The following statement can be attributed to CSU Chancellor Mildred García:
“Throughout her tenure, President Conoley has demonstrated herself to be an exceptionally skilled, highly principled and truly visionary leader – a person of wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy and compassion.
Thanks in large part to her leadership, Cal State Long Beach has strengthened its position as a powerhouse of social mobility, a beacon of inclusive excellence and a true anchor institution for the region. President Conoley has been innovative and intentional – and highly successful – in her work to create and sustain a more diverse and inclusive campus environment, as evidenced by the university being named a Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. She has expanded Cal State Long Beach's research impact while maintaining the university's laser focus on its students and their success. And the extraordinary success of the recent No Barriers capital campaign – generating more than $313 million of philanthropic investment against a goal of $275 million – clearly shows an institution that has the respect and enthusiastic support of its alumni, the extended campus community and the region it serves.
I offer President Conoley my heartfelt gratitude and deep admiration for her remarkable leadership. Cal State Long Beach is a stronger and more vital institution for her service, and I wish her the very best in her life's next chapter."
On November 25, 2024, California State University, Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley announced that she will retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Conoley is the university's seventh president, and first woman regularly appointed to the role. She has served as president since 2014.
The CSU will soon launch a national search for Conoley's successor. Under university policy, the chair of the CSU Board of Trustees and the chancellor will select a committee comprised of campus and community stakeholders to lead the search.
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 460,000 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 more than 125,000 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.