Presidential Search
President Horace Mitchell announced he will retire at the end of the 2017-18 academic year, June 30, 2018. The California State University has begun a national search for the next president of CSU Bakersfield.
Read more.
Input from the CSUB and surrounding community is an essential part of the selection process. An open forum is scheduled for Monday, October 30, 2017 from 1:30-3:30pm in the Doré Theater. This gathering will allow the selection and advisory committees to gather input on the essential qualities and experience desired for the next president. All California State University, Bakersfield students, faculty and staff are invited, as are members of the surrounding community.
President Mitchell will leave CSUB after 14 years of oversight of the academics and overall operations of the growing campus and a 50-year career in higher education. Under his leadership, CSUB has experienced a period of rapid development, with a vision to extend the excellence and diversity of the faculty and academic programs, enhance the quality of the student experience, and strengthen community engagement. CSUB has risen to national attention earning accolades, honors and awards for its academic and co-curricular programs. The Washington Monthly ranks CSUB #10 among the Top 100 Master’s Universities and #4 Best Bang for the Buck Western Colleges. The Economist’s ranking of colleges and universities based on the economic value of attendance placed CSUB at #10 out of 1,275 four-year, non-vocational U.S. colleges and universities. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce ranks CSUB #6 for earnings, academic preparation and graduate degree attainment. CSUB also was ranked in the 95th percentile by The Brookings Institute for expected student earnings and #39 by Time Magazine in its rankings of top colleges and universities.
While continuing its commitment to the enrollment of community college transfers and non-traditional aged students, an increased emphasis has been placed on enrolling more first-time freshmen directly from high school, and more students from other California counties, other states and nations. CSUB has added academic programs to meet the changing student, community and economic development needs of its region. New faculty have been recruited and hired as enrollment has grown. New facilities have been constructed and new support infrastructure developed to accommodate the expansion of academic programs and student enrollment.Dr. Mitchell’s guidance has positioned CSUB to continue to prosper under its next president.
Please visit this site regularly for updates on the presidential search process.
CSU Trustees announce CSUB's New President
Dr. Lynnette Zelezny
Search Committee
Timothy White, Ph.D., Chancellor
Rebecca Eisen, J.D., Chair of the Board of Trustees
John Nilon, Search Committee Chair
Jane Carney, J.D., Trustee
Jorge Reyes Salinas, Trustee
Lateefah Simon, Trustee
Tomás Morales, Ph.D., CSU San Bernardino, CSU President Representative
Kathleen Madden, Ph.D., Dean of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering, Administration Representative
Deborah Boschini, Ed.D., Chair, CSUB Academic Senate
Melissa Danforth, Ph.D., Faculty Representative
Isabel Sumaya, Ph.D., Faculty Representative
Steve Walsh, Staff Representative
Mariela Gomez, Student Representative
Alex Balfour, Alumni Representative
Sheryl Barbich, Campus Advisory Board Representative
Morgan Clayton, Community Representative
Jay Tamsi, Community Representative
Search Firm: Witt/Kieffer
