The Critical Work Will Continue

Sent: February 18, 2025

From: Vincent J. Del Casino, Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dear Colleagues,

It has been a rather intense few weeks, as we have seen rapid change in higher education, a result of shifting federal priorities and actions. There is no doubt that the rapidity of change and the lack of clear communication from the federal government on what is specifically meant by this order or that order has added to the anxiety. Action has taken place in California and across the country that has slowed some of the change but this has done little to address some of the immediate impacts on the country broadly and higher education specifically, as the most significant impact is uncertainty. The irony of reaching R2 status in the same month where grants and contracts may be limited by federal action is not lost on me. But, I believe deeply in the SJSU community and its ability to tackle the challenges ahead. After all, SJSU is one of the best universities in the country for advancing the social mobility of its students and for addressing some of the greatest challenges we face in the world today. 

My optimism is bolstered by our very strong enrollment and in the increasing nonprofit, corporate, and philanthropic relationships SJSU has been building in the region. Our strong retention rates, a result of shifts in campus practices, has helped us improve our enrollment position and our national reputation as a leader in student success. Innovations in the classroom and in the curriculum also demonstrate that SJSU can respond quickly to what is happening in the world around us, be that the transformations wrought by the rise of generative AI or the broader impacts of an ever deepening human-nonhuman set of relationships mediating social life at the micro and macro scales. SJSU is also advancing co-curricular experiences in digital and creative literacy as well as critical AI education through programs in Career Services and in the work of our MLK Library faculty and staff. And, our students, in collaboration with faculty and staff, are launching their own conversations about the future state through their own organizational efforts. It is hard to not be excited about SJSU while tempering that enthusiasm by what we are seeing more generally in our society.

At the same time, I know that many are also concerned about their own role on campus as we grapple with what is happening at the national, state, and system levels. For example, I know that some faculty have expressed concern that their retention, tenure, and promotion cases could be hampered should their grants be defunded. Fortunately, SJSU’s RTP policy addresses this very issue and we can use the same strategies that we developed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that faculty can continue their professional development even if their funded research is directly impacted by changes in federal priorities. We will have to continue to adapt and adjust over the coming months,  tracking and recording impact so we can support the faculty. I know that staff also have serious concerns, as changes in federal regulation and interpretations of certain laws may directly affect particular programs on campus. Again, we are going to have to take these challenges one at a time, adjusting and responding in each instance in the best way we can, knowing that we will never abandon our mission, vision, and values as an institution. 

I will maintain a level of communication as we did during the pandemic, providing updates as we learn more about what is happening at the federal, state, and system level. Whatever happens next, SJSU is a collective of energetic, smart, and committed faculty, staff, and students, and together we will continue to chart a course that advances the campus as we grapple with what is happening in the world. 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Sincerely,

Vin