The following statement can be attributed to CSU Chancellor Mildred García:
“President Tom Jackson Jr. has provided visionary, principled, and forward-focused leadership, as well as prudent stewardship during a tenure that has spanned one of the most momentous periods in Cal Poly Humboldt's history.
President Jackson led Cal Poly Humboldt's bold transformation to become Northern California's first polytechnic institution, solidifying its already strong experiential learning ethos and energizing a robust research and innovation agenda. The transformation inspired significant state funding to expand academic offerings, facilities and campus services, and enrollment growth, a testament to the impactful role the university can play in addressing critical regional, state and national workforce needs. Today, Cal Poly Humboldt is well positioned to be a leader in sustainability and climate innovation practices, among many other future-focused fields.
On behalf of the entire CSU, I thank President Jackson for his service to Cal Poly Humboldt, his attention to developing strong relationships with Tribal and other North Coast communities, and his lifelong dedication to student success and educational equity."
On July 11, 2024, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr. announced his decision to step down effective August 11, 2024. Jackson has led Cal Poly Humboldt for five years, becoming the university's first Black president, as well as its first Filipino and Native American president.
An interim president will soon be appointed, with the CSU launching a national search in the fall for Cal Poly Humboldt's next regularly appointed president.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation’s largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 450,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU’s 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending nearly 127,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.