Though it's not quite time for flowers to bloom, trees to flourish and Sac State's bees and birds to flutter around us, the Spring 2026 semester is in full effect.🌻

Students are back on campus, classes are full as professors deliver lectures and assign projects, and our staff is busy keeping it all on track. 📗📝

We hope your holidays were bright, your new year is going well and you're ready to meet the challenges ahead. Our students are the heart of what we do and it would be nearly impossible for them to succeed without each and every one of us in Student Affairs. Thank you for all you do and happy semester! 😊

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller

The Buzz hits your inbox once a month. Your partnership is the heartbeat of this newsletter. We’re eager to hear how we can elevate it for you. Please share your thoughts, feedback and ideas with us. 💌

Don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram for a peek into campus life! 📸

As we step into 2026, the Black Honors College (BHC) wishes that we rise together—stronger, kinder, and full of hope.

Since its inauguration in fall 2024, the BHC has emerged as a transformative academic and leadership community at Sac State. Central to the BHC experience is a carefully curated co-curricular transcript featuring programming across 12 thematic categories. Through intentional, small cohort-based general education courses, a four-minor degree program, dedicated mentorship, living and learning community, mental health services, and holistic student support, BHC has become one of the powerful catalysts for accelerated Black student enrollment and meaningful institutional transformation.

During the 2024–25 academic year, BHC led 168 outreach initiatives and formalized strategic partnerships, including Memoranda of Understanding with community colleges and high schools. These efforts substantially expanded the college’s reach at the regional, national, and global levels. In just 18 months, the BHC has experienced remarkable growth. Fall 2025 admissions more than tripled, with 262 scholars admitted from 572 applications, compared to 80 scholars admitted in fall 2024. This momentum continued into spring 2026, with 83 scholars admitted from more than 200 applications.

The Black Honors College now serves students from California and across the nation - including Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, and Texas - as well as internationally from Afghanistan, Botswana, Haiti, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. This diverse body of scholars enjoys a strong sense of belonging as they bring their lived experiences and perspectives to BHC.

We invite you to visit the Black Honors College on the Library Garden Level to meet our four dynamic cohorts and our growing BHC team, including newly hired assistant program coordinators.

In the spirit of ubuntu, may this year bring shared joy, collective strength, and brighter days for all.

Our Hive. Our Home. Stingers Up!

Boatamo Ati Mosupyoe

Dean of Students and Chief Administration Officer

Black Honors College

The University reaffirms its enduring commitment to advancing and uplifting our designations as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), a Black-Serving Institution (BSI), and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). We remain steadfast in fostering a campus community that is inclusive, safe, and welcoming for all students, and in honoring national and cultural celebrations that reflect our diverse Hornet Family.

This month, we proudly honor Black History Month and celebrate the Lunar New Year, recognizing the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of our communities.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Center invites you to join a series of events designed to build community, promote wellness, and celebrate Black history and culture:

The Teaching Kitchen

Black Healthy Relationships

Black Wall Street

In celebration of the Lunar New Year – Year of the Horse, the APIDA Center invites you to attend:

Lunar New Year and Lanterns Gathering 

All events are open to students, faculty, and staff. We encourage you to stop by, participate, and engage in these enriching opportunities.

For questions or additional information, please contact mlk@csus.edu or apida.center@csus.edu.

Read below to learn a bit about each of our current Student Assistants. 

Full Name: Billie Hutton (MLK Center)
Major: Business (marketing)
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Career Goal: To own and operate commercial real estate that houses small businesses.
Favorite Thing About Sac State: The strong sense of community and support as well as the opportunities, guidance and safe space the campus community has provided.
Fun Fact: I enjoy arts and crafts, singing and cooking.

Full Name: Osvaldo Jimenez (El Serna Centro)
Major: MBA (Sociology BA ‘22)
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Career Goal: To develop my leadership skills to work in a career that directly impacts my community.
Favorite Thing About Sac State: The amazing community!
Fun Fact: I played rugby at Sac State and won the 2023 National Championship.

Full Name: Kateryna Karakulko (PRIDE Center)
Major: MS in counseling (MCFC concentration)
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Career Goal: To run my own practice for counseling and analysis!
Favorite Thing About Sac State: The trees year-round ❤️
Fun Fact: I love road trips! My longest record of driving (almost nonstop) is 11 hours.

Full Name: Aurungzaib Shahzada (SWANA Center)
Major: Psychology
Expected Graduation: Fall 2026
Career Goal: Biotech/pharmaceutical R&D
Favorite Thing About Sac State: The SWANA Center.
Fun Fact: I know how to do brain surgery on rats!

While we do not have a monthly STAR Awards winner to share this month, the STAR Committee would like to send a thank you to those who attended the 2025 Holiday Celebration & Annual Awards on Dec. 12, 2025.

Click below to see pictures and a recap video from this fun and festive event!

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

Head to our submission form below to NOMINATE the next STAR of the Month!

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

Join us in celebration as we congratulate these extraordinary employees!

Honey 🍯recognizes our staff who have been promoted to new roles. Congratulations to these outstanding members our Student Affairs family!

Wings 🦋 recognizes new hires, 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.

