The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees is beginning the search for a new president of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to succeed Dr. Dianne F. Harrison, who is retiring in June 2020.
The first meeting of the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President will be held in an open forum from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, in the CSUN University Student Union Northridge Center. The open meeting will be followed by a closed meeting.
CSU Trustee Debra Farar will chair the committee. The other trustee members include: Larry Adamson, Maryana Khames and Lillian Kimbell, as well as Trustee Chair Adam Day and CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White.
The open forum will be web-streamed live (and web-archived) on the
President Search webpage, where individuals may also provide their input.
Board policy requires the chair of the CSU trustees to appoint an Advisory Committee to the Trustees' Committee. The Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from the faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as a member of a campus advisory board, all of whom are selected by the campus's constituency groups. Also on the Advisory Committee is a vice president or academic dean from the campus, and a president of another CSU campus—both selected by the chancellor. Both committees function as one unified group.
Members of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of the President include:
- CSUN faculty members Michael Neubauer, Ph.D., professor of Mathematics and director, Liberal Studies, and Stevie Ruiz, Ph.D., assistant professor, Chicana/o Studies
- Mary-Pat Stein, Ph.D., president, CSUN Faculty Senate
- Hai-Ling Tang, web and digital support specialist, Oviatt Library/Collection Access and Management Services (staff representative)
- Mohammad Qahir Hotaki, vice president, CSUN Associated Students (student representative)
- Diana Vicente, president, CSUN Associated Students (student representative)
- Cindy Chernow, president, CSUN Alumni Association (alumni representative)
- Bob Myman, chair, CSUN Foundation Board (campus advisory board representative)
- William Watkins, Ed.D., vice president and dean of students, CSUN Division of Student Affairs
- Community representatives Carlos Fuentes and Milt Valera
- Tomás Morales, Ph.D., president of California State University, San Bernardino
The purpose of the meeting in an open forum is to: review the role of the committee, receive comments and input from the public and campus community, explain the search process and confidentiality, confirm the schedule of meetings, discuss preferred attributes of the next president, review the descriptions and needs of the campus and presidential position, and discuss any other business related to the search process.
Over the next several months, the committee will review candidates and conduct interviews.
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About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 52,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California community colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 127,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3.8 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.