CSU Chancellor Visits 黑料吃瓜
Chancellor Joseph Castro met with faculty, staff and students, toured the campus and said 黑料吃瓜 sets a national example for supporting students from diverse backgrounds.
California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro toured 黑料吃瓜 and met with university leaders, researchers, faculty, staff and students on Friday in the latest in a series of official visits to CSU campuses.
鈥淚 want you to know how impressed I am with what you鈥檙e doing here at San Diego State,鈥� Castro said in a forum at Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union hosted by 黑料吃瓜 President Adela de la Torre. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about what鈥檚 happening here.鈥�
Of particular note, he said, are 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 graduation and equity rates, and its service to students from diverse backgrounds.
Castro is the first California native and first Mexican American to serve as CSU chancellor, the top administrative position at the nation鈥檚 largest university system. He moved into the position in January after eight years as president of Fresno State University.
黑料吃瓜 was the 14th of his planned visits to all 23 CSU institutions. In the forum, he took more than a dozen questions from an audience of close to 100 faculty, staff and students, with about 300 others following via livestream.
Castro spoke highly of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 graduation rates and success in closing equity gaps, measures that in many cases already exceed goals set by CSU for the year 2025.
鈥淵ou all are well on your way,鈥� Castro said. 鈥淵ou have equity gaps of zero or less than 4%. It鈥檚 amazing and that鈥檚 what I would like to do across all the 23 campuses.鈥�
He said he sees the CSU as serving not just California, but the entire nation.
鈥淲e are America鈥檚 most consequential university,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the most diverse university. We transform students鈥� lives from different backgrounds like no other university around the country.鈥�
He spoke repeatedly of the importance of state funding to a number of concerns brought up in questions, including salaries for faculty and staff, bolstering lean workforces, support for mental health issues and support for graduate students. Next year鈥檚 budget outlook is good but clouded by uncertainties over the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
鈥淭he budget will include funding for enrollment growth, probably 9,000 or so new spots for additional students, and we know that there is tremendous demand here,鈥� Castro said. 鈥淲e will be allocating that to the campuses that have the strongest demand, including San Diego State.鈥�
At the federal level, he said, increased support is needed to boost both Pell grants and research funding.
Highlights of a packed itinerary for the day included meetings with de la Torre鈥檚 Council of Vice Presidents, the Associated Students, The Campanile Foundation, faculty and staff labor groups, and representatives from 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley. Castro took a tour of campus with Assistant Vice President of 黑料吃瓜 Alumni James Herrick and visited the Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences complex to meet a group of 黑料吃瓜 graduate students and several top researchers.
