News and Announcements
Award-winning actor and alumnus Delroy Lindo (B.A., ’04) will deliver this year’s keynote address at SFSU’s 125th Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 21. Lindo was chosen to receive an honorary doctorate degree, along with four others. The other recipients are artist, activist and educator Juana Alicia; pioneering Bay Area broadcast journalist Wendy Tokuda; and journalist, activist and theatrical producer Jose Antonio Vargas (B.A., ’04).
The University will celebrate their many accomplishments and those of the thousands of graduating students. The University anticipates a crowd of nearly 30,000 family members and friends celebrating their graduates. Doors at Oracle Park will open at 1 p.m. The graduate procession begins at 3 p.m. The ceremony is estimated to conclude around 7 p.m.
Can’t make it in person? The entire ceremony will be streamed live. A link to the livestream will be available at the Commencement website closer to the date of Commencement. During the ceremony, live updates and photos will be posted to the University’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Graduates and guests can tag their Commencement posts on social media using the hashtag #SFSU2026.
Read the SFSU News story to learn more about the honorees at Commencement.
The SFSU Electronic Signatures Program transition to Adobe Sign is nearly complete, and most University processes have moved from DocuSign to Adobe Sign. Please visit the Migrated Processes page for the full list of forms.
Please download and store all completed DocuSign transactions in an approved University system by Tuesday, June 30. This is especially important for departments with records retention responsibilities.
For records retention compliance information, please visit the Quality Assurance website or email policies@sfsu.edu. For help with Adobe Sign or transitioning processes, please email the Quality Assurance team at qateam@sfsu.edu.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) is excited to host a teaching and learning symposium titled “Human-Centered AI in the Classroom: Student and Faculty Voices” on Friday, May 1, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., via Zoom. All CSU faculty and staff are welcome.
Panelists representing campuses from across the CSU system will provide lightning presentations on how they have addressed emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in their classrooms. The presentations will emphasize instructor reflections on successes and challenges; faculty efforts to investigate students’ perspectives on AI and learning; faculty decision-making process when it comes to integrating or resisting generative AI in the classroom.
The San Francisco Federal Credit Union, our campus financial partner, now offers GoGreen Financing through the state of California. Members can use this program to make energy efficient home upgrades more affordable. Eligible projects include updating heat pumps, HVAC systems, insulation, windows and Energy Star appliances and adding solar paired with battery storage.
SFSU’s 125th Commencement ceremony returns to Oracle Park in San Francisco on Thursday, May 21. We expect a larger crowd than last year to attend. Graduates, families and members of the SFSU community will come together for a truly special day. With more people in attendance, faculty support will be essential in helping the event run smoothly. The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 5.
The University invites faculty to serve as faculty marshals and play an important role in guiding graduates as they reach this meaningful milestone. Serving as a marshal is an excellent way to support the graduation ceremony.
For 2026, the ceremony has been moved up by two hours. As a result, faculty marshal shifts will end significantly earlier than in previous years. Faculty marshals will be scheduled 1:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., rather than until 9:30 p.m.
All faculty marshals are asked to attend an informational training on Monday, May 18, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., via Zoom for their assignment.
Many assignments involve large amounts of walking and standing. If you require accommodations, please indicate your needs on the sign-up form under “Questions or requests.”
For questions or more information, please email Ken Maeshiro at kmaeshir@sfsu.edu.
We expect an even larger crowd than last year, with more graduates — and more friends and family members — joining us for Commencement at Oracle Park on Thursday, May 21. To help make this graduation ceremony truly unforgettable for everyone in attendance, SFSU needs your support. With the registration deadline of Tuesday, May 5, quickly approaching, we invite you to sign up as a Commencement ambassador. Your participation brings this celebration to life and helps create an outstanding experience for our graduates and their loved ones.
For 2026, the ceremony has been moved up by two hours. As a result, ambassador shifts will end significantly earlier than in previous years. Ambassadors will be scheduled 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., rather than until 9:30 p.m.
All ambassadors are asked to receive approval from their supervisor and attend an informational training on Monday, May 18, 10 – 11 a.m., via Zoom, for their assignment.
Many assignments involve large amounts of walking and standing. If you require accommodations, please indicate your needs on the sign-up form under “Questions or requests.”
The University thanks you for helping make Commencement a special experience for our graduating students and their families.
For questions, please email Dania Russell at drussell@sfsu.edu.
Make your graduate’s Commencement unforgettable. The deadline to purchase a scoreboard message is Friday, May 1, so be sure to purchase one before they’re gone.
