Hello Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence team,

I hope you are finding comfort and are settling into the new academic year. Together, we welcomed nearly 2,000 students and guests for Convocation and nearly 6,000 for Nest Fest. I know how much work goes into preparing for these moments, and I want to thank the Campus Life team and each of you for everything you have done to make sure our students returned to a campus ready to welcome and support them.

You will hear a lot about our Bring the Buzz campaign this year. For our students, that means creating more opportunities to connect, engage, and enjoy their Sac State experience. But I want us to think about what it means for us, too. We should be able to experience some of that same energy and connection in our work with one another. I hope we make space this year to celebrate our successes, spend time together outside of our day-to-day responsibilities, and remember that we are part of the community we work so hard to create.

We have a lot ahead of us, and I’m excited to see what this team brings to the year, because you never disappoint!

Thank you for the way you continue to show up for our students and for each other.

Let’s Bring the Buzz!

Aniesha Mitchell, J.D.

Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence

Bre Lake, compliance coordinator for NCAA Compliance, consistently exemplifies the core values of our department through her outstanding dedication, collaborative spirit and unwavering kindness. Working in Athletics Compliance, Bre navigates complex regulations daily. She approaches this challenging environment not just with sharp attention to detail, but with remarkable patience and empathy. Bre is an invaluable resource to our student-athletes, coaches and staff, always taking the time to guide them through processes with a warm, supportive and approachable demeanor.

Click the button below to learn more. Congratulations, Abreanna!

The Staff Talent Appreciation & Retention (STAR) Awards program acknowledges the exemplary performance and contributions of staff members within the division.

We NEED your HELP! We NEED NOMINATIONS to be able to recognize our amazing colleagues! We can't highlight our STAR colleagues without your nominations!

We ask that you please head to our submission form below to NOMINATE the next STAR of the Month!

Welcome to Honey, Wings & Stings!

The Buzz highlights members of the Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence family who have been promoted (Honey 🍯), newly hired (Wings 🦋), and those who are leaving our division, including retirees (Stings 🐝).

Join us in recognizing and congratulating these extraordinary employees!

Honey 🍯recognizes our staff who have been promoted or transferred to new roles within Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence.

Congratulations to these outstanding members of our SAIE family!

Wings 🦋 recognizes new hires in the division, with a list of names, titles and start dates.

Join us in welcoming our newest division members!

Stings 🐝 recognizes members of the Hornet Family who are departing the division, including our retirees.

Join us in wishing these folks all the best on their next adventure!

By Daniel Wilson

Digital Communications Specialist, The Buzz Editor

Sacramento State is hitting the ground running for another historic year. During his annual Fall Address on Thursday, Aug. 27, President Luke Wood provided an optimistic outlook for the 2026-27 academic year and made a major funding announcement.

Wood’s highlights included updates on enrollment, the state budget, and recent University achievements in academics, athletics, and diversity programs. The finale of the address was the announcement of nearly $150 million in funding for a brand-new engineering building.

The funding comes from the state of California, the California State University (CSU) system, and private funding. It includes a $15 million naming gift from local philanthropist and long-time Sac State supporter Ernest E. Tschannen. The University may now move forward with construction of the Ernest E. Tschannen Engineering Teaching and Research Building.

The next phase will be to dream, design, and plan for the new facility, a process that will include input from the campus community and the public, Wood said.

Sacramento State recently welcomed new students to campus, and our returning Hornets made their way back under the trees to kick off another amazing semester!

Click on the gallery links below to see photos highlighting the fun and festivities from our first week of the Fall 2026 semester:

Throughout the year, departments, offices and centers in Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence hold various events for students, faculty and staff. We appreciate your support, attendance and participation in our SAIE events whenever possible.

Want your events featured in The Buzz? Add your events to Trumba (details below) and let us know so we can consider them for inclusion.

Here are some upcoming events to attend this September: 

Upload your events to Trumba, Sac State's event management platform. It's designed to help organize, share and promote campus events with ease. Uploading to Trumba only takes a few minutes and is an easy and efficient way to keep students up-to-date on all the exciting events we have planned!

Learning & Development offers a wide variety of employee professional development trainings, events and activities each month. All trainings subject to change.

See the full calendar at the button below for up-to-date events, additional information, and to request accommodations and register.

Here are some highlights for September (see calendar for more): 

The Career Center offers a wide variety of career development and employer networking resources, trainings, events, career fairs and activities for you, your students and alumni each month.

See the full calendar below for events, additional information, and to request accommodations and register.

🗣 Our Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence Division-Wide Meeting is on the horizon. Mark your calendar for the next, in-person, meeting where Senior Vice President for SAIE Aniesha Mitchell will share important updates and information. You may attend one of two separate meetings. Splitting into two meetings allows everyone to attend. Staff in your areas should stagger attendance so there is available seating for everyone. Join us on Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 9-10:15 a.m. OR 10:30-11:45  a.m. in the University Union Redwood Room (first floor). If you need accommodations or have questions, please contact Jordan Smith.

Peak times like the start of the semester often bring an influx of phishing emails and fake scam messages. 🔒🐝

A quick reminder to protect your data and our Hornet community:

Quick Tech Help: If you encounter any unexpected tech hiccups, submit a service ticket through the SA-IT Help Portal or reach out to our team directly by email or via Teams chat.

Exciting SABR Staff News

Jeffrey Pantoja has been appointed director of Shared Business Resources (SABR) for the Division of Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence, effective July 6. A Sacramento State alumnus, Pantoja earned a Master of Business Administration for Executives and joins the University from CalRecycle, where he served as Chief Budget Officer. Sharon Hopkins-Bright has been appointed Division Resource Analyst effective Aug. 24. She was previously with the College of Arts & Letters as an Analyst & Specialist to the dean. Join us in welcoming Jeffrey and Sharon! 

Student Employment

Undergraduate students enrolled in six or more units total during the summer sessions hired as a Student Assistant (job code 1860) and undergraduate students enrolled in five or less units or not at all for summer hired as a Bridge Student Assistant (job code 1874) ended their summer appointment on Aug. 31. Please note that for the 2026-27 academic year, Federal Work Study (FWS) Student Assistants are to be hired from Aug. 31, 2026-May 20, 2027, and Student Assistants/Non-Citizen Status are to be hired from Aug. 31, 2026-May 31, 2027.

Hornet Weekly - Sac State's bulletin for currently enrolled students is sent every Tuesday as an email newsletter, in the MySacState student portal and on the web.

Hornet Weekly is using a brand-new system for submissions.

See our SacSend that went out on Wednesday, Aug. 26, for more details.

The next submission deadline is 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, for the Tuesday, Sept. 15, edition. Guidelines, instructions, new submission forms, our new style guide and more are located on the Hornet Weekly webpage below.

We cannot produce Hornet Weekly without submissions from our Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence family, as well as all of our campus partners.

Want to keep up with the latest editions of Hornet Weekly? Have items to include? Click the buttons below to learn more, submit your items and visit the archive.

Have you heard? We have an easy way to request campaigns, emails and more. Use our new forms to request graphics, photos, videos and targeted SacSends!

We are here to help. Let us guide you on the best practices and platforms for reaching students. Planning ahead streamlines communication pathways, helping you connect with your target audience(s).

Thanks for reading the September 2026 edition of The Buzz Around Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence!

🐝 The Buzz usually hits your inbox once a month.

Your partnership is the heartbeat of this newsletter. Please submit updates for the next newsletter no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. 🐝

Have feedback? We’re eager to hear how we can elevate The Buzz for you. Please share your thoughts, feedback and ideas with us. 💌

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