Mildred García selected as new California State University chancellor

Mildred Garcia, new chancellor-select of the California State University System.

Credit: Cal State Fullerton/Flickr

The California State University announced Wednesday that Mildred García, the current president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities will lead the 23 campus system as the new chancellor.

García will be the 11th chancellor to lead the Cal State system and the first Latina. She has formerly served as president of Cal State Fullerton, from 2012 to 2018, and CSU Dominguez Hills, from 2007 to 2012. She will succeed the Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester. Garcia’s tenure will begin Oct. 1.

“The California State University is a powerful engine of change and upward mobility for California and the nation, supporting hundreds of thousands of students in achieving their educational, career and personal aspirations,” said García. “I am honored, humbled and excited for this opportunity to serve the nation’s largest four-year university system and work alongside its dedicated leaders, faculty and staff, and its talented and diverse students to further student achievement, close equity gaps and continue to drive California’s economic prosperity.”

García will see an annual compensation of $795,000, $80,000 in annual deferred compensation, $8,000 monthly housing allowance since the chancellor doesn’t have an official residence, and $1,000 monthly auto allowance. She’ll also receive standard benefits given to CSU executives. The board voted 18-2-1 on the salary.

“This salary is in line with other complex institutions and systems across the country,” Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester said, adding that it is essentially the same salary she received.

Former Chancellor Joseph Castro, who resigned last year amid allegations he mishandled sexual harassment complaints, received $625,000, a $7,917 monthly housing and $1,000 monthly auto allowances.

Some trustees said they were against giving García the salary amid concerns that the system is facing a $1.5 billion deficit, threats of strikes by its employee labor unions over pay and benefits, and is considering a 6% annual tuition increase on students.

“This is close to double what the chancellor was making four years ago,” said Trustee Douglas Faigin, who voted against the salary. “Faculty and staff are hearing that we want to treat them as fairly as we can, but at the same time, the cupboard is bare.”

Compared to other chancellors and presidents of public universities and systems nationally, Cal State’s chancellor didn’t make the top 50 in base pay in 2021 and ranked 49th in total compensation, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The board compared CSU chancellor’s salary to Texas State University System Chancellor, who makes $1,009,507 and oversees seven campuses with nearly 87,000 students; the State University of New York Chancellor who makes $750,000 and oversees 64 campuses of more than 363,612 students.

As the AASCU president, García made $724,660 in 2021, according to the 990 report.

“We need the very best person we can recruit to be the chancellor, and we can’t do it on the margin,” Trustee Jack McGrory said. “We’ve acted like second-class people to the UC system. The UC president is making $1.1 million. The president of (UC San Diego) is making $1.1 million. This salary is not even close to what’s going on in the UC system, and our people have a more challenging job than the UC executive staff.”

Her appointment will end her current role as the AASCU president, an advocacy group for 350 state colleges and universities focused on student success and opportunities.  Garcia’s background includes past service on several advisory boards including the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and the Committee on Measures of Student Success.

Prior to coming to CSU, Garcia was the chief executive officer of Berkeley College, where she was the first system-wide president for all six campuses in New York and New Jersey. She has held academic and senior-level positions at Arizona State University, Montclair State University, Pennsylvania State University; Teachers Colleges, Columbia University; the Hostos, LaGuardia, and City Colleges of the City University of New York.

García’s parents moved from Puerto Rico and she was raised in New York City. She was the first in her family to earn a degree with an associate degree from New York City Community College, a bachelor’s in business education from Bernard M. Baruch College, and a master’s in business education from New York University. She also earned a master’s and a doctorate in higher education administration from Teachers College at Columbia University.

“Dr. García is a highly-skilled, dynamic and principled leader who has championed student success—especially for those students from underrepresented communities—throughout her long and distinguished career in public higher education,” said Wenda Fong, chair of the CSU Board of Trustees. “Her optimism, authenticity and courageous leadership will inspire greatness for the California State University community as we meet the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead and chart a path toward our great institution’s brightest future.”