Please visit the Alumni Association website to purchase a scoreboard message to your 2026 graduate.
This is the last week for students to complete the National College Health Assessment, an opportunity for students to make an impact on campus by contributing to the development of new wellness programs and services. The survey is administered every two to three years and covers a wide range of topics including mental health, sexual health, substance use, basic needs and sexual violence.
On April 15, students randomly selected to participate in the survey were sent an email invitation from Dai To, associate vice president of Disability Access and Student Well-being. All students who complete a survey before the Sunday, May 3, deadline will be automatically entered in a random opportunity drawing for:
- Three SFSU tuition payments (worth $1,000 each)
- 25 Amazon gift cards (worth $100 each)
- Two MacBook Neos (256 gigabytes)
The SFSU Academic Senate met on Tuesday, April 21, via Zoom.
The Senate:
Presented the following informational items:
- Department Merger: Global Business and Decision Intelligence
- Master of Arts in Comparative Literature: suspension
- Bachelor of Arts in Humanities: suspension
- Minor in Humanities: suspension
- Bachelor of Arts in American Studies: suspension
- Minor in American Studies: suspension
- Certificate in Information Technology Auditing: suspension
Adopted by general consent the following item:
- Policy on Withdrawal from Courses, No. S20-196
Passed the following items:
- San Francisco State University Academic Senate Endorsement of the Current University Administration’s Exploration of Campus Pouring Rights
- Policy Requirements for Graduate Students, No. F25-295
- Graduate Curriculum and Programs Policy, No. S22-300
- Graduate Student Awards for Distinguished Achievement, No. S07-032
- Retention, Tenure and Promotion Policy, No. S25-241
- Affirmation of Support for Minority Serving Institutions
- Resolution on Institutional Oversight, Bias Mitigation, and Administrative Practices for Student Course Feedback Processes at San Francisco State University
- Administration and Processing of Student Course Feedback Forms, No. S22-213
Heard in first reading:
- Bachelor of Arts in Classics: discontinuation
- Master of Arts in Classics: discontinuation
- Policy of Restructuring Academic Units, No. S25-290
- Policy on Abrasive Behavior/Bullying
- Department Chair and Equivalent Unit Director Policy, No. F25-145
- Policy on Student College Advisory Committee
Heard presentation:
- Andrew Roderick, associate vice president of Academic Technology: “Canvas Accesibility”
The Senate will hear in first reading at its next plenary on Tuesday, May 5:
- Grade Appeal Practices and Procedures, No. F24-230
- Resolution Condemning Attacks of Civilian Infrastructure and Affirming Commitment to International Humanitarian Law
Join the School of Fine Arts in the Fine Arts Gallery (Fine Arts 238) to celebrate the work of MFA candidates England Hidalgo, Evie Hidysmith, Brennan Lynch, Camila Michaliszyn, Mónica Crystal Ocegueda and Mary Lou Grace Robison. The “If This World Were Mine” exhibition opened April 24 and will be open through Thursday, May 14.
Gallery hours are Tuesdays – Fridays, noon – 4 p.m. There will be a reception and graduate open studios on Saturday, May 9, noon – 4 p.m.
In-gallery artist talks:
- Thursday, April 30, 12:10 p.m.: Brennan Lynch
- Thursday, April 30, 12:30 p.m.: Evie Hidysmith
- Thursday, May 7, 12:10 p.m.: Mary Lou Grace Robison
- Thursday, May 7, 12:30 p.m.: Mónica Crystal Ocegueda
- Thursday, May 14, 12:10 p.m.: England Hidalgo
- Thursday, May 14, 12:30 p.m.: Camila Michaliszyn
Visit the Fine Arts Gallery website to view a PDF catalog with essays by Lesdi C. Goussen Robleto.
Students from the Apparel Design and Merchandising program present their semester-long research project in an exhibit titled “Uggs, Vans and Doc Martens.” The exhibition is in the J. Paul Leonard Library on the first floor by the circulation desk. It opened April 21 and will run through Monday, May 18.
“Hannah Montana” co-creator Michael Poryes has been named the Peter and Rosemary Casey Executive Fellow for spring 2026. All are invited to “A Conversation with Michael Poryes: The Creative Career in the Age of AI” on Tuesday, April 28, 3:30 – 4:45 p.m., in Marcus Hall 224.
The generous support of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts alumni Peter and Rosemary Casey established the Peter and Rosemary Casey Executive Fellow program. Casey pursued a career in television writing rising to co-create and co-produce the hit show “Frasier.”
Poryes’ credits include co-creating and co-producing the television shows “Hannah Montana,” “That’s So Raven” and “Raven’s Home.”
