August 25, 2025 – Welcome to the Fall 2025 Semester

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 2025–26 academic year! Before anything else, thank you — for choosing to work here, for supporting our students, and for showing up for each other. Your dedication, compassion, and commitment to our mission are what make this community so special.

As I shared at my Fall Welcome Address last week, we have a lot to look forward to this semester! On October 23, we’ll celebrate the opening of the new Agricultural Education Center and University Farm Store. This facility will offer fresh meat and produce to the community and house classrooms, conference rooms, and areas for student clubs and competitions.

We’ll also break ground on the Human Identification Lab (HIL), which will become the preeminent forensic lab on the West Coast. Our renowned team of forensic anthropologists will continue their critical work supporting criminal investigations and bringing closure to families.

I also want to acknowledge the challenges facing higher education right now, and the emotional toll these times have taken on students, faculty, and staff alike. While we’ll no doubt face challenges in the year ahead — some of them beyond our control — we’ll meet those moments together.

That spirit of connection helped spur the idea for the Tip Off Fall Reception (I hope you were able to attend!). As we continue to make space for joy this year, one easy and fun way is by participating in Wildcat Spirit Days every Friday. Wear your Chico State gear — T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats — and enjoy discounts across campus at locations like the Wildcat Store, dining locations, and the WREC. It’s a small gesture that brings big energy — and it’s a great way to spark a conversation or build a new connection across campus. Don’t forget: wear Wildcat gear downtown on the first Wednesday of each month to get perks from local businesses, too.

Of course, mark your calendars for Wildcat Weekend, October 9–11. It’s a highlight of the fall semester, when students, families, alumni, and the campus community come together to celebrate everything we love about this incredible University.

Thank you again for all that you do. Here’s to a successful, rewarding, and inspiring semester. Go Wildcats!

Thanks,
Steve Perez