President Luke Wood and other campus and community leaders celebrated the beginning of a new semester at Sacramento State at the annual Spring Address on Thursday, Jan. 22, in the University Union.

Address highlights included a renewed focus on Wood’s four imperatives for the 2025-26 academic year: improving student economic mobility, strengthening financial sustainability, building Sac State into a national brand, and fostering an environment of hope and dignity. Wood emphasized that Sac State continues to grow, pointing to rising enrollment, strong community partnerships, and a cautiously optimistic budget outlook.

 "By embracing our creativity and centering the arts, we will realize new avenues for academic excellence and community impact." — President Luke Wood

Another spotlight was the University's 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, as Wood recognized a long-standing commitment to hands-on learning.

Wood also detailed major infrastructure and expansion projects and noted encouraging signs in Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed state budget for the CSU system, while cautioning that funding levels remain uncertain. Lastly, Wood declared 2026 the “Year of the Arts,” framing the moment as both a celebration of artistic expression and a strategic investment in the skills and values Sac State aims to cultivate in its graduates.

Other speakers included Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem and Sac State alum Eric Guerra, ASI President Aranjot Kaur and Faculty Senate Chair Carolyn Gibbs. Wood concluded by announcing a fully staffed permanent cabinet.

Learning & Development offers a wide variety of employee professional development trainings, events, and activities each month. See the full calendar at the button below for events, additional information, and to request accommodations/register.

Here are some highlights for February: 

📒 For Student Affairs professional, full-time staff who did not attend the Title IX Training in December 2025, session 2 will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 9 to 11 a.m., in the University Union Pacific Suite (third floor). Please RSVP so we can get an accurate count of attendees: RSVP to attend the training. If you attended in December, it is not necessary to attend the second session. Supervisors, please determine which of your team members did not attend the December training and remind them to RSVP. This training helps ensure our community remains safe, respectful, and equitable for all students and colleagues. Participation is essential to our compliance with federal and state law, as well as University policy.

📥Per the CSU Reference Policy and campus best practice, if you are asked to provide a supervisor reference for a current or former Sac State employee, you must notify the campus HR department of the request before submitting. This applies to references to prospective employers outside of the CSU. Personal references are permissible and should be made clear that they are being provided in an individual capacity and not on behalf of the CSU.

💸 It's tax season once again and Sacramento State makes it easy to obtain your W-2. According to Sac State Payroll, W-2s are printed by the State Controller’s Office and mailed by the end of January. You may sign up for Cal Employee Connect (CEC), a service that allows employees the ability to view and print pay stubs and W-2s. The Form W-2 will be available in California Employee Connect by no later than January 31.

📅 Want to know what days campus is closed in 2026? This year's staff holiday calendar is available online and is easily printable. It lists all the dates campus is closed for staff members (paid holidays) through New Year's Day 2027. Head to the Human Resources Payroll Services webpage to view and print the calendar. It also lists eligibility for intermittent employees.  

"Technology companies, governments, education systems, civil society, teachers, parents, and students themselves all play a role in mitigating AI’s risks and harnessing the benefits."

 As educators contemplate AI’s integration into classroom practice, how can we embrace its transformational potential while minimizing risks to student agency, deep learning, and emotional well-being? And as children increasingly encounter AI everywhere—from classrooms to their homes—how do we analyze its impact across all learning contexts, not just within school walls?

More recent stories about AI in education: 

As we welcome our Hornets back, SA-IT is here to ensure your technology supports our vision: Where Students Come First. Whether you are planning a student-facing activity, evaluating technology needs, or setting up a campus-managed workstation, a reliable tech environment is key to student success. If you need technical consultation, equipment recommendations, or assistance with your campus-managed device, reach out to us early! We’re here to help you stay connected, productive, and ready to serve.

Want to learn more about our services? 

Need a hand?

CSUBUY Procure-to-Pay (P2P) launched on Jan. 26, and we highly encourage you to check out their webpage for more information and to view available trainings that are applicable to your position.

All managers will be approvers in the new purchasing system, and training was held on Jan. 21 for approvers. If you were unable to attend the live training, please visit the P2P webpage for the recording. Updates to Delegation of Fiscal Authority (DOFA - previously known as DOA) resulted in a new "levels" system. Those who submit requests for purchases (most likely department admin staff) can no longer approve their own request. They will need others with appropriate DOA levels to approve.

All department managers are level four approvers and all AVP's are level three approvers. Please visit the DOA webpage for more information. Department administrative staff and SABR analysts can answer questions about who has DOA for an individual department via a Cognos report.

Hornet Weekly – Sac State's digest email newsletter for students – has returned for the Spring 2026 semester! Please submit your items each week so we can keep this newsletter strong and useful for our students. See the first Spring 2026 edition below.

We appreciate your support, as we cannot produce Hornet Weekly without submissions from our Student Affairs staff and 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.

Upload your events to Trumba, Sac State's event management platform (campus events calendar). 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!

Have you heard? We have a brand new 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. Contact us today!

Thanks for reading the January 2026 edition of The Buzz Around Student Affairs!

The Buzz is usually sent the first week of the month. Please submit updates for the next newsletter by 5 p.m. on February 20, 2026. 🐝

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