The Olympics in Paris will soon begin, and there will be many exciting events to observe. One of many favorite sports to watch is track and field, and specifically the relay races. In relay races, the first person runs a prescribed distance and then passes a baton to another runner to do the same, and there are typically four runners.
In higher education, we have many campus leaders over the lifetime of an institution. In Humboldt’s 112 years, there have now been eight presidents (runners). The work of each president is built on the shoulders of the previous leaders and thousands of employees over the last century. As the eighth president, the time has come for me to pass the baton.
As you may have heard, I am stepping away from my role as president at Cal Poly Humboldt, and will spend some time transitioning to a different role in the classroom. I look forward to continuing to live and work in this community, and enjoying the spectacular region we live in.
As a campus, we have so much positive momentum. Student growth, research, athletics, tribal and community relationships, alumni engagement, fundraising, and synergy with the College of the Redwoods are just some examples. This will continue because of your continued support of this campus. Your campus.
It is no surprise that a new university president often generates a great deal of interest in a community. Frankly, the amount of interest in my stepping away is a little baffling to me. Over the last week, I’ve been asked many times for more details. So I decided I would share the letter I sent to CSU Chancellor Mildred García expressing my desire to step away.
For background, I’ve had the great privilege of working in higher education for nearly 40 years and have moved nine times. I am the first in my family to graduate with a degree. My first real job was as a paperboy, and in college I had a work-study job in student affairs. I majored in business, with the simple goals of progressing through the business ranks, maybe one day leading a business, and making enough money to feed myself and maybe one day a family. This likely sounds familiar to many of you.
When I came to Humboldt it was, in many ways, a return home to the CSU system, as I had worked in California many years ago.
Today, some of my former students are professors, senior administrators, authors, and more. Many of my colleagues have risen in their fields of work, and some of my closest mentors or friends have retired. Of my seven closest buddies, six are retired and one is deceased. It is time for me to step away and re-center on the work that led me to the leadership positions I have earned over the years. I also value family too much not to spend more time with my daughter and spouse.
Below is my letter to my supervisor. Be well, and please be kind to others. We need that more than ever.
July 10, 2024
Chancellor Garcia:
Every day for the past 40 years I have awakened and had the privilege to work alongside scientists and future scientists, teachers and future teachers, artists and future artists, engineers and future engineers, and leaders and future leaders. In my work I am an educator. I am also someone who made it my mission to try to help others succeed.
I have served ten years as a university President and another 18 as a dean or vice president. It is now time for me to step away as the President at Cal Poly Humboldt, and it is my request to do so prior to the start of the 2024-25 Academic Year with my suggested last day being August 11, 2024. I look forward to speaking with you in the coming days to discuss my participation in the Executive Transition Program II and my transition to my tenured faculty role in the future. I remain honored to support the new leadership as requested.
Stepping away from this role is something we first discussed in early Spring 2024. During my tenure, Cal Poly Humboldt has changed significantly in some ways, even as it faces continuing challenges in others. As a polytechnic, we can thrive when we allow ourselves to do so. Our research efforts have doubled. Our engagement with offshore wind and the subsea cable, among other important community efforts, is very forward-thinking. Our athletic teams are thriving and positioned for ongoing success. Our alumni and friends and donors have never been more committed. International partnerships have also developed very well. Important to me was creating a positive, meaningful, educational experience for students, while also enhancing the residential experiences for students moving to the region. The very best successes in recent years have been building trust amongst the region’s Tribal nations, establishing an incredible partnership with our local College of the Redwoods, and strengthening our relationships with the local communities around us. That work required time and energy, and the University is much better today because of mutually supportive relationships with Tribal Nations and local communities.
I am a dad at heart. I come to work every day to provide for my family while trying to make a difference in the lives of others. It was the desire to serve and help others that led me to this profession. Today, I find great joy in being the passenger in a small plane that my daughter is piloting. It was almost 22 years ago that I was the one flying and she was the nine-month-old sleeping beside me in the plane’s cabin. I look forward to spending more time with my family and taking the time that is needed to manage my health.
As a President within the CSU, I have had 22 other close colleagues that matter greatly. Working beside them, while also benefiting from your leadership and genuine support, has helped this campus immensely when needed most.
Chancellor, thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the state of California in this very important role.
Very Respectfully,
Tom Jackson, Jr., Ed.D.
President, Cal Poly Humboldt
Dr. Tom Jackson Jr. is the president of Cal Poly Humboldt. Frank Whitlatch is the vice president for university advancement at Cal Poly Humboldt. Frank is retiring and has been the co-author and/or editor of nearly all of these columns.