Originally published in the 2013 Convocation program

Dear Students, Faculty, Colleagues, Family, and Friends of our School:

Welcome to our school’s 2013 Convocation. Thank you for joining us as we celebrate our graduates’ achievements. They’ve worked hard to accomplish their goals, and we are extremely proud of them.

Today’s graduates are tomorrow’s information professionals. We’re pleased that our school’s fully online learning environment provided them with the knowledge they need to serve clients who may be sitting across the room or located on the other side of the globe.

Our graduates are ready to lead virtual teams and leverage emerging technology to improve information services. Through their participation in our school’s diverse learning community, they’ve had opportunities to build far-reaching professional networks, and they are better prepared to tackle tomorrow’s challenges in a rapidly changing profession.

Each day, I’m honored to hear their stories. Some led our school’s Student Research Journal and others led our award-winning professional association student chapters. Many mentored new students, served as research assistants, and developed new resources for information centers. A substantial number of our graduates are already hard at work, serving their communities’ diverse information needs.

I also want to recognize the first five individuals to complete the San José Gateway Ph.D. program.

They’ve courageously led the way as the first graduates of this innovative doctoral program. We’re also celebrating the first individuals to complete our Post-Master’s Certificate program. We applaud all of you!

Congratulations and Welcome!

Sandra Hirsh, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School of Library and Information Science
San José State University