The CSU Board of Trustees has a policy requiring its presidents to be reviewed every three years. It is now time for the review of Manuel Esteban, president of California State University, Chico, to be conducted.
This process is intended to provide feedback to the Board of Trustees and to the chancellor about President Esteban's leadership and the current state of affairs at California State University, Chico. It should also provide information that will further the university's progress and assist President Esteban in the leadership of California State University, Chico.
While many of you may have participated in presidential reviews on previous occasions, the Board of Trustees revised its presidential review policy in January 1994, and a few new features are in place. First, as has been the policy and practice in the past, a number of officers of the university and the chairs of its major constituencies, namely, the Academic Senate, the Alumni Association, the Associated Students, and the University Advisory Board, are being contacted for their comments with respect to specific criteria, which are enclosed. Also, a random sampling of faculty, administrators/managers, staff, and community are being invited to submit their individual comments.
One of the features of the revised policy is to inform the university community of the review and to allow anyone not selected either on an ex-officio or random basis to submit comments that respond to the specific criteria. The criteria are posted on the CSU Web site at www.calstate.edu/pa/PresCriteria.HTML. Those wishing to submit confidential letters should do so no later than March 3, addressed as follows:
Dr. Charles Reed, Chancellor
California State University
400 Golden Shore, Suite 324
Long Beach, CA 90802-4275
Please keep in mind that every effort should be made to address the criteria, and neither unsigned letters nor petitions are accepted.
After the written responses have been received and summarized, a team of four (a non-CSU executive, a retired CSU executive, a faculty member from another CSU campus, and a member of the Board of Trustees) will make a site visit to campus during April to conduct a series of individual interviews. Participants will be selected both by office held and randomly as noted above. Following the campus visit, a confidential report will be prepared and discussed by Chancellor Reed with President Esteban, and ultimately presented to the Board of Trustees at their May or July 1999 meeting. None of the commentators will be identified by name. After the trustees receive the report, a general summary will be prepared for release to the campus community.
Please keep in mind that this is intended to be a constructive process that should benefit the presidency and the university.
Charles B. Reed, Chancellor