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The Mansfield campus of 91������Ƶ formally kicked off the 2026-27 academic year on Friday, Aug. 21, with its annual Convocation ceremony at Straughn Auditorium.

Convocation is a campus tradition where university leadership, faculty, staff and returning students welcome the first-year students joining the Mansfield campus for the first time.

Dr. Jeffrey Osgood, 91������Ƶ president, welcomed the new students and explained that the people they meet and the experiences they have over the next four years will change them for the better.

“Mansfield is special because of its people,” Osgood said. “And you are the people who will make Mansfield special for this new generation of Mounties.”

Dr. Leslie Clifford, associate professor of biological sciences, served as the special faculty speaker during the Convocation. In her address to the students, Clifford – who studies how animals interact with one another and their environment – shared how the Norway rat successfully adapted to new regions because of its willingness to try new foods. When encountering unfamiliar food, the Norway rat will try a small portion to see if it is safe to eat. Once it confirms that the food is safe, it benefits from having an additional food source.

“The Norway rat has become wildly successful by trying new things. Use college as a time to try new things,” Clifford said to the new students. “Like the Norway rat, you too will thrive during your college years if you try new things. Expand your horizons; don’t stick to the topics and activities and friends that you are already comfortable with.”

Newly appointed Mansfield Student Government Association President, Natalie Bliss, addressed her fellow students and encouraged them to take advantage of the new opportunities that Mansfield and college present. “Meaningful change rarely begins with a crowd, but rather by one individual choosing to act,” Bliss shared.

Convocation concluded with a picnic outside of Straughn Hall, bringing together students and employees along with a group of prospective students who were on campus attending Mansfield Admission’s final Summer Preview Day.

Classes began at Mansfield on Monday, Aug. 24. New and returning Mansfield students represent 15 states and five countries.