Optimism, Restoration Punctuate President’s Welcome Address

In her first appearance in front of the Stanislaus State community, new President Britt Rios-Ellis invited a packed Snider Hall and an online audience to join her in the work to be done together to meet the University's goals during her Fall Welcome Address on Monday morning.

Backed by her primary values of legacy and integrity, Rios-Ellis spoke of a listening tour of the University and broader communities, and of continuing the University's mission and commitment as a Hispanic Serving Institute and serving a population of first-generation students.

"This year, we will collectively embark on establishing our strategic priorities through listening and working sessions, focus groups, and other activities," Rios-Ellis said, as an invitation to all. "Together, we will create a powerful foundation at both our Turlock and Stockton campuses to make certain Stan State students have a strong sense of belonging and access to the support and opportunities they need to thrive. I look forward to working with all of you.

"Our priorities for the coming year will include developing a new strategic plan with student success at the helm of our efforts. This plan will coalesce enrollment and retention and focus on budget realignment and diversification of revenue to ensure that our students have an experience replete with high impact practices grounded in community engagement.

"I believe strongly that our collective purpose is to make sure that our beloved University can shine brighter than ever."

President Britt Rios-Ellis

Providing experiential learning and internships, already significant, were cited as a means to expanding that engagement.

Rios-Ellis noted how faculty and staff already are greatly supportive of student success.

"Our students are facing not only a much more complex society," she said. "We all were blessed enough to live through the pandemic, and I believe strongly that our collective purpose is to make sure that our beloved University can shine brighter than ever."

Rios-Ellis noted "we are educating the new majority" and sharing the story of one-such student, recent graduate Simeon Zaragoza, inspired one-of-five spontaneous eruptions of thunderous applause.

Zaragoza, a Turlock product, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in communication studies and was accepted to six prestigious universities, with scholarship offers, to pursue his Master of Public Health. He chose the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.

"Simeon's success highlights the exceptional opportunities and support our University provides to propel students into a very bright future," Rios-Ellis said.

Realizing that objective is paramount and obtainable but not without challenges.

Stan State is still recovering from the pandemic in rebuilding its population back to 10,000 students, falling to fewer than 8,000.

Additionally, Rios-Ellis said, relying on funding from the state is no longer a sustainable strategy. Diverse external resources are more critical.

The number of individual donors increased to 720, including almost 250 alumni during the 2023-24 academic year, but the goal of $2 million was not met.

"With key roles like our alumni engagement director and prospect researcher filled, we are poised to take the next step," Rios-Ellis said. "Our goal this year is to involve 1,000 total donors and build alumni donors to 300 while creating corporate and foundation partnerships to fortify our region and achieve our goal of $2.5 million.

"This is where we need your support. Help us spread the message that together, we can create a lasting culture of giving on our campus. When you give, you are investing in the dreams and aspirations of our students, fostering success and creating opportunities that change lives."

Her outreach for financial support drew applause.

The opportunities to change lives exist both on the Turlock and Stockton campuses, and Rios-Ellis gave a shout out to the work of Stockton Campus Dean Sarah Sweitzer and Stockton Campus Dean of Students Amy McKinney, backed by a video of Stockton and its campus.

Enrollment in Stockton grew nearly 29 percent, which also drew applause.

"This year we will explore how we can optimize our Stockton Campus' strategic location," Rios-Ellis said. "As a hub in the midst of education and health and human services partners, and with a new building coming online in fall 2025, make no mistake: Our efforts will extend prosperity on all fronts in San Joaquin County and beyond."

Later, in response to a question, Rios-Ellis said attention will be paid to increasing graduate studies programs, both in Stockton and Turlock.

Stan State's 13th president is bilingual, and for more than 30 years in higher education has demonstrated an unwavering belief in the transformative power of higher education and a deep commitment to student success, diversity and community engagement. Her first role in the California State University system was at Cal State Long Beach, where she was a professor of health sciences and the founding director of the Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training and the community-based Centro Salud es Cultura, an applied research center strengthened by community outreach and programming.

As she approaches her first year as University president, Rios-Ellis does so with a restorative purpose.

"In every way, I see our mission as one closely linked with restoration," she said. "It is restorative in terms of educating students to thrive in an increasingly challenging and complex world; restorative in terms of catalyzing opportunities that our students' families could not access or were historically denied; restorative as we intentionally strive to ensure that liberty and justice for all is both equitable and plentiful on our campuses and throughout the Central Valley.

"On these native lands, let's build a restorative campus where we can all learn and flourish and where students of all ages and walks of life are supported and nourished. I want us all to call ourselves to the mission of something great: and that something is Stan State."

"On these native lands, let's build a restorative campus where we can all learn and flourish and where students of all ages and walks of life are supported and nourished. I want us all to call ourselves to the mission of something great: and that something is Stan State."

President Britt Rios-Ellis

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