Paul Yu, president of the State University of New York College at Brockport and Richard Jarvis, chancellor of the Oregon University System, are the two finalists to be the next president of San Jose State University, the California State University said Tuesday.

The new president will succeed former President Bob Caret who assumed the presidency of Towson University in Maryland in summer 2003. Joseph N. Crowley, president emeritus of the University of Nevada, Reno, has been serving as interim president. He was not a candidate for the permanent position.

Mr. Yu, who has been president at SUNY College at Brockport since 1997, previously was provost and senior vice president, academic affairs at Butler University, where he also served as vice president, academic affairs, and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. At Central Michigan University he was the associate dean, College of Arts and Sciences, and chair of the philosophy department. He also was a Fulbright Lecturer in Philosophy at the National Taiwan University.

His Ph.D., master's and bachelor's degrees are all in philosophy and were earned at the University of Michigan.

Mr. Jarvis, who has been chancellor of the Oregon University System since 2002, previously was chancellor of the United States Open University, and chancellor of the University & Community College System of Nevada. At the State University of New York System, he was the acting provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, and the vice provost for academic programs and research. At SUNY Fredonia, he was the vice president for academic affairs and professor of geosciences. At SUNY Buffalo, he held several administrative and academic positions. He also was a lecturer in geography at Durham University, England.

His Ph.D., master's and bachelor's degrees are all in geography and they were earned at Cambridge University, England.

Each finalist will spend a day on the SJSU campus in mid-April meeting faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community. The CSU Board of Trustees will interview the finalists at a special meeting in closed session on April 19. The new leader will be named shortly thereafter and will assume the presidency on a date to be determined.

San José State University, founded in 1857, is oldest public university in California. It has about 30,000 students on 154 acre campus in downtown San José.