BOARD NEWS: Susan E. Borrego appointed interim president of Stanislaus State

California State University (CSU) Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester has appointed Dr. Susan E. Borrego to serve as interim president of California State University, Stanislaus. Borrego’s term will begin August 2, 2023, and she will serve as interim president for approximately one year while the CSU Board of Trustees conducts a national search for the next regularly appointed president.

Dr. Borrego will also assume the Stanislaus State seat on the CVHC Board of Directors at that time replacing Dr. Ellen N. Junn, who retires August 1, 2023 after serving as the University’s 11th president since 2016. (She will be honored at  Warrior Tribute for President Junn June 9).

The interim appointment marks a return to the CSU for Borrego, who previously held senior administrative roles at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Borrego most recently served as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint), from 2014 to 2019. She currently is a consultant project director and special assistant to the president for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

“Dr. Borrego is a principled, visionary and compassionate leader, guided by an unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said Koester. “She has a proven track record of enhancing the student experience, supporting faculty excellence and engaging the broader community. Further, her recent work at the national level to advance authentic access and educational equity will serve Stanislaus State and the CSU well.”

“Working with first-generation students at regional comprehensive universities has been a primary focus in my career, and that is what makes me excited to join such an inclusive university,” said Borrego. “I am drawn to the university’s close-knit community and its collective drive to better not only the lives of its students, but also to elevate the region and broader society it serves. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the progress and momentum so capably built by President Ellen Junn.”

Among her accomplishments as chancellor at UM-Flint, Borrego launched 12 new academic programs, enhanced the student experience, increased retention and led successful philanthropic efforts, which included the largest successful capital campaign in university history. Borrego’s leadership during the Flint water crisis demonstrated her ability to be part of a multidisciplinary conversation related to public health. She served as a trusted communicator to both university and community members. After stepping down from the role, Borrego maintained an academic appointment as a professor in UM Flint’s School of Education and Human Services until 2022.

Borrego’s previous leadership roles include vice president for Enrollment Management, Planning and Student Affairs at CSUDH (2008-14), vice president of Student Affairs at CSUMB (2005-08), and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students for the University of Arkansas, as well as several administrative roles at the California Institute of Technology.Borrego earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and communication from Northwest Nazarene College, a master’s degree in social science at Azusa Pacific University and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate School.