May 24, 2022 – A Message of Gratitude

Dear Staff and Faculty,

Even though I’ve worked in higher education longer than I sometimes care to admit, one thing that still surprises me is the sheer number of people required to pull off a successful Commencement. Your hard work did not go unnoticed and I want to say thank you to the hundreds of staff, faculty, and students who worked, performed, and volunteered before, during, and after commencement ceremonies and graduation receptions last week. Because of your collective efforts, the week was tremendous SUCCESS!

It was fantastic to hold an in-person Commencement and welcome our graduates’ friends, families and supporters back to Chico to bring our beautiful campus alive with their energy and excitement.

Over a period of five days, we graduated 3,493 students and hosted 23,242 guests during seven ceremonies. For me, the highlight was engaging with students who were over-the-moon with excitement as they celebrated reaching their academic goals. The loving smiles from families and graduates as they strolled our campus and took pictures to capture this transformative event are a wonderful reminder that the work we do to educate and support our students matters greatly.

Thank you again. Go Wildcats!

Gayle E. Hutchinson

President