CSU Stanislaus President Hughes to Retire; Will Remain as Interim President for 2004/05

Dr. Marvalene Hughes, President of California State University, Stanislaus the past 10 years, will retire this month but stay on as interim president during 2004/05 to continue the forward progress of the University.

"Marvalene is an outstanding leader in American higher education, not only in this state," said California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "She is a tireless advocate for CSU Stanislaus and the entire CSU system. The Board of Trustees, her presidential colleagues and I are pleased that she has accepted my offer to serve as interim president this coming academic year."

"I care very deeply about this University and the community, which made this transition extremely difficult," President Hughes said. "For 10 wonderful years, it has been a privilege to be a part of the transformation of this University where unprecedented progress was experienced on every measure, whether it be enrollment growth, capital campaigns, new academic programs, facilities expansion and construction, community events on campus, or strategic planning. All of this was made possible by an outstanding administrative team, superb faculty and staff, and highly qualified and motivated students. Corporate and community leaders have committed themselves to developing a strong university that enhances the quality of life in the region.

"The reaffirmation extended me by the Chancellor and the Board allows the University and the community to strengthen the partnerships and continue to move the University to even higher levels of excellence. I am reinvigorated, and I stand ready to serve."

A full professor in Psychology, Hughes is retiring from regular CSU service and participating in the state's early retirement program to CSU faculty that provides two years of additional service credit to faculty members.

The search for a new president will begin in October and is expected to conclude in the spring, when the Board of Trustees would name a new president. The search will follow established CSU procedures. The search committee will be chaired by a CSU trustee and will include other trustees, the Chancellor, another CSU president and representatives of the campus faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as a community member.

Hughes came to CSU Stanislaus from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities), where she had been the vice president for student affairs, vice provost and professor. She also was Vice President and professor at the University of Toledo and Associate Vice President at Arizona State University. She spent 14 years at San Diego State University as an administrator and professor.

During her presidential tenure, Hughes has overseen construction of $70 million in new university facilities funded by public and private sources. On September 23, the campus will break ground for a $57 million, 115,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Science facility.

New academic programs in agricultural studies, criminal justice, nursing, social work, and fine and performing arts were developed. Several academic programs received the highest levels of accreditation, including accreditation for the College of Business Administration from the AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; the College of Education from the prestigious National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and numerous academic disciplines in the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences.

California State University, Stanislaus has become a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a goal formally pursued for the past five years and officially attained in 2003.

In Stockton, Hughes led the initiative with the state legislature which resulted in the conveyance of 102 acres and 52 buildings from the State of California to the California State University. An innovative partnership with the Grupe Company has stabilized the project, which now enrolls 1,151 students in upper division and graduate programs. She then established the Stockton Eighth Grade Initiative and the Cronkite Stanislaus County Eighth Grade Initiative to offer scholarship incentives for eighth graders who pursue college preparedness.

On the national level, Hughes is the co-founder of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Millennium Leadership Initiative that provides leadership training for persons traditionally underrepresented in higher education administration. Nineteen of the program's participants have gone on to become university presidents. She was recently named co-chair of a joint National Association of State University and Land Grant Colleges/AASCU Task Force on Diversity. Hughes is the former chair of the Women Presidents/Chancellors of AASCU and is co-chair of the African-American Presidents and Chancellors of AASCU.

Under Hughes' leadership, CSU Stanislaus launched its first formal capital campaign for $25 million, exceeding that goal a year earlier than planned. Student scholarships and academic programs were significantly enhanced by these efforts.

"Keeping Marvalene at CSU Stanislaus for the coming academic year reaffirms her commitment to the campus, community and the CSU system. She will continue to move forward the campus' strategic planning process and keep making CSU Stanislaus the University of Choice in the region," Reed said.

Contact: Don Hansen, (209) 667-3997