MANSFIELD, PA—The 164th academic year is underway at Mansfield University, as classes started on Monday, August 23.
The university welcomed over 500 new students from
19 states to the university. First-year and returning students moved into the on-campus
residence halls and participated in Mountie Days activities during the opening
weekend ahead of the first week of classes. The weekend events provided a
launching pad to help the new and reuniting Mounties transition to their life
on campus.
The Spirit and The Pride of Pennsylvania Marching
Band welcomed faculty and the incoming class to Straughn Hall for the Convocation
ceremony on Friday, August 20. Convocation, the official welcome to the new
academic year, is hosted by the Mansfield University Faculty Senate.
Interim President Dr. Bashar Hanna greeted the
incoming class at the ceremony, noting that, like them, this was his first
semester at Mansfield, too. “In just a short three years and nine months,
your journey at Mansfield will conclude in May 2025, with you walking across
the stage with a Mansfield degree.”
The ceremony’s featured speaker was Dr. Matthew
Haner, Professor in the Department of Business Administration, Mathematics and
Computer Information Systems.
He extended a special welcome to the international
students. “Back when I was in school, the international students really
opened my eyes to how big the world is. You never realize how much of an
influence home has on how you think until you get to know people from outside
your bubble.” Mansfield welcomed students from Spain, Israel, China, Germany,
France, and other countries this semester.
Haner’s grandfather, William Haner, was a decorated
World War II veteran and enrolled at Mansfield after a 20-year career in the
Army. He graduated from Mansfield in 1967.
“His choice to enroll here at MU propelled my
family firmly into the middle class, eventually giving people like me a chance
to go to 20th grade” said Haner. “Yes, the world has changed a lot since 1967.
But an education at Mansfield has not, and it’s backed by data. It’s still a
great step towards a more comfortable future. The same step you have chosen.”
On Monday, President Hanna greeted the campus
community with a welcome video message, assuring new students that faculty,
staff, and upperclassmen are here to help them. “We are all invested in
your success.” Hanna also met in-person with students and employees
to welcome them back to campus and to learn more about Mansfield University.
This semester marks a return to full in-person
classes at the university since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March
2020.