Ensuring students are able to achieve academic success is one of the top priorities that Cal State Long Beach leaders have for the 2026-27 year as the university begins a new phase with its new president.
This vision was shared ahead of CSULB starting its academic year next week during the university’s annual convocation on Friday, Aug. 21, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. University leaders, including President Loren Blanchard and Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn, welcomed back faculty, staff, students and the campus community, while delivering their aspirations for the new school year.
The theme for this year’s convocation was “Rising with the Tide: A New Wave of Student Success at The Beach.” It means reflecting on the last 10 years’ efforts to support students’ timely graduation in equitable ways, learning from those accomplishments, and identifying what can be done to redefine student success, Scissum Gunn said.
CSULB’s convocation gives university leaders the opportunity to begin the new academic year celebrating accomplishments and looking at what lies ahead, Blanchard said. This was the university president’s first time delivering a speech at convocation.
Student success is personal to Blanchard, he said. The CSULB president shared his story about being a first-generation college graduate, and the importance of his parents’ support for his higher education journey.
“I know a bit about what it means to have people believe in you, even when it appears that the odds are not in your favor,” Blanchard said. “Creating an environment that supports student success has been and always will be paramount to me.”
Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn describes her vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
President Loren J. Blanchard describes his vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
President Loren J. Blanchard describes his vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn welcomes teachers, students and staff to CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Academic Senate Chair Neil Hultgren speaks during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
President Loren J. Blanchard describes his vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
ASI President Sonny Ciampa speaks during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Staff Council Chair Colleen Ryan speaks during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Staff Council Chair Colleen Ryan speaks during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
President Loren J. Blanchard describes his vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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Provost Karyn Scissum Gunn describes her vision for the upcoming academic year during CSULB’s 2026 Convocation in Long Beach on Friday, August 21, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Improving student success will require looking back at the university’s past success with Graduation Initiative 2025, Blanchard said. This is an initiative that Blanchard helped to implement across the California State University system to close equity gaps and support students to reach graduation.
Blanchard also highlighted the university’s mission, which is to enrich “the lives of its students and its surrounding community through globally informed, high-impact education experiences with superior teaching, research, creative activity and action for the public good,” according to the university’s website.
“Superior is a strong word, and I want to be clear about how I understand it,” Blanchard said. “Superior does not mean that we see ourselves as better than others, it does not mean institutional arrogance, it does not mean we rest on our reputation. To me, superior is a call to be better than the status quo. It is a standard of practice, responsibility, and service that we embody here at Cal State Long Beach, it represents our authentic edge.”
The CSULB president said that the Beach 2030 Strategic Plan continues to guide some of those visions for student success and continuing the university’s mission, but will also begin updating the strategic plan to continue meeting student needs.
During Blanchard’s speech, he was interrupted by a rally, which was organized by a coalition of CSU labor unions. The union members stood up from their seats and began chanting: “What do we want? A fair contract. When do we want it? Now.”
The rally was meant to bring attention to the current contract negotiations between CSU management and local unions such as California Faculty Association and Teamsters Local 2010. The CSULB faculty, staff and academic professionals said they are fighting for fair pay and better working conditions.
“Inside and outside the classroom, we deserve pay that keeps up with inflation, sustainable workloads, and compensation for research and service responsibilities that are part of our job evaluations, but currently go uncompensated,” CFA Long Beach Chapter Vice President Lily House-Peters said in a statement. “The CSU has billions of dollars in reserve, yet they have chosen time and again to fund the boardroom instead of the classroom.”
After the union members were escorted out of the building, Blanchard responded to their action.
“I respect the right for free expression,” he said.
Blanchard later said: “A student-focused university is created by people. Student success is not possible without the dedicated work of faculty and staff across this campus. No matter your role, your work matters to our students. You are vital to their success.”
Other university leaders also shared their goals for student success this academic year. Academic Senate Chair Neil Hultgren shared that one of the academic senate’s efforts would be to revise the campus’s syllabus policy so that it requires that faculty syllabi state expectations related to the use of artificial intelligence. Associated Students, Inc. President Sonny Ciampa also shared his priorities to supporting his fellow classmates with academic success, including a sense of belonging.
“I want every student to feel like they have a place here,” Ciampa said. “As we continue through the second year of the university’s student union closure, I want every student to know that a sense of belonging is not simply defined by one building. Whether through student organizations, campus traditions, ASI programs, simply finding community, every student deserves to know that they belong right here at Long Beach State.”
This year’s convocation ended with a breakdown of the new Student Success Framework, which established a clear and unified direction for student success across all CSU campuses, university leaders said, including at CSULB. The framework hopes to improve close equity gaps, strengthen career readiness, and advance society and social mobility for students.