[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MR. DON W. KASSING, PRESIDENT OF SAN JOSE 
                            STATE UNIVERSITY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
California's most successful university presidents, Mr. Don W. Kassing. 
Don will be retiring this year and I would like to highlight some of 
the significant contributions he has made, not only to the university, 
but also to the surrounding community. It is with mixed emotions that I 
say farewell to Don--I am saddened to see him go, but do so with 
tremendous pride and respect for the accomplishments he has made to my 
alma mater, San Jose State University.
  In August of 2004, following the unexpected resignation of his 
predecessor, Don leapt into action as the newly appointed interim 
president of San Jose State University. Accepting this position just 
before the start of the school year, Don moved quickly to reassure an 
apprehensive campus that all focus would remain on the important 
business of starting the fall semester. His confidence in the 
collective capabilities of the San Jose State University faculty and 
staff, his generous and collegial management and leadership style, and 
the trust and respect that he had garnered during his 11 years of 
service as San Jose State University's vice president for 
administration and finance quickly created a sense of stability.
  One of Don's first actions as president was to galvanize the campus 
to organize its first-ever campuswide strategic planning process. This 
thorough planning involved a mobilization of all campus units and 
resulted in a vibrant ``Vision 2010.'' San Jose State University is now 
at the end of two full cycles of implementation.
  Leading by example, Don repeatedly made thoughtful, public stands on 
tough issues. He strongly supported a student initiative to honor two 
San Jose State athletes and civil rights icons, Tommie Smith and John 
Carlos, medal winners of the 1968 Olympics, who chose a non-violent 
protest during the medals ceremony to bring attention to the American 
civil rights movement. The groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies for 
the campus sculpture in 2007 gave the University at long last the 
opportunity to appropriately honor and embrace the athletes and their 
actions.
  Building upon the successful partnership with the city of San Jose to 
develop the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Don was instrumental 
in forging the Beyond Martin Luther King collaborative, which initiated 
a broader commitment and conversation with city and San Jose State 
University leadership staff and community stakeholders. Since 2004, key 
partnership projects have sparked neighborhood development, affordable 
housing-to-workforce enhancement and co-production of major events. 
This successful collaborative effort serves as a model of how a 
positive, symbiotic relationship between a lively campus and a vibrant 
downtown can be used to enhance the stature of both a city and its 
university.
  This year, Don led the campus in a decision to suspend blood drives, 
citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's lifetime blood donor 
deferral affecting gay men as being in violation of the university's 
nondiscrimination policy. The public stand taken by SJSU has re-ignited 
debate across the country about FDA's policy. It is my hope that the 
questions raised by Don's actions will lead to a thorough, thoughtful, 
and scientifically sound reexamination of FDA policy.
  Mr. Kassing's successes can best be summoned up in the words of its 
accrediting body. In a letter last July, Western Association of Schools 
and Colleges Executive Director Ralph Wolff said: ``The Commission 
would like to extend its commendation to the San Jose State University 
community on the truly remarkable distance it has traveled since fall 
2004. The team report notes `significant progress' in assessment of 
student learning and enrollment management; the positive influence of 
recent appointments at the senior level; an operational strategic plan; 
innovative new programs for student success; and above all, dramatic 
changes in culture, energy and focus on campus.''
  Madam Speaker, I will miss seeing my friend, Don Kassing, in San 
Jose, but wish him and his spouse, Amy, only the best as they embark on 
the next phase of their journey in Arizona.

                          ____________________