New CSULB President Andrew Jones '82 aims to lead 'through a student lens'
Andrew Jones graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1982, but his heart never left. For 36 years, he’s been able to walk out his front door and within minutes, be back on the campus he’s loved so much, strolling along the tree-lined paths and absorbing the peace of the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden.
When he received the assignment in August to leave the Chancellor’s Office and serve as CSULB president, he said it felt like he was coming home.
“I think a lot of things in life kind of happen the way they’re supposed to be,” he said.
Sitting in his sunny office in Brotman Hall, surrounded by Beach memorabilia and framed photographs of his wife and daughters, President Jones shared how it’s going so far and what he’d like to accomplish while he’s back home.
Q: Welcome back to The Beach, President Jones. As an alumnus, what do you love about being back on campus?
President Jones: I’d say it’s the people. The people are amazing. And the energy. There’s a feeling of possibility when you’re on campus. I’ve spent 25 years in the (CSU) headquarters and what you hear there are the challenges — and there are clearly those. But when you’re on a campus, you see what it is that we can do and why we do it. You see the students. I’ve never spent time on a campus on a regular ongoing basis. There is a positive energy here that is very invigorating and inspiring.
Q: What does that energy look like?
President Jones: Every time I talk to students, they’re just on fire! They are loaded with possibilities. They light up when they talk about what they want to do and what they’re studying. You can almost feel their dreams. It’s just really exciting. It’s really energizing to see that.
Q: How has your experience as a first-generation student on campus shaped/informed the way you are leading today?
President Jones: It helps me see things through a student lens. You shouldn’t be looking at solving problems through an administrator lens or from a lawyer lens or a president lens, instead you should always try to view things from a student lens. I think I was one of our typical students. I was the first in my family to go to college. I had parents who were willing to be supportive, but they didn’t have the financial means to support me in any meaningful way other than giving me a roof over my head, which was important.
So, I had to get a job to pay my tuition, which, thankfully, was affordable here. But they didn’t have the background to help me to navigate the system. There’s a lot of stress that goes with that.
I didn’t know what to expect when I came here as a college student. I didn’t know how to navigate the process. I can still remember the feelings of uncertainty, of overwhelm and the stress of being a student. I remember those feelings, and I think that helps inform how I like to go about leading, solving problems, and addressing crises or challenges. I always try to ask myself, “How is this impacting students? How can we make things better for them? How can we make things more accessible?”
When I hear about a problem or hear a complaint from a student, my first question is “Why does it work that way? Is there a way to make it simpler? Is there some barrier that we can remove to make this process more understandable or more streamlined?”
Q: What are your top priorities while you are at the helm?
President Jones: This is very important to me — and this comes from my background in the General Counsel’s Office — but I believe the role of any university president anywhere in the country right now is to take whatever steps you can to be prepared for these ongoing federal threats.
There are clearly challenges to higher education in America today and it seems like every time we turn around, literally every week, there’s something new that comes out, and oftentimes, it’s completely out of left field. One of my top priorities is to be as prepared as we can be, to play out different scenarios with the leaders of the campus and with folks in the Chancellor’s Office, to anticipate these things as best we can and be ready to push back when we can, because the answer isn’t to surrender.
The answer isn’t to say, “Oh, yes, for decades diversity, equity and inclusion were very important to us and now we don’t care because it’s hard or because other people think we shouldn’t care.”
We have to stand up for those things. We have to defend those values. And once we give up on who we are and what we stand for, in my mind, it’s game over.
You know that feeling of getting out of bed and coming to work every day with that sense of mission and a willingness to do the hard stuff? That’s gone if you can’t defend what you stand for. So, I think we must lock arms and do that. I don’t think anyone has the complete tool kit yet on how to do that, but we have to keep trying.
That’s my top priority.
My other priority is civil discourse. Making sure people feel seen, heard and valued is important to me. I’m optimistic because there seems to be a really good environment at this campus for people having civil discourse. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s better than a lot of places. I know this campus has a campaign, “Speak Boldly & Listen Bravely," and I think that’s a great motto. We should have bumper stickers that say that because people really need to think about that more.
The last priority is much more mundane, but it’s very critical to carefully manage the budget. We’ve been through some cuts and some challenges and it looks the State of California may have additional challenges ahead. We have to be thoughtful about the budget and we have to be prepared.
Q: So, you’re almost 30 days in. What has surprised you the most so far?
President Jones: Well, probably one of the biggest surprises is just the enormous amount of construction happening on campus. It’s mind-blowing. It’s a surprise when I see it up close. I live right next door to campus and in addition to working for the system for 25 years, I’ve walked on this campus probably an average of two to three or more times a week for the last 36 years. I’ve never seen this many construction projects going on at the same time before. Having all of these projects coincide with being such an in-demand university creates both interesting possibilities and interesting challenges.
Q: We are in a dynamic time in history when there is also a lot of conversation about higher education and its future. Are there a few things about The Beach that have stood out to you that would give our alumni and friends particular confidence in the university amidst the current tumultuousness?
President Jones: I don’t think I’m being overly idealistic, but I’m very optimistic about the future of higher ed and I’m completely confident in Cal State Long Beach’s future and its place in higher ed.
Every single university in the country, every single university in the system, is challenged by what’s going on in the country right now, and we’re no exception, but we are facing those challenges. The people here are engaging respectfully with each other around their differences. They seem united in the mission of who we are and what we do here. And what we do here is critically important – it’s important to the students, it’s important to their families, and it’s important to our society as a whole. The Beach is a place where learning thrives, where all are welcome, and where diversity and equity are still celebrated. That is how we are going to navigate these unprecedented challenges at The Beach. I know the spirit here, and I can feel how much people care, so I’m confident we will be successful.
Q: You've mentioned using your role to help build a culture of philanthropy. Can you expand on that?
President Jones: I think that too often people think that philanthropy means you’ve got to sit down and just ask people for money all the time. And that’s not my understanding of philanthropy.
My understanding is to find ways to make people feel connected to The Beach and to our mission — and to make them feel like they’re part of The Beach and that they understand that what happens here actually matters. That’s philanthropy.
Once we can do that, the people who can, will naturally want to support those efforts because they align with their own values and interests. They’re going to say, “What can I do to help? That’s a beautiful thing; I had no idea you were doing those things at The Beach.”
There are people out there who are saying, “I want to be a part of something. I’ve been richly blessed and I have the means to help others.”
We need to continue to show them that this is the place to do that.
