Monday marked the 50th day on the job for new Stanislaus State President Britt Rios-Ellis, and it was the biggest one yet. That morning, she took the stage in front of a capacity crowd at Snider Recital Hall for her inaugural Fall Welcome Address, where she spoke highly of the campus, her new community and expressed optimism for the institution’s future.
Rios-Ellis, who is the 13th president in the university’s 67-year history, began her remarks by calling it a “tremendous pleasure” and “profound honor” to be the one to welcome students, staff and administration back to campus for the start of the fall semester and 2024-25 academic year.
“My husband Enrique and I have spent several of the past weeks meeting our Stan State faculty, staff, community members, elected officials and our student leaders, while immersing ourselves in ‘Warrior Culture’ and getting acquainted with the wonderful communities and wonderful food of the Central Valley,” she said.
“I've worked at two other CSU campuses and have visited many others, and I can say this definitively, Stan State is the most stunning campus I've ever come across.”
Rios-Ellis shared the two personal values that guide her most, personally and professionally, that she hopes to bring to Stan State — legacy and integrity.
“Legacy, because we have the honor of taking part in the evolution of our students' lives, doing the profound work of transformative justice and positively impacting families for generations to come. Our responsibility is to ensure that each Stan State graduate has everything they need to become their ancestors' wildest dreams. Quite simply, our work demands a sense of cultural humility that goes far beyond the identities as individuals and moves us to a collective legacy that outlives the work of a singular life or leader.
“Integrity, because without it, there is simply no truth. And it is by putting our hearts in front of our egos and embracing teamwork that we will truly reach our potential as an institution of higher education.”
She added that the school’s students are the future generation of leaders, ready to take on the difficult challenges of the complex world.
Rios-Ellis also took time to discuss the topic of enrollment. Stan State recently surpassed their goal of 2% new enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate students last school year, but numbers remain low. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment was hovering around 11,000 students, according to institutional data. At the start of the last academic year last fall, there were 9,291 students enrolled.
“Looking forward, there is no doubt that our enrollment needs to increase as part of a multifaceted plan to strengthen our impact as a campus. What is becoming crystal clear, both in terms of Stan state as a campus and the CSU as a system, is that enrollment and retention must be seen as equally important priorities and collective responsibilities.”
Additionally, Rios-Ellis spoke about funding, saying that 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, which is the lowest in the CSU.
“With key roles like our alumni engagement director and prospect researcher filled, we are poised to take the next step. 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 legacy and success, and creating opportunities that can change lives, whether you want to give to an academic program, an event, basic needs, a scholarship or help us build much needed infrastructure. Whatever you give to Stan State will impact our university more than any other institution throughout our state.”
Rios-Ellis said her mission and that of Stan State and the CSU are clear.
“Our work together as a university community goes far beyond teaching and learning 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 know that they are supported and nourished. I want us all to call ourselves to the mission of something great, and that something is Stan State.”
