CSU Chancellor Charles Reed to Retire

Well, I guess now's as good a time as any.

See the Los Angeles Times, "Cal State Chancellor Charles B. Reed to retire":

California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed announced Thursday that he is retiring after 14 years of leading one of the largest public university systems in the nation through a tumultuous period of cutbacks, spiraling tuition and controversy over executive pay.

Officials said that Reed, 70, had been contemplating retirement for some time but wanted to oversee the search for new presidents, which is nearly compete, at seven of the system's 23 campuses.

In a message to employees, Reed praised the university, its mission and staff.

"Out of all of the many experiences I have had, what I have enjoyed the most about my time in California is working with so many bright and talented individuals," Reed said. "Some of my favorite moments as chancellor were those I spent learning about the leading-edge research and teaching innovations of our faculty members; the incredible dedication of our staff; and the against-all-odds success stories of our students."

Among his endeavors, Reed launched a broad effort to recruit and retain Latino, African American, Native American, Asian Pacific Islander, veterans and other underserved students.

He also collaborated with the California Department of Education and the state Board of Education to create a program to assess the readiness of 11th-graders for college-level English and math.

University of California President Mark G. Yudof, with whom Reed has frequently lobbied and commiserated over declining state funding, called Reed a dynamic and innovative leader.

"The chancellor has been an effective and reliable ally in the fight to keep alive for future generations of Californians the promise of an affordable, top quality education," Yudof said in a statement.

A. Robert Linscheid, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said Reed has had to make difficult decisions under tremendous pressure.

"Charlie has persevered through the worst budget crisis in the history of California and has had to deal with deep budget cuts to the CSU," Linscheid said in a statement. "He has a deep desire to do what is best for students."

He has a thankless job, notwithstanding the kinds words from the other administrators. Frankly, the whole lot of them are overpaid, and I doubt they have a clue of what's really going on in the trenches.

That said, the striking communists all up in solidarity at the campus protests are a laugh riot.

See my entry from last year: "'Down With Capitalist Education!' — California Faculty Association Strikes at Cal State Dominguez Hills."