In order to determine eligible candidates to inherit the role of president of California State University, Chico, the college’s Board of Trustees will hold an open forum on Thursday to gauge the public’s thoughts on possible qualities needed by the next president.
In October 2022, Chico State’s current president, Dr. Gayle Hutchinson, announced her plans to retire by the end of the 2022/23 academic year. Hutchinson was inaugurated as the university’s 12th president in 2016. Her plans to retire are driven by the desire to prioritize her personal health and her relationship with her partner, Hutchinson said in a statement.
The open forum will allow members of the campus community and the public to voice their beliefs about the necessary qualities Chico State’s next president should have, Public Information Officer Sean Murphy said in a news release.
Thursday’s meeting will be the only presidential committee meeting that will be open to the public, so participation is highly encouraged, officials said.
Following Hutchinson’s retirement announcement, the university’s former Provost Debra Larson announced her immediate resignation after the discovery of an alleged affair between a Chico State professor and student.
The professor, David Stachura, also allegedly threatened to kill two professors who cooperated in his Title IX investigation, EdSource previously reported. At the time, Larson denied that her retirement was in response to the case involving Stachura.
Larson announced her retirement on Dec. 16, 2022, but will remain on board in an advisory role, reporting directly to her interim successor, the Chico Enterprise-Record reported. Stephen Perez, interim president at California State University, San Jose, was introduced as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs for Chico State, starting Jan. 17.
Larson will remain employed by the university until May 31, the Chico paper reported.
A permanent provost will be decided by Hutchinson’s successor.
The presidential search forum will be a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting with a livestream being archived on the university’s website. Individuals wishing to speak virtually must register online by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. No registration is required for in-person attendance or for those online who only wish to listen.
For in-person attendants, the forum will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Chico State’s Bell Memorial Union Auditorium, located at 400 W 1st St. in Chico.
