies, new programs are in the offing, and our communities and alumni are freshly energized and optimistic about the future of a reimagined Sonoma State University.

Today I am pleased to announce the latest exciting step in this reimagining of our campus: the launch of NCAA Division II athletics, beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. After five months of research and discussion, a diverse group of community stakeholders, former coaches, campus staff, and faculty members called the Athletics Fiscal Feasibility Team presented three scenarios for the future of Seawolf athletics on June 15. Of the three scenarios, the university is opting for what is described as the “Base Case,” which includes 10 sports:

  • Women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball
  • Men’s basketball, cross country, golf, and soccer

Membership in NCAA and CCAA Division II athletics requires a minimum of 10 sports. The committee used the Athletics Task Force Report from January 2026 as a guiding document to determine this mix of programs.

These programs are anticipated to generate broad community interest and philanthropic and spectator engagement, and will be sustainable through a combination of student fees; tuition revenue from new student athletes; significant fundraising and sponsorships; sports camp and use fees for SSU facilities; and direct institutional support, including SSU Commitment funding provided by the state of California in 2025.

More information about this latest step forward for SSU is available in the Athletics Fiscal Feasibility Team’s executive summary, these FAQs, and Sonoma State’s news release. I also welcome your ideas and suggestions — please send them to ssuathletics@sonoma.edu.

My thanks to the Fiscal Feasibility Team and its co chairs, Drs. Gerald Jones and Rob Eyler, and to the entire Sonoma State community for its ongoing work reimagining the university to best serve current students, prospective students, alumni, and everyone who considers SSU part of their lives.

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Dear Campus Colleagues,

Dear Campus Colleagues,

February 15, 2023
 
 
Dear Campus Community,
 

Dear Campus Community,

Dear Campus Community,

And so, we meet again, presumably out of the proverbial woods with fire season officially at an end, but with winter already moving in with rain and wind and colder weather. This past month has been predictably busy, not only with the daily operations of a major university, especially with our current budget issues, but also with meetings, events, and tours I have had the privilege of attending. 

What a difference a month makes! When I prepared my greetings last month, the campus was settling into its fall swing, while I began to settle into my new role in the SSU community. Now, almost two months into the semester, as the temperatures cool and our work heats up, everything seems to be moving just as it should be. I feel fully welcomed into the Seawolf community, and am very optimistic about our collective future.

Dear Campus Community,

Despite the intense heat in Rohnert Park right now, it is, indeed, fall semester at SSU, with all of the fanfare and activity I associate with a robust and vibrant campus life. Which, given the past several years, is more than a simple observation – it is a statement of gratitude and hope.

Dear Sonoma State Campus Community,

I am truly honored to begin my journey today as interim president of Sonoma State University. 

As a first-generation college graduate, I know firsthand how the value of a college degree can transform the life trajectory of a student, their family, and the extended community – oftentimes for generations.

Dear Campus Community, 

Dear Campus Community, 

As we finish the fall semester and many of you prepare to head home for the holidays, I am filled with appreciation for the perseverance, flexibility, and spirit of community you have shown during a time that still feels far from normal. Our Seawolf community is resilient and wonderfully resourceful, and I know that together we will continue to create a path forward.