Nervousness. Anxiety. Eagerness.These are symptoms commonly seen by undergraduates applying to graduate college or who are preparing tograduate.

Alexander Gonzalez, who is entering hiseighth semester as president of Sacramento State, can be compared to a graduating seniorturning in his graduation application to the evaluation board.

In his first few semesters, Gonzalezmade promises to improve Sac State into the flagship campus in the CSU system.

“(Sac State) is not a default college,”Gonzalez said after his address to Sac State Thursday. “It’s a good place.” And he wants to make it a great place.

Gonzalez, in his first semester, talked about student enrollment and the growth ofthe region. One of his promises was toexpand off-campus.

Since fall 2006, Sierra College Roseville Gateway Campus offers four Sac State general education courses.Since he has joined Sac State in 2003, Gonzalez has had to deal with budgetproblems, whether it is from lack of funding from theCSU system, the state budget or lack of enrollmentfees from students.

At times he had boasted new programs added to the class schedule, but at other timeshe had to show regret over the loss of some programs.

In recent months, some teachers along with the California Faculty Association have been threatening to strike due to salary disputes.

During his administration,a new parking structure and the Academic Information Resource Center have been built. Currently a new Hornet Bookstore isbeing built next to Parking Structure II and will be operational in the fall, he saidThursday.

He plans to build a Space & ScienceCenter next to Shasta Hall, turn Brighton, Alpine, Calaveras and Douglass Halls into a green area and also build a Science BuildingII next to the Hornet Bookstore.

As the semester progresses, faculty, staffand students will review both Gonzalez’ finishedand forgotten deeds to see if he will”graduate” at the end of the semester with the other graduating seniors.

Here are some highlights (and controversies)of President Gonzalez’s administration and mission to make Sac State a true destinationcampus.

Jamie Gonzales can be reached [email protected]