California State University Chancellor Charles Reed and trustees are commended for their diligent pursuit of a new president to head Cal State Bakersfield.

Tomas Arciniega, Cal State Bakersfield's current president, will be retiring in late June after 21 years on the Bakersfield campus and 31 years in the university system.

Working with a group of community advisers, state university officials have narrowed the field of candidates to replace Arciniega to three finalists. The California State University board of trustees is expected to select a new Cal State Bakersfield president in about two weeks.

The three finalists Ephraim P. Smith of Cal State Fullerton; Horace Mitchell of the University of California at Berkeley; and G. Timothy Haight of Cal State Los Angeles will be visiting the Bakersfield campus next week.

An open forum will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Student Union multi-purpose room on each of the candidate's visit days: Smith, May 11; Mitchell, May 12; and Haight, May 13.

Selecting a replacement with a strong academic background and community relations-building skills is essential to Cal State Bakersfield's growth and its continuing value to the community.

We applaud state university officials and the citizens who are assisting with the selection process for their conscientious hard work and concern for both the university and community.