Date: 08/18/2009

San José State President to Discuss Budget, Priorities

Contact:
Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU Media Relations, 408-924-1748

SJSU map, directions.

SAN JOSÉ, Calif., -- SJSU President Jon Whitmore will deliver the Fall Welcome Address at noon Thursday, August 20, in Morris Dailey Auditorium. An annual tradition, the address gives the president the opportunity to discuss the coming year. The event is free and open to the campus community and media. The speech will also be shown live via webcast accessible from the SJSU home page. After the event, a transcript will be posted at the same website. KSJS 90.5 FM, San José State's radio station, will broadcast the address live.

The president will emphasize that the university will move forward, even in this tough economic climate. Among the topics he will discuss are boosting graduation rates and making SJSU one of the nation's most advanced information technology users. Simultaneously, the president will release a detailed memo summarizing San José State's efforts to combat a $42 million shortfall. The memo will be posted on the SJSU budget/furlough website.

The president will also introduce three new initiatives: San José State will sign the Talloires Declaration, create a strategic plan for sustainability, and launch an ecological footprint challenge. The challenge will reward SJSU students and employees who do the most to reduce their environmental impacts. While other colleges and universities have engaged in similar endeavors, San José State's will be the most comprehensive, especially regarding follow up.

View the Fall Welcome Address with Adobe Flash Player.

View the SJSU Budget/Furlough Website.

Read more on the Talloires Declaration.

Read more on ecological footprint challenges.

San José State -- Silicon Valley's largest institution of higher learning with 30,000 students and 5,700 employees -- is part of the California State University system. SJSU's 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation's 10th largest city.