Until this year, CSU-Monterey Bay's President Peter Smith reveled in the annual opportunity to welcome incoming student government leaders at their spring inauguration ceremony and give an affirming nod to the outgoing leaders.

As the university's chief administrator, Smith has had the honor of conducting the inauguration since the campus's birth, about 10 years ago. But the incoming student leaders broke that long-standing tradition Monday.

Yuri Beckelman, the incoming Associated Students president, slipped on a crisp black suit, slicked back his hair and headed to CSU-Monterey Bay's inauguration where he and others planned to make a statement against the university's administration.

"It's sort of our little protest," Beckelman said, after the ceremony at the campus' University Center where he spent the afternoon mingling with guests on one side of the room, while Smith greeted guests on the other side.

Beckelman's at the center of a dispute over the administration's move to add two offices, including Smith's, to the top floor of the university's library plan. But he said the protest wasn't about the library.

Instead, the incoming student leadership's main concern is that the university, Beckelman said, has lost sight of its goal to offer education to local prospective students who might not have otherwise had access to a four-year college education.

As the university's founding president, Smith's calendar often fills up quickly. He had blocked off Monday for the inauguration, but that morning he received word that the incoming student leaders had withdrawn their invitation. Instead, they invited Steve Arvizu, the school's retired founding provost, to do the honors.

For once, Smith's schedule was open for lunch -- something that rarely happens.

"I think it's unfortunate that they chose to change what has been a long-standing tradition at the last minute and without forewarning," he said.

Smith said he was looking forward to the opportunity to say goodbye to outgoing leaders. Despite the withdrawn invitation, Smith did stop by at the end of the event to meet parents, which was something he promised some students he'd do.

From Beckelman's perspective, inviting Arvizu to conduct the inauguration made perfect sense. Students wanted to commemorate the schools' 10-year anniversary. Beckelman pointed out that Arvizu, as a founding provost, helped form the university's goals and would remind people of what those goals are.

Arvizu, glad to be back on the university's campus after an extended absence, visited with friends and students during the lunch. He went on to become Oxnard College's president after he left CSU-Monterey Bay.

During a conversation after the inauguration, Arvizu said he thought the university has lived up to many goals in its vision statement.

The campus' original administrators got the school off the ground in a short 17 months, which was a slight miracle, Arvizu said, because other CSU campuses are normally developed over a 7-year period.

Arvizu said the main thing he'd like to see accomplished at the school is an increase in the number of international students.

"I'm really proud that this campus is operating and I know there are a lot of conflicts and there will be. How can you develop a campus in eight months?" he asked. "This is quite an achievement. It's a dream that's being realized, but it still has a long way to go."

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