Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Presidential Search To Start Over

(June 2, 2010) – Following campus visits by the three finalists being considered as the new president of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and the June 2 interviews of the remaining two candidates by the CSU Board of Trustees, CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed has recommended that the process start over with a new pool of candidates. The board of trustees has concurred with the chancellor's recommendation.

"The board of trustees certainly respects the level of experience the candidates bring to the process, but ultimately, we must be confident that the next president be the right fit with the campus and the community," said Reed. "In addition, we are competing to attract candidates within national presidential compensation levels that are often much higher than we are able to offer. This makes the search that much more difficult."

A new pool of candidates for the presidential position will be considered beginning in the fall, and the search committee will restart the interview process. It is expected that an interim president will be appointed prior to the departure of retiring President Warren Baker, who has been president since 1979.

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California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 450,000 students year round and 46,000 faculty and staff. Since the system was created in 1961, it has awarded nearly 2.5 million degrees, about 90,000 annually. The CSU is renowned for the quality of its teaching and for the job-ready graduates it produces. Its mission is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of the people of California. With its commitment to excellence, diversity and innovation, the CSU is the university system that is working for California.