Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez made one thing clear in his address to the campus Wednesday: Academics are the cornerstone of Destination 2010.

“Strong academics is the key to making our campus goals a reality,” Gonzalez said in his third spring address. “Universities earn reputations as destination campuses because they are strong academically and they make student welfare and student success a top priority.”

Gonzalez said that in the past year he had to concentrate more on the physical elements of Destination 2010 ?” which he said are making steady progress.

“With these initiatives in place, it’s time to focus fully on the core elements of Destination 2010: excellent academic and student programs,” Gonzalez said.

According to school administrators and Associated Students Inc. officials, academics have always been a priority for Gonzalez, and Gonzalez said there are some key developments taking place in academics.

He said some plans underway to help better academics at Sac State include: the WASC accreditation process, the newly formed Strategic Planning Council and a new Academic Strategic Plan.

The Academic Strategic Plan hopes to boost academic preparation, recruitment and graduation rates; develop technology skills; and enhance teaching through supporting staff professional development while concentrating on salary equity issues, Gonzalez said.

The efforts to improve academics, Gonzalez said, are efforts that will have a major impact for decades.

Carole Hayashino, vice president of university advancement, said that Gonzalez has taken great pride on improving academics.

“I think he has always been focused on academics and I think that there has always been that integration (of academics and facilities),” Hayashino said.

However, Hayashino said that when Gonzalez first arrived in 2002, the facilities issues demanded most of his attention.

“Our facilities master plan needs to be tied to our educational master plan, and that’s what it’s all about,” Hayashino said.

Gonzalez’s Destination 2010 goals include forming new academic and student programs, improving facilities, creating a vibrant physical environment and obtaining community support to help out in any way it can.

Ric Brown, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said Gonzalez needed to focus on the pressing issues of academics and facilities when he arrived.

The elements of facilities and superior academics go hand-in-hand with the president’s goals of having a destination campus, Brown said.

“If you are looking at our older buildings, if you are looking at the space needs in terms of classrooms, all of those affect the quality of education,” Brown said.

Brown said that new adjustments to help students include a push to increase student graduation rates, an investment in more efficient advising ?” including a new Web-based degree map program called DegreeQuest, which helps students better manage their class planning in accordance with their major ?” and more attention focused on retention and recruitment issues.

“You’ll certainly see a more visible focus on programs that support instruction; programs that support faculty development,” Brown said. “All those things that enhance student learning, you’re just going to see a refocus and an emphasis more so than ever.”

Brown said Destination 2010’s long-term goals would make for a more welcoming campus ?” like the plans to build a Recreation/Wellness/Events Center.

Sacramento State is also looking to acquire more faculty by hiring 30 new faculty members, Brown said.

ASI Vice President of Academic Affairs Oscar Mendoza said he liked the president’s idea of more active academic programs on campus.

“The space program shows progress of where the campus is at,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said Gonzalez’s academic mission has stayed the same, and said he thought the address was made with students’ concerns in mind.

“ASI has a responsibility to represent the students to make sure they get all the academic benefits,” Mendoza said.

“Each (ASI) department will do its part in increasing awareness of programs and different needs. Every component of ASI has been in full gear toward facilitating and helping students know the programs that are out there,” Mendoza said.

Having the advancement of technology will yield excellent results, Mendoza said.

Mendoza said he believes the campus is heading in the right direction with its commitment of having cutting edge technology and strong academic programs.

“So, maybe our campus will be more of a destination campus,” Mendoza said.

Gamaliel Ortiz can be reached at [email protected]