CSUSB Palm Desert Campus Class Interrupted for Emotional Presentation of Award

Cal State San Bernardino’s (CSUSB) Palm Desert Campus Professor Lacey Kendall

PALM DESERT – Cal State San Bernardino’s president and faculty members interrupted an oral communication class at the Palm Desert campus Tuesday to present the lecturer with the university’s 2022-23 Outstanding Lecturer Award in front of her students.

“Professor Lacey Kendall is a passionate, engaged and dedicated lecturer who has excelled in the area of teaching and supporting student development,” according to a statement from the awards committee. “When evaluating Professor Kendall’s track record as a teacher, (the committee was) incredibly impressed that she has achieved and sustained consistently high levels of performance in that role.”

Kendall, a communication studies lecturer, was presented the award Tuesday through a surprise declaration for her exceptional instruction, capacity to engage her students and for because of their positive feedback, according to a statement from the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus.

CSUSB president Tomas D. Morales and more than 45 colleagues, faculty members, staff and administrators barged into her class in the Mary Stuart Rogers Gateway Building to make the announcement, college officials said. Though she was shocked at first, she quickly became emotional listening to her colleagues’ positive comments about her.

“Lacey is everything a faculty member ought to be,” said provost and vice president for academic affairs at CSUSB Rafik Mohamed. “She is an excellent instructor, she has real-world experience, but beyond that, she is caring and as we saw today, she has had a profound impact on the lives of our students, so I couldn’t be happier.”

The class interruption is part of university tradition so students can see their professor being honored, officials said. In addition to the award, Kendall will receive a $1,000 Faculty Professional Development Grant.

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