The following statement can be attributed to CSU Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester:
“California State University, Chico President Gayle Hutchinson has been both a visionary leader and a trailblazer for the California State University and for higher education more broadly.
The first woman to serve as Chico State's president and the first openly gay president in the Cal State system, President Hutchinson consistently demonstrated that there are no limits to what can be achieved through intelligence, hard work and a commitment to one's core values, uplifting and inspiring many thousands of students, faculty and staff throughout her distinguished career in higher education.
President Hutchinson began that career as a faculty member at Chico State before shifting into administrative leadership roles, first as provost of California State University Channel Islands and then returning to Chico State as president. She is a principled leader, an innovator in academic programming and student support services and a champion for the students and broader community she serves.
We are deeply appreciative of President Hutchinson's extraordinary service to Chico State and the CSU."
On October 11, 2022, Chico State President Gayle E. Hutchinson announced that she would retire from her role at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
The CSU will launch a national search to identify Hutchinson's successor. Under university policy, the chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, Wenda Fong, and Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester will select a committee comprised of campus and community stakeholders who will be publicly announced at a later date. Thereafter, campus and community input will be sought in an open forum held on the Chico State campus.
About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 477,000 students and 56,000 faculty and staff. Nearly 40 percent of the CSU's undergraduate students transfer from California Community Colleges. The CSU was created in 1960 with a mission of providing high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 132,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 4 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter.