The California State University Board of Trustees will begin the search this month for a new president of CSULB to replace current President Robert C. Maxson, who has announced his retirement.

The first meeting of the search committee will be held from 1-2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26, in Conference Room 302 in Brotman Hall.

This is the first and only meeting of the committee that is an open meeting.

Under the CSU Board of Trustees' presidential selection policy, adopted in 1997, the chair of the board establishes a five-person Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President, which is composed of the chair of the board, the chancellor and three trustees, one of whom is designated as committee chair by the board chair. Board policy also requires the chair to appoint an advisory group to the trustees' committee. The Advisory Committee to the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President is composed of representatives of the faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as a member of the campus advisory board, all of whom are selected by the campus constituent groups. Also on the advisory committee are a vice president or academic dean from the campus, and a president of another CSU campus, both selected by the chancellor. Both committees function as one group.

Trustee Bob Foster will chair the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President. The other trustee members are Debra Farar and Ray Holdsworth, plus CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed and Trustee Chair Murray Galinson. The latter two are ex-officio to the committee.  

Members of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of the President include faculty members Luis Arroyo, professor, Chicano and Latino Studies; Margaret Merryfield, chair, Academic Senate; and Charles Noble, professor and chair, Political Science. Guy Heston from the CSULB Alumni Association will represent the alumni; Jamie Pollock from the CSULB Associated Students will represent the students; and Sharon Olson, director, University Academic Projects, will represent the staff. Others on the committee are Jane Netherton, chair, CSULB Board of Governors; Doug Robinson, CSULB vice president for Student Services; Jolene Koester, president, CSU Northridge; and Chris Steinhauser, superintendent, Long Beach Unified School District.

The purpose of this initial meeting is to discuss the role of the committee, set the schedule of meetings, review the descriptions of the campus and the presidential position, and discuss any other business related to the search process.

The committee will work over the next several months reviewing applications and will conduct interviews with semi-finalists. It is expected that the finalists will make open visits to the campus in the fall. The Board of Trustees will select a new president in October or November. President Maxson will stay on as president until a new president is selected and in place.