After a year of searching for San Jose State’s next president, the California State University Board of Trustees announced in a Wednesday news release that it has selected Cynthia Teniente-Matson.
Interim President Steve Perez stated in a Wednesday campus wide email that Teniente-Matson, who is currently Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s president, is expected to assume the position on Jan. 16.
When she officially begins her role, she will be the university’s seventh president since 2010, the sixth being Perez, according to the CSU Past & Present Leadership webpage.
Perez, who was named interim president on Jan. 1, stated that he is committed to a seamless transition in leadership.
Teniente-Matson was chosen by the trustee and advisory committees, who were appointed by Wenda Fong, the CSU trustees chair.
Teniente-Matson told Kenneth Mashinchi, executive director of strategic content and college marketing, in his Wednesday interview that she hopes to maintain the school’s momentum going into the second half of the school year.
“I’m excited but we have a lot of work to do and I have a lot to learn with you,” Teniente-Matson said. “I want to co-learn, co-pilot, co-conspire on what we’re doing going forward.”
The trustee committee, which includes Fong, has four trustees and the interim CSU chancellor, handled the recruitment, selection and appointment of the next SJSU president.
The advisory committee consisted of representatives from faculty, staff, students, alumni and representatives from other CSU campuses. They all provided consultation to the trustee committee.
The SJSU presidential search committee was made of 18 members in total, according to an April 22 SJSU news release.
Teniente-Matson developed several strategic initiatives during her presidency at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, according to a Wednesday CSU news release.
Under her presidency has been the creation of the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement, the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders, Institute of Water Resource Science and Technology, Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center and the university’s first Facebook CyberSecurity University Program.
Jason Laker, professor of higher education, student affairs and community development and former vice president for student affairs, said he wishes Teniente-Matson success while demonstrating courage and integrity.
Laker said he hopes she won’t let him down like how the previous seven presidents have since he’s been at San Jose State.
“First of all, things like integrity, the courage to address things that need to be addressed, rooting out any sort of corruption, and there is some to root out, I had hoped that the interim president, given that he’s interim, would have attended to some of those things, but he was pretty openly a candidate as well, which I think makes it harder to do what needs doing,” Laker said.
He said the past scandals that happened should’ve been handled ethically and that he hopes Teniente-Matson can do that this time around.
“So when you have an institution that has been riddled by scandals over several presidents, I don’t envy the challenge for her as the new president, but I have to say that if she manages to show up with that integrity, with that courage, with the commitments, multiculturalism and inclusion, directing resources in that way, holding people accountable to ethical behavior, then what a transformation that would be for our university,” Laker said.
He said hiding things from the public does not protect the reputation of the university, but removing people, policies and circumstances that are corrupt does. Some qualities that he looks for in a new president include fostering a set of norms, expectations, transparency and accountability.
Laker said he cares about the people and not the brand and while he understands that a president has to think about both factors, he thinks SJSU has had several presidents who wrongfully only focused on the brand.
“I sincerely wish her the absolute best success and hope that she will demonstrate and model that kind of courage and integrity and like I said, I will be among the first to thank her and congratulate her if she does,” he said.
