Appointment of Dr. Joseph I. Castro as the 8th Chancellor of California State University
September 23, 2020
This morning, the California State University (CSU), Board of Trustees, announced the appointment of Dr. Joseph I. Castro as the eighth Chancellor of the CSU system.
CSSA offers our heartfelt congratulations to Chancellor-Select Joseph I. Castro for being appointed as the 8th Chancellor of the CSU. As the president of Fresno State University, Dr. Castro has been a thoughtful and good faith partner with students and a beloved leader in the Fresno community. In 2018, CSSA recognized him as the CSU President of the Year for his work in addressing student basic needs. CSSA recognizes Chancellor-Select Castro’s story as the grandson of immigrants from Mexico, son of a single mother, and the first in his family to graduate from college; a story that resembles that of so many students at the CSU and serves as an example of the transformational power of higher education in an individual’s life, their families life, and lives of those in their communities.
As the officially recognized voice of the over 480,000 CSU students, the Cal State Student Association looks forward to working with Chancellor-Select Castro in addressing the issues facing our system, during one of the most challenging times in our collective history.
The key issues our new Chancellor will face during this time from the perspective of students are:
Navigating the virtual environment and challenges facing the institution due to world wide pandemic and the United States government’s uninspired response to addressing the health and safety of its residents,
Addressing the likely long term budget deficits and advocating in the state and federal government for greater financial support, and
Student basic needs, including food insecurity, housing insecurity, health resources, technological access, and universal broadband.
Our sincere hope is to work collectively with Chancellor-Select Castro, administration, faculty, staff, and CSU stakeholders to assess the current moment, advocating for needed resources, and reimagining the future of higher education. These obstacles will be difficult to overcome and we may not always agree on the approach to addressing these needs; however, we know when we work together our chances of success are greatly increased.
Congratulations to Chancellor-Select Castro! The students of the CSU look forward to working alongside you.
