CSU hosts annual Back to School Parade

Celebration of the beginning of the school year led by Leslie J. Anderson

CHICAGO (Aug. 11, 2023) - On Aug. 21, Chicago State University will welcome back students to the University’s 156th academic year with a Back to School Parade and Welcome Week celebration.

At 8:30 am on Aug. 21, the semester will kick off with a Back to School parade, led by Leslie J. Anderson as the Grand Marshal. Anderson serves as Board Treasurer of the Chicago State Foundation’s Board of Directors and Global Head of One Client Wealth Management at BMO Financial Group. As an active member in the Chicago business community focusing on college readiness and persistence as well as entrepreneurship, Anderson also serves on the executive board and is DEI Committee Chair for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center/1871; Board member of OneGoal Chicago and Board Treasurer of the Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education.

The Back to School Parade will also include the University’s outstanding student talent by featuring CSU’s Marching Band - the Marching Soul of Chicago, Division 1 student athletes, student leaders, faculty, staff and alumni. It concludes in the campus quad with a pep rally, guest speakers and a performance by the marching band. Highlights from the 2022 Back to School parade and pep rally are available here.

The pep rally concludes with the start of Welcome Week. The full week of events, organized by the Department of Student Activities, gives students an opportunity to learn more about campus resources, network with students and faculty, and get involved with campus organizations. CSU offers student support services on campus, including a counseling center and Child Development Center, and 50 student organizations from Student Government Association to interest clubs, identity affinity groups, Divine Nine chapters and more.

About Chicago State University

CSU, founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University’s four colleges offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois and ranked by a Harvard economist in the top 4% of public and private universities nationwide in supporting our graduates’ economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent civic space on the greater South Side of Chicago by hosting a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The University is located near public transit that provides convenient access to the campus. Visit csu.edu.