SF State Rep presents “Antigone” by Sophocles (translated by Ben Roy, Bliss Perry, Alejandro Quintana, Sam Puopolo, Benji Ho and Sasha Baris) on Monday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 29, at 4 p.m. in the Little Theatre (Creative Arts 107). “Antigone” is a Greek tragedy from the perspective of Oedipus’ daughter Antigone.
As Antigone struggles to fulfill her moral duty, she must also confront the authority, Creon, King of Thebes, who seeks to punish anyone who disobeys him and stands as a formidable obstacle between her and her beliefs. She fights to confer burial rights for her brother — who Creon deems a traitor — and she is confronted with the painful choice of obeying the laws of the state or honoring the moral laws of the gods. To Antigone, she is righteous in her acts against Creon. To Creon, she represents its ruination.
In a world grappling with questions of justice, loyalty and moral courage, “Antigone” remains as defiant and necessary as ever. This production invites audiences not only to witness a heartbreaking tragedy, but to confront the timeless question at its heart: When the law is unjust, do you dare to stand against it?
“Antigone” is part of the School of Theatre and Dance’s spring 2026 semester of shows. SF State Rep is a student-operated theatre company.
Join Professors Omar Zahzah and Will Clark with Mejdulene Shomali in a discussion of queer Arab literature and the practice of critique on Tuesday, April 28, at 2 p.m. in Humanities 408. In conversation, we focus on axes of queer and Arab identities, “which are both individually and intersectionality threatened in new ways in addition to being weaponized to legitimize Palestinian genocide and anti-Arab erasure vis-a-vis imperial and homonationalist rhetorics.” Shomali discusses her book, “Beyond Banat,” and how it provides a theory of critique to the intersection of Arab and queer.
Throughout the event, students and colleagues are invited to join a larger conversation on queerness, Arabness and identity as they are mediated in literature and our society during a period of global crisis.
This event is hosted by the departments of English Language and Literature and Race and Resistance Studies and the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program.
Are there students in your classes interested in majoring or minoring in any of our degree programs in the College of Ethnic Studies? We’d love for those students to stop by our College open house and learn more about our majors, minors and master’s programs on Wednesday, April 29, 12:30 – 2 p.m., in Ethnic Studies/Psychology 116. Faculty are welcome to attend as well.
Degrees offered
Bachelor of Arts
- Africana Studies
- American Indian Studies
- Asian American Studies
- Latina/Latino Studies
- Race and Resistance Studies
- Race, Ethnicity and Health
Minor programs
- Africana Studies
- American Indian Studies
- Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies
- Asian American Studies
- Critical Mixed Race Studies
- Critical Pacific Islands and Oceania Studies
- Latina/Latino Studies
- Queer and Trans Ethnic Studies
- Race and Resistance Studies
Master of Arts
- Asian American Studies
- Ethnic Studies
The Digital Media Studio and MakerSpace hosts “Analog Days” events Wednesday, April 29, –Friday, May 1, 1 — 5 p.m., in Library 260.
Explore vintage technology, including film, photography and music equipment. Gain hands-on experience with retro equipment and learn about technology of the recent past.
Attend a free screening of “Standing Above the Clouds” and Q&A with producer Amber Espinosa-Jones on Thursday, April 30, 4 – 6 p.m., in Burk Hall 28. Light refreshments will be served.
In the one-hour, 25-minute documentary, Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists stand to protect their sacred mountain Mauna Kea from the building of the Thirty Meter Telescope.
This event is sponsored by Climate HQ, Asian American Studies, Critical Pacific Islands and Oceanic Studies, the Oceanic Scholars Program and Asian American Collective Action for Racial Equity and Solidarity.
In honor of Foster Care Awareness Month, please join the Guardian Scholars Program’s student ambassadors for the “Foster Care Awareness Lunch and Learn” event on Friday, May 1, noon – 1 p.m., in Library 286 and via Zoom. Learn about the foster care system and how to support foster youth educational goals. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
The Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CEETL) has acquired free tickets to take faculty and staff to the Exploratorium on Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Join us to experience science, art and human perception come together through engaging, hands-on exhibits. Connect with colleagues and spark fresh ideas for teaching and learning in a playful, creative environment.
The Exploratorium is located on Pier 15 in San Francisco.
Please RSVP via Qualtrics for the outing to the Exploratorium.
Join Michelle Parra and her research team for “Estar De Moda: Latina Immigrant Girl's and Women's Aesthetics,” an art exhibit that celebrates the fashion aesthetics of low-income Latina immigrant girls and women. It takes place Monday, May 4, 4 – 6 p.m., in the Student Center’s University Club.
