The future looks bright for Cal State LA’s Class of 2026. Next week’s Commencement ceremonies at the historic Shrine Auditorium will place the spotlight on our graduates and the promising future that await them after they receive their diplomas.
Before we look ahead, let us take a quick glance back at the productive school year for Cal State LA, which President Berenecea Johnson Eanes recently described during her inaugural State of the University address at The Luckman.
“For almost 80 years, Cal State LA has been deeply rooted in Los Angeles,” she said. “We are the engine of social mobility. Diversity is our strength. At Cal State LA, dreams are not just imagined, they are realized. And each of you here today plays an important role in the success of our students. This past year, we didn’t just say ‘Empowering Dreams, Transforming Lives’—we lived it.”
President Eanes provided highlights from the past year in five key areas: Academic Affairs; Student Affairs; Enrollment Management; University Advancement; and Administration and Finance.
Academic Affairs: The Fulbright Program named Cal State LA a Fulbright Scholar Top Producing Institution, one of only four master’s institutions around the nation to be recognized for its strong commitment to pursuing international teaching, research, and professional exchange opportunities. J. Chris Bachman, Arturo Pacheco-Vega, and Olaseni “Seni” Sode were chosen for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program awards for the 2025-26 academic year. Additionally, Cal State LA was selected to host Dario Coletti from Sapienza University in Rome as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residency.
Student Affairs: The university expanded student services, including advising, mental health, and student support programs. More than 2,600 students began building their plans early during orientation. Student life and school pride were highlighted by the women’s basketball team winning its first-ever California Collegiate Athletic Association championship.
Enrollment Management: Freshman commitment rose 52% and transfers are up 51%. “They are choosing us because they see a place where they belong and where they can succeed,” Eanes said.
University Advancement: Cal State LA secured $54 million in gift commitments, including a record $48 million grant from the Ballmer Group to expand youth mental health services.
Administration and Finance: The university made campus improvements, enhanced beautification, and strengthened partnerships with brands like Red Bull, Coca-Cola, and Apple.
Eanes then shifted gears by unveiling the university’s four Strategic Priorities for 2026-30.
“These are not separate priorities; they are one shared commitment, and all this comes from all your feedback,” she said. “This work belongs to all of us. … And in the months ahead, we will continue shaping this vision together.”
The Strategic Priorities are:
Integrated Student Experience: Empower students to connect curricular and co-curricular learning to purpose, while honoring and elevating their identities, lived experiences, and perspectives within a university-wide student experience of belonging, engagement, and career readiness.
Bridging Access to Achievement: Unify a campuswide approach to enrollment, persistence, and completion that expands access and strengthens pathways for student success from entry through graduation.
A Culture of Empowered Growth: Advance a culture that empowers faculty and staff to thrive and excel by fostering engagement, supporting professional growth, and strengthening systems that sustain and elevate teaching, research, and staff contributions.
Resources Aligned to Mission: Serve students and advance institutional impact by strengthening financial sustainability, fueling innovation, and ensuring long-term capacity.
Eanes concluded her address by providing words of inspiration.
“As we look to the future, we are a community with one purpose,” she said. “Please stay in community. Stay candid, stay focused, stay aware that we are one LA. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do, and I hope that you go into Commencement season happy with the fact that what we do every day really matters.”