Dear Spartans,
As we close the 2025-26 academic year, I find myself reflecting on a phrase I often share with our community: The future has its eyes on us.
This year, that felt especially true.
National and global attention centered on SJSU and San José during the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament and NVIDIA’s GTC. The eyes of the CSU system were on our campus as we hosted the CSU Student Research Competition and launched the first AI-Enabled Research Awards. This award in the Education category was won by SJSU’s Christine Lo.
And now, we are preparing to welcome the world for the World Cup, including Paraguay’s national team training at our facilities and hosting a community event on June 8th.
Each moment has given the SJSU community the opportunity to put our best minds forward. Students, faculty, and staff have and are performing, creating, and examining different aspects of these events. It is clear that SJSU continues to stand at the center of global conversations around innovation, creativity, civic life, and community.
I often say that SJSU is at the epicenter of the future. This year, you demonstrated exactly what that means.
Expanding our Academic and Research Excellence
We began the academic year with record-breaking enrollment. It was the highest enrollment total for a single academic term in the 168-year history of the university. SJSU Online enrollment increased 35% year-over-year. Students enrolled in our Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) climbed to a new high of 3,800 graduate students.
The year culminated in our commencement ceremonies last week, as nearly 8,600 Spartans earned their degrees.
Historic achievements were frequent over the course of the year:
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National recognitions continued, including reaching #2 in the nation in CodeSignal’s university rankings.
- We launched the AI Center for Civic and Social Good.
- Continued progress toward our WASC reaffirmation, supported by the engagement of hundreds of faculty, staff, and students in assessment, dialogue, and institutional reflection.
- Major research awards included:
- $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education to Advance AI Literacy
- $1 million for Micro Maker Space Project
- $1.875 million from CSU Chancellor’s Office to support Asian American and Pacific Islander Students
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Launched four AI-focused academic programs this academic year, and six are advancing through the approval process for FY2026/27. AI-focused courses are now present in all eight academic colleges, reflecting a shift from concentrated technical development to distributed, university-wide integration.
- Opened Career Hub Sponsored by Adobe to advance digital literacy and workforce readiness.
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Completed A/V modernization of 45 classrooms, with 60 more planned for summer.
- Awarded the Seal of Excelencia, a national recognition of institutions that intentionally serve Latinx students through data-driven practices, leadership, and equity initiatives.
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Celebrating the Spartan Community
The university community experienced moments of incredible pride and joy while facing tests from local, national and global events. At every step, our community members reminded us why this work matters and demonstrated that Spartans take care of Spartans.
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We awarded honorary doctorates to Dr. Alan Kazdin and, posthumously, to Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell. This year’s spectacular Spartans of Significance demonstrated the profound impact Spartans are making on the world.
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We initiated a Trans Student Wellness Task Force to help ensure transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive students feel affirmed, supported, and empowered to thrive at San José State. The task force was recommended by trans members of our community as we navigated through heightened federal scrutiny. The work will commence in earnest this fall.
- We advanced People-Centered Excellence initiatives, strengthened community engagement efforts, and continued conversations around belonging, care, and institutional accountability.
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Our community is providing feedback and insights following the horrific revelations about César Chávez, including a campuswide teach-in led by faculty.
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The Interfaith Task Force's work concluded, and its report and recommendations were shared with the campus community. The findings and recommendations have been passed onto a RSSCI (Religious, Secular, Spiritual and Cultural Identity) Team to implement through the summer and into the fall semester.
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SJSU’s 2026 Juneteenth Celebration
And as Juneteenth approaches, I encourage all Spartans to take time to reflect on the meaning of freedom, democracy and progress. Juneteenth reminds us that democracy requires continual engagement and that the work of expanding opportunity and dignity for all people is ongoing.
This year’s CSU Juneteenth Symposium is being hosted by Cal State Los Angeles on June 11, from 10 a.m. to noon. San José’s African American Community Services Agency is planning activities, as well, culminating June 13. Our campus will participate in the virtual program with supplemental activities onsite.
Whether in classrooms, laboratories, performances, athletic competitions, internships, community projects, or acts of service, Spartans continued to lead with courage, compassion, and determination. Your excellence across these areas gives me optimism.
As we head into summer, I hope you take pride in all that we have accomplished together. I also hope you find time to rest, reconnect with loved ones, and reflect on the impact you have made on this university and one another.
Thank you for all you do to make San José State University such an extraordinary community. The future continues to have its eyes on us — and because of you, I believe our best days are ahead.
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Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
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Note: this message is being sent to the entire SJSU community, including to employees (faculty and staff) outside the regular SpartanMessenger cadence, to communicate a significant development directly from the President. Any and all non-urgent and routine email communications to employees must still be submitted to SpartanMessenger. Non-urgent news to students may be sent through the Sammy app and/or email.
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University Communications | Office of the President
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192
sjsu.edu
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