Mildred García Appointed 11th CSU Chancellor

Dear Cal State East Bay community,

I am sharing with you a message from the Chancellor’s Office about today’s appointment of Mildred García as California State University’s 11th chancellor. 

This is a historic hire as Chancellor García is the first ever Latina appointed to lead the CSU system. Also, like many of our own students, she is the first in her family to graduate from college. I have no doubt that her commitment to student achievement and closing equity gaps will enable us to advance the priorities of our campus, leverage our resources and continue to move forward collectively as we empower our graduates to make a meaningful difference in their communities. 

I am very excited to work with Dr. García, and I strongly believe that she will be a great fit for the nation’s largest and most diverse four-year university system. 

Cathy Sandeen
President

July 12, 2023

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