Commendation of David S. Spence

AS-2704-05/EX - May 4-6, 2005

WHEREAS, David Spence has served as Executive Vice Chancellor of the California State University since 1998 and as Chief Academic Officer of the California State University since 1999; and

WHEREAS, David Spence has recently announced that he will be leaving the CSU to take up the presidency of the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, David Spence will leave a long list of accomplishments, many of them in partnership with the Academic Senate CSU, including:

• Early assessment and intervention for high school students as a way to reduce remediation in the CSU;
• Programs for improving students' opportunities to transfer to the CSU from the community colleges;
• Advocating for applied doctoral programs, including designing agreements for initial collaborative Ed.D. programs with the University of California and seeking legislative authority for the California State University to offer independent applied doctorates;
• Assessment of the competency of teachers prepared in the CSU; and

WHEREAS, David Spence has been an effective representative of the academic mission of the CSU to, and has established good working relationships with, the many offices, organizations, and individuals in Sacramento who are crucial to the ability of the CSU to carry out its mission, notably the Legislature, the Department of Education, and the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and has thereby improved respect for the CSU in Sacramento; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Spence has demonstrated his commitment to the educational mission of the CSU by teaching during his tenure; and

WHEREAS, David Spence has probably attended more meetings of the Academic Senate CSU than all his predecessors combined, has almost certainly attended more Senate committee meetings than all his predecessors combined, and has clearly demonstrated to members of the Senate the reasons why he is widely considered to be a good listener and a collaborative decision-maker; and

WHEREAS, David Spence, to an extent unprecedented in the experience of current members of the Senate, has defined his working relationship with the Senate as a partnership; and

WHEREAS, David Spence has been described by those who work with him as accessible, collaborative, collegial, engaging, an excellent gatherer of information, energetic, hardworking, disciplined, goal oriented, of high integrity, well intentioned, and honest; and

WHEREAS, David Spence has demonstrated that he cares deeply about higher education and about the CSU and about members of the CSU community; therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate of the California State University thank David for his commitment to participating in our meetings, listening to senators' concerns, and acting collaboratively in seeking solutions to issues facing the CSU; and be it further

RESOLVED: That the Academic Senate CSU wish David well in moving to a red state.