Mildred García Appointed 11th CSU Chancellor

(Editor’s note: The following messages were shared with the SJSU campus community on Wednesday, July 12.)

Dear Campus Community,

To quote the poet Muriel Strode, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Congratulations to our new Chancellor Dr. Mildred Garcia.  Dr. Garcia is well known for her accolades and accomplishments in the CSU and most recently her leadership at a national level as the President and CEO of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.  She has a national reputation for excellence and focus on students, leading innovation and preparing leaders for the future of higher education. Dr. Garcia and I are both first-gen Latinas, I look forward to working together, with a focus on increasing opportunities for our students and continuing to lift and grow the excellence of the CSU system.

And a special thank you to the extraordinary interim Chancellor Jolene Koester. Her leadership has guided the system and she will continue to establish a glidepath to welcome the new Chancellor.   Please join me in welcoming and celebrating both Dr. Garcia and Interim Chancellor Koester for their commitment to student success and the future of the CSU.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
(She/Her/Ella)

Dear California State University Community:

On behalf of the California State University Board of Trustees, it is my honor and great pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Mildred García, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), as the next chancellor to lead the CSU system.

This marks a return to the CSU for Chancellor-select García. She previously served as president of Cal State Fullerton from 2012 to 2018 and as president of CSU Dominguez Hills from 2007 to 2012. At both universities, Chancellor-select García’s principled and student-centered leadership led to advances in student achievement and educational equity, as well as increases in philanthropic support and community partnerships.

As AASCU president since 2018, she has been a strong advocate for public higher education at the national level, working to influence federal policy and regulations on behalf of nearly 400 member colleges and universities that hold students and community at the heart of their mission.

Throughout her long and distinguished career, Chancellor-select García has been a champion for students of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented communities. As a first-generation student and the first in her family to earn a degree, she has devoted her professional life to the social mobility and transformational opportunities that a college degree offers. Her unwavering commitment to furthering student achievement, dynamic leadership and visionary perspective will chart a new and exciting path forward for the entire California State University community.

We welcome Chancellor-select García back to the CSU and anticipate that she will officially begin her tenure on October 1.

Please read the press release announcement here. 

Sincerely,

Wenda Fong
Chair, CSU Board of Trustees
Chair, Implementation Committee for the Selection of the Chancellor