CSUSB president to lead American Association of State Colleges and Universities

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Tomás D. Morales, president of Cal State San Bernardino, has become the chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Board of Directors for 2014.

Morales, who is in his second year at the helm of Cal State San Bernardino, assumed the leadership of the national higher education association during its annual meeting Oct. 21-23,  in Los Angeles. He  served on AASCU’s Board of Directors and co-chaired AASCU’s National Taskforce on College Readiness before becoming board chair.

“It is an honor to lead this tremendous association of outstanding educators and their institutions of higher learning,” Morales said. “I look forward to a productive year in working with exceptional leaders from around the nation on numerous important higher education issues and challenges.”

Morales joined Cal State San Bernardino in 2012 and is the university’s fourth president since it opened its doors in 1965. Prior to coming to CSUSB, he had served as president of the College of Staten Island, The City University of New York (CUNY) since 2007.

He previously served as provost, vice president for academic affairs and vice president for student affairs at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Prior to that, Morales was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at The City College of New York/CUNY from 1994 to 2001.

He is one of the few higher education administrators in the United States who has held senior administrative positions at the three largest public university systems in the nation: The California State University, The State University of New York and The City University of New York.

Morales also serves as vice chair of the Governing Board of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and as a member of the board of directors of the American Council on Education. He previously served on the Executive Committee of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, the American Council on Education’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Equity, and the National Information and Communication Technology Literacy Policy Council.

He holds a B.A. in history from the SUNY, New Paltz, and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in educational administration and policy studies from SUNY, Albany.

Current AASCU board member J. Keith Motley, chancellor of University of Massachusetts Boston, will become chair-elect of the board of directors and ascend to the chair in 2015. In addition to his board position, Motley serves on the steering committee of the AASCU Millennium Leadership Initiative. Motley has been chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston since 2007.

The following presidents and chancellors will serve on the AASCU Board of Directors in 2014 (Note: Names with asterisks represent new board members):

2014 Chair-Elect (to serve as chair in 2015):

• J. Keith Motley, chancellor, University of Massachusetts Boston

Past Chair:

• Mary Evans Sias, president, Kentucky State University

Secretary-Treasurer:

• Deborah F. Stanley, president, University of New York College at Oswego

Directors:

• Rodolfo Arévalo, president, Eastern Washington University*
• F. Javier Cevallos, president, Kuztown University of Pennsylvania
• Mary Cullinan, president, Southern Oregon University
• Richard Davenport, president, Minnesota State University, Mankato
• David L. Eisler, president, Ferris State University (Mich.)
• Jerry Farley, president, Washburn University (Kan.)
• Mildred García, president, California State University Fullerton*
• Dana L. Gibson, president, Sam Houston State University (Texas)
• Virginia Schaefer Horvath, president, State University of New York at Fredonia*
• Glen D. Johnson, chancellor, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, System Head*
• Stephen M. Jordan, president, Metropolitan State University of Denver (Colo.)*
• Elaine P. Maimon, chancellor, Governors State University (Ill.)
• Keith T. Miller, president, Virginia State University*
• William Ruud, president, University of Northern Iowa*
• Dennis J. Shields, chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Platteville*

AASCU is a Washington, D.C.,-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.

For more information, contact Caitlin Reilly at AASCU at (202) 478-4665, or visit the AASCU website.

For more information on Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Public Affairs at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.