Various images will be displayed throughout the room, and the research team will give a presentation starting at 4:30 p.m. to provide the audience with background information on the art.
The College of Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Research Symposium celebrates undergraduates’ remarkable contributions to research and other creative work on various topics. This event will include poster presentations, “fast talks” and creative expressions. It takes place Wednesday, May 6, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., in Library 121.
Philosophy Lecturer Faculty Kimbrough Moore will present “AI in the Classroom: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” on Wednesday, May 6, 4 – 6 p.m., in Humanities 587. The talk will be followed by a Q&A and a reception. All are welcome.
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology in education, but this doesn’t mean the effects are all good. An earthquake can also be transformative. This talk will share preliminary lessons from ongoing SFSU projects on AI in the classroom. While there is no general use case in which AI is unequivocally helpful for teaching, faculty have been creative in finding ways of incorporating AI into their curriculum, both as a tool and as an object of critical analysis.
The English Language and Literature Department would like to invite you to the English Department Graduate Student Conference. It will be held Friday, May 8, 9:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., on the fourth floor of the Humanities building.
Each semester, the department hosts this event to showcase the work of our MA students, representing the disciplines in our graduate programs: the M.A. in English (Composition, Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and the M.A. in Literatures.
Join SavingsPlus for “Nearing Retirement within Five years with a 401k or 457b,” a virtual webinar on Friday, May 8, 11 a.m. – noon. Explore tools and resources to support your retirement, learn the process of deferring your lump sum separation pay from unused vacation time at retirement, understand what happens to your account after you separate, and explore withdrawal options and tax withholding on distributions.
Human Resources will host the last Staff Forum of the semester on Wednesday, May 13, 11 a.m. – noon, via Zoom. All SFSU staff, except management personnel plan employees and faculty, are encouraged to attend to keep up on SFSU happenings.
This Staff Forum includes remarks from President Lynn Mahoney and updates about the San Francisco Bay Regional Network, AdobeSign, 25Live and Human Resources.
Each spring semester the Health Equity Institute (HEI) pairs graduate students with faculty mentors to collaborate on health equity research projects. This semester six HEI student scholars will present their contributions in a research poster that highlights key insights from their experience and findings. The showcase will take place Thursday, May 14, 3:45 – 5 p.m., in Burk Hall 410. Refreshments will be provided.
Please RSVP via Google Forms for the Health Equity Student Scholar Research Showcase.
Join SFSU alumni and friends in their longstanding tradition: the summer getaway to the Sierra Nevada Field Campus (SNFC), Friday, July 31 – Sunday, Aug. 2. SNFC is located at 35400 Highway 49 in Calpine. The adventurous weekend will include hiking, campfires, stargazing and other scheduled activities.
Bring your little Gators — This trip is family-friendly! Come explore one of the most beautiful and wild regions of the northern Sierra Nevada. Space is limited.
Staying at the SNFC is an all-inclusive experience with camping, all meals and hot showers. You can stay in your own tent or vehicle or one of our SNFC platform tents. Each platform tent has two beds with mattresses and fitted sheets. While we make an effort to give people their own tents when space provides, you may be paired up with one other visitor during your stay. You may request a tent mate during registration.
The cost to attend is $250 per person with SNFC tent and cost provided. If you bring your own tent, the cost to attend is $200 per person. The cost for children 12 and under is $100. The cost includes all meals at the Field Campus dining hall and all classes and outings.
Visit the Alumni Association’s Flickr account to view photos from the 2025 Camping Trip.
For more information or questions, please email Marciana Flores at mfloresa@sfsu.edu.
SFSU Spotlight
Professor of Asian American Studies Jonathan Lee recently published an essay in the German publication Südostasien on the shifting ideals of masculinity in Cambodia and Laos. It explores pre-colonial, colonial and contemporary concepts of masculinity and argues that “traditional” masculine ideals are being reintroduced in Cambodia, Laos and the diaspora by queer men.
Asian American Studies Professor Valerie Soe has a new documentary premiering at CAAMfest in San Francisco on Sunday, May 10, at 4:30 p.m. “The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook” looks at a group of mostly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) women volunteers who sewed and donated facemasks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to counter the federal government’s failure to protect vulnerable communities. The “Aunties” support allyship, feminism and destroying white supremacy, one mask at a time.
Valerie Saul taught audiology courses in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from 2002 to 2005. She has just published her first mystery novel, “Badass Widows” (Sibylline Press). The backdrop for the novel is the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily Marin County.