Full Circle Giving / Academic Spotlight

Photo: David Schmitz
A Peer Connections mentor works with students during the beginning of the semester.

As 2016 comes to a close, I am grateful for the multitude of ways I see Spartans regularly supporting other Spartans. Our students, staff and faculty are engaged directly and collaboratively in efforts that benefit other campus community members.

At the Academic Affairs Staff Appreciation Breakfast this fall, we continued our practice of “Full Circle Giving.” In the past two years, staff and administrators have donated to SJSU’s Student Hunger Fund, contributing more than $11,000 to help students who struggle with food insecurity. These gifts enable students to focus on their studies without worrying about where they will get their next meal.

During this holiday season, I am especially thankful for how students, faculty and staff generously contribute their time and talent to fostering the success of other Spartans. I am pleased to share in this newsletter stories of students mentoring other students and helping them find their footing at San Jose State University; emeritus and retired faculty who are providing grants to further the research of current professors; and the many ways donations from faculty and staff to our Spartans Supporting Spartans campaign help fuel student success.

I appreciate your support of Spartan causes above and beyond your job duties, and I look forward to seeing more of this generous Spartan spirit in the new year.

Happy holidays!

Andy Feinstein
Provost and Senior VP for Academic Affairs

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am thankful for the generous Spartan spirit I see expressed throughout the year. Our students, staff and faculty are often developing ways in which they can give back to campus community members.Our theme at the Academic Affairs Staff Appreciation Breakfast has been “Full Circle Giving” for the last few years and the event is one example of the giving spirit at SJSU. This year donations from the staff and administrators supported the SJSU Food for Students Fund.

There are many more instances of our Spartans giving back to SJSU community members. Emeritus and retired faculty are supporting research, scholarship and creative activity through a grant program for current SJSU faculty; a staff member who is also an SJSU alumna created a scholarship for staff members pursuing a degree; and faculty and students tackled a 320-mile bike ride to raise money to teach middle school students about sustainability.

I talk to my own children about the importance of giving back to the community and hope to instill in them a sense that giving is important. My family and I donate to Spartan causes, includingThe Guardian Scholars Program. The Guardian Scholars Program is special to me because I was adopted at a very young age. I was fortunate enough to become part of a loving family that valued education, but I understand the unique challenges our Guardian Scholars face without this support system.

I hope all of you find your own Spartan causes to support through donations, volunteering or staying engaged in our campus community. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break.