CSUB welcomes students to fall semester

University to hold New Student Convocation Ceremony, Week of Welcome

By California State University, Bakersfield

August 16^th, 2022

California State University, Bakersfield is preparing to welcome students to campus for the fall semester.

The semester, and the 2022-23 academic year, will begin on Aug. 22. More than 9,000 students have enrolled at CSUB across its Bakersfield and Antelope Valley campuses. The theme guiding the university this year is “Embracing a Brighter Future.”

“There is a new energy propelling the Roadrunner family forward, and we’re taking our communities with us,” said President Lynnette Zelezny. “Our students, faculty and staff are guided by a vision of a brighter future, one that elevates and empowers every member of this region. We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in our history, a moment that requires innovation, brilliance and a bold spirit. My message to the Roadrunner community and our friends and partners is clear: We are equal to this moment … we are `Runners on the rise!”

The university is holding several events and activities to celebrate the start of the new school year. A New Student Convocation and Pinning Ceremony will be held on Sunday, Aug. 21, at 1 p.m. in the Icardo Center.

During the ceremony, freshmen and transfer students will be officially welcomed to the university by the president as well as faculty, staff and student leaders. The pinning is a symbol of CSUB’s dedication to students’ academic success.

This will be the university’s first in-person convocation ceremony since 2019, prior to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CSUB will also be holding a Week of Welcome Aug. 22-26, which will include several events and activities. On Aug. 22, there will be Motivational Monday at the Student Union from 9-11 a.m. where students can get free coffee and doughnuts.

There will also be a kickoff event at noon at the Student Union patio and a Rec Fest from 5 -7 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center.

During the week, there will be welcome booths on campus.

Athletics will be hosting a Welcome Back Rally on Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. at the Icardo Center while the annual Rowdy Run will take place on Sept. 1 on the main soccer field from 7-8 p.m.

Participating students, staff and faculty will run across the field at halftime to introduce new students to the CSUB community.

Many incoming freshmen got their first experience of the campus during the new student orientations in July. One of those students is Robert Moore, a Liberty High graduate interested in pursuing a career in film or business.

“I’m a little nervous, cause it’s a big step, but I feel like everyone’s been very welcoming here,” he said. “Everybody seems really helpful and willing to talk to you if you have any problems.”

Moore said he considered going to Bakersfield College but found CSUB to be more attractive.

“It has a lot of opportunities, a lot of ways you can pursue a career,” he said.

Golden Valley High School graduate Wendy Villa is also coming to the university this fall to pursue her bachelor’s in psychology. She will also be participating in the College Assistance Migrant Program, which helps students who come from a farmworker background complete their first year of college.

“It’s kind of overwhelming, but I’m looking forward to meeting new people and seeing how I can grow as a person,” she said. “There are so many great opportunities here for my major.”

Returning students may notice a few changes on campus as well. CSUB is launching its Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation this September with a venture accelerator program that will help participants develop their business plans.

Students will also have some new degree pathways to explore, such as a new history degree option geared toward students who want to become social science teachers.