CSU's Embattled Chancellor Charles B. Reed Announces Retirement
LONG BEACH (CBS) — California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed says he will retire after 14 years, amid increasing criticism over rising administrator salaries and tuition hikes.
Reed is expected to remain on the job until a replacement is found. According to CSU, Reed plans to return to Florida to spend time with family.
"It has been an incredible honor to serve as chancellor of the California State University during such a dynamic period in the university's history," the 70-year-old Reed said. "Over the past decade and a half, the CSU has emerged as a national leader in providing access and support to students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. Our campuses have continued to flourish even in the face of budgetary challenges and tremendous growth.
"Throughout my time here, the CSU has grown by more than 100,000 students, and I have been honored to sign more than a million diplomas. I take great pride in the CSU's mission to serve California's students, and I am proud to have played a role in carrying out that mission during these critical years."
Reed previously served as chancellor of the Florida State University system.
Colleagues commended Reed's leadership in the face of persistent budget cuts. According to CSU, the 427,000-student system's state funding was cut by more than $1 billion over the past four years, while enrollment demand continued to increase.
"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," CSU Board of Trustees chairman Bob Linscheid said. "He has a deep desire to do what is best for students. Charlie's management of the institution is something to behold, and on behalf of the board, I would like to thank him for his unending energy and dedication to the CSU."
As chancellor, however, Reed was often the target of protests by student activists enraged by rising tuition and the teachers' union over salary and benefit issues. He took heat, along with the entire Board of Trustees, over the issue of administrator salaries, with activists decried as rising even in the face of budget cuts and soaring tuition.
Earlier this month, students protested outside Reed's home during a dinner party attended by several Cal State leaders. Reed was also the subject of an exclusive report by CBS2/KCAL9 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein, who found excessive spending on dinners and transportation, totaling nearly three quarters of a million dollars.
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