Fresno State is about to get a new president. Here’s what we know as decision nears

Fresno State’s new president is expected to be announced this week during the California State University Board of Trustees meeting, CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro confirmed.

Speaking with The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab, Castro said final interviews were scheduled for Monday, followed by a formal announcement later in the week.

“If everything goes according to plan, (CSU Board Chairperson Lillian) Kimbell will announce the ninth president of Fresno State on Wednesday morning,” Castro said in the interview Thursday.

Castro, who grew up in Hanford, served as Fresno State’s eighth president from 2013 until late last year when he was named chancellor of the 23-campus California State University, the nation’s largest four-year university system.

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, the university’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was appointed interim president of Fresno State during the search for a permanent replacement.

Castro is the first California native to lead the CSU, and as a Mexican-American, he is also the first person of color to do so since the CSU’s inception in 1961.

Castro declined to give any hints about who might take over his old job leading Fresno State but described the pool of finalist candidates as “very strong.”

Fresno State’s new president will inherit a university that saw record enrollment and climbing graduation rates under Castro’s stewardship.

However, the new president also takes over during a transitional year as schools and universities worldwide scramble to prepare for a post-pandemic world.

Students of color and students from lower-income homes — groups that make up most of Fresno State’s 25,000 student population — were put at an even greater disadvantage.

In his interview with the Ed Lab, Castro said he doesn’t believe college life will return to normal, at least in the near future. He noted that while many struggled with online courses, others thrived, making it likely that universities will offer more online options post-pandemic.

“It’s a great job,” Castro said of the Fresno State president’s office. “The university is on the rise, and I’m excited about number nine. It’s going to be great.”

This story was originally published May 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.