Jane Close Conoley to step down as CSULB president next year

After a decade as president of Cal State Long Beach, Jane Close Conoley announced Monday that the 2024-2025 academic school year would be her last.

Conoley stepped into her role as the seventh — and first woman — president of the university in July 2014 after serving as interim chancellor of UC Riverside. Prior to those roles, Conoley served as dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara, dean and professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University and associate dean for research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Teachers College.

“Serving as your president has been the honor of my career and a beautiful capstone for a 49-year professional life I’ve devoted to education,” Conoley said in the video announcement. “I look forward to our remaining work together, Giving Tuesday and the many projects, innovations and challenges that still await us this year.”

Conoley has authored or edited 22 books and provided more than 100 chapters, peer-reviewed articles and technical reports, according to the university’s website. She also serves on multiple journal editorial and community service boards and has received numerous research, teaching and service honors, the site says.

During her tenure at the university, the school was recognized as a high-research R2 institution and earned the Seal of Excelencia for its “commitment to serving Latine students,” according to the university. Under Conoley, CSULB also saw a 12% growth in enrollments, completed two record-setting fundraising campaigns and an improved connection to the Long Beach community, the announcement stated.

Conoley said she and her team would support the chancellor’s office and the board in the selection process for a successor. She said she will remain in her role until “on or about July 1, 2025.”

Toward the end of her video, Conoley pledged a $25,000 matching grant for all President's Scholars donations for CSULB’s Giving Tuesday on Dec. 3.

The California Faculty Association, Long Beach and 49er Foundation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“Throughout her tenure, President Conoley has demonstrated herself to be an exceptionally skilled, highly principled and truly visionary leader — a person of wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy and compassion,” CSU Chancellor Mildred García said in a statement.

The responses to the announcement on social media, however, were mixed. While some commenters congratulated Conoley on her retirement and thanked her for her work at the university, others did not hold back their contempt.

“Thank you for your service to the university and to our city,” one person said on Instagram, while others wrote comments such as “good riddance” and “glad she’s leaving.”

Over the past year, Conoley has come under fire for her administration’s handling of pro-Palestinian student protesters on campus. Most recently, the university was accused of targeting several faculty members who have supported student protesters of violating the Time, Place and Manner policy, which regulates free speech on campus.

Other comments voiced frustration over the loss of the 49er moniker and mascot Prospector Pete, both of which were retired under Conoley’s tenure due to their connection to the genocide of indigenous peoples amid the gold rush. Still others lamented the university’s commencement ceremonies procedures in recent years, with the ceremony moved to Angel Stadium and students not walking across the stage as their names were called — two hot topics born of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

“Do we have many challenges? Have we grappled with difficult issues? Will this continue in the future? Yes,” Conoley said. “But I remain completely optimistic that the road ahead holds great things.”