'The honor of my career': CSULB President Jane Close Conoley sets June 2025 retirement

Published November 25, 2024

President Jane Close Conoley, a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion and access to education, has announced her retirement effective June 30, 2025, concluding more than a decade of transformative leadership at The Beach.

The first woman to be regularly appointed as president in CSULB鈥檚 75-year history, Conoley has led the campus community through an extraordinary era of change and achievement, leaving behind a legacy of growth, innovation and steady stewardship through unprecedented challenges 鈥 from economic volatility and housing shortages to a global pandemic that forever reshaped higher education.

鈥淚n the months to come,鈥 Conoley said, 鈥淚 anticipate making many expressions of thanks to this remarkable community. Serving as your president has been the honor of my career and a beautiful capstone for a 49-year professional life I鈥檝e devoted to education.鈥

CSU Chancellor , who called CSULB a 鈥減owerhouse of social mobility and beacon of inclusive excellence," praised Conoley for championing both causes.

鈥淭hroughout her tenure,鈥 Garc铆a said, 鈥淧resident Conoley has demonstrated herself to be an exceptionally skilled, highly principled and truly visionary leader 鈥 a person of wisdom, thoughtfulness, empathy and compassion.鈥

Cal State Long Beach is a stronger and more vital institution for her service.

Indeed, since Conoley took office on July 15, 2014, The Beach has achieved recognition as a high-research R2 institution and earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to serving Latine students 鈥 solidifying the university鈥檚 place as a national leader in educational access and economic advancement. Driven by Conoley鈥檚 own efforts, CSULB also has seen a 12% growth in student population, completed two record-setting fundraising campaigns and enjoyed an unprecedented connection with the Long Beach community 鈥 forging relationship with city leaders and businesses and creating numerous pathways to internships, jobs and volunteer roles for students.

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A professional portrait of Jane Close Conoley, CSULB president, alongside achievements during her tenure, including $551.5M raised, 173,501 square feet added to campus, 88,054 students guided through COVID-19, 97,094 degrees conferred, 54 newspaper columns written and 12% enrollment growth, with her term spanning July 15, 2014, to June 30, 2025.

Spirit of thanks

鈥淚 am filled with gratitude,鈥 Conoley said in a recorded video message shared this morning. 鈥淭hrough both our trials and triumphs, I鈥檝e immensely enjoyed being part of this community, and I am so proud of all we鈥檝e done together.鈥

In that same spirit of gratitude, Conoley revealed that she would celebrate on Dec. 3 by personally matching every donation, up to $25,000, made to the 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟鈥檚 Scholars Program 鈥 a prestigious merit-based scholarship inherited from her predecessor, Robert Maxson. Giving Tuesday is a globally recognized day of philanthropy, and the 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟鈥檚 Scholars program will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

A fellow of the American Psychological Association and author of positive psychology books, Conoley previously served as interim chancellor at the University of California-Riverside, dean of UC Santa Barbara's Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. She plans to remain through the end of the academic year, delivering her 11th and final commencement speech before vacating the office June 30, 2025.

The search for a new president will begin this winter, led by a committee appointed by the chancellor and Board of Trustees. Stakeholders will be invited to share insights to inform the process, with the new president expected to start on or about July 1, 2025.

Decade of change

Conoley has overseen numerous campus improvements 鈥 including the construction of the Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center, the (CPaCE), and the Shakarian Student Success Center (which houses both the Bob Murphy Access Center and the Women鈥檚 and Gender Equity Center).

She has cut ribbons on Parkside Village North, the first residence hall to be built on campus in 34 years, as well as Hillside Village Commons, which she called 鈥渙ne of the most efficient, sustainable buildings in the world.鈥

Also on Conoley鈥檚 watch: expansion of the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum; integration of the state-of-the-art Innovation Space (ISPACE) on the first floor of the University Library; and countless smaller renovations, including Los Alamitos Hall, Los Cerritos Hall and the Horn Center

 

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An exterior view of the Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center
Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center
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An exterior view of Hillside Village, a student residential complex
Hillside Village Commons
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An exterior view of the College of Professional and Continuing Education building
College of Professional and Continuing Education
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An exterior view of Parkside North Hall
Parkside Village North
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An exterior view of the Shakarian Student Success Center
Shakarian Student Success Center 
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An exterior view of the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum
Kleefeld Art Museum

Guidance through adversity

The president鈥檚 most challenging work, however, has taken place well beyond the reach of red ribbons and oversized scissors.

Not long after her arrival in 2014, reports began to surface that the state鈥檚 housing crisis was resulting in rising student homelessness across California. In response, CSULB rolled out a Basic Needs Program to address housing shortages, food insecurity and other student emergencies. Conoley played a significant role in expanding the program to include Laur茅n Chalmers 鈥83 Beach Pantry and Rapid Rehousing, and, by 2018, the program had become one of the most comprehensive in the CSU system, helping hundreds of students secure stable housing and stay in school.

As difficult as it was to navigate the housing crisis, though, it paled in comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required that more than 30,000 students be educated remotely for 18 months. 

I think the pandemic made us a more compassionate university.

The monumental shift pushed CSULB to rapidly expand its technological capabilities, from launching a laptop and hotspot loan program to supporting 97% of coursework in remote formats 鈥 a dramatic increase from just 3% pre-pandemic. Virtual labs, adaptive learning tools and new faculty coaching models transformed how education is delivered at The Beach, and the many hardships and mental health repercussions of the pandemic resulted in a host of new support systems across campus. 

鈥淚 think the pandemic made us a more compassionate university,鈥 Conoley said when the campus reopened in September 2021. 

Key achievements

While it鈥檚 difficult to pinpoint exactly what Conoley will be remembered for most, her tenure is marked by numerous significant achievements, including:

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    President Jane Close Conoley and Robert Garcia, then the mayor of Long Beach, by a display announcing new solar panels

    President's Joint Commission 
    Conoley prioritizes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives that foster a sense of belonging among all students, faculty and staff, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender identity, immigration status or disability. Among other things, she established a trio of presidential commissions to help tackle social justice issues. The President's Equity and Change Commission addresses the need for systemic inequities, minority representation and DEIA professional development and training; the 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women strives for gender equity; and the 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟鈥檚 Commission on Sustainability implements renewable energy projects, waste reduction programs, sustainable transportation, green buildings and environmental education.
     

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    President Jane Close Conoley walking in front of a stage with a podium and "CSULB" sign during a gala

    Fundraising and Beach 2030
    One of Conoley鈥檚 defining achievements has been her success in fundraising, as she helped launch the two largest campaigns in university history: the Declare campaign, which raised $238 million, and the No Barriers campaign, which surpassed its $275 million goal by raising over $313 million. Both campaigns funded new scholarships, expanded academic programs and enhanced campus facilities 鈥 key components of Beach 2030 Strategic Plan, which Conoley devised as a roadmap positioning The Beach as a leader in equity, sustainability, student empowerment and community engagement.
     

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    President Jane Close Conoley, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and three others posing with shovels at the La Playa Hall groundbreaking

    The Long Beach Housing Promise
    As part of a broader effort to address housing insecurity among students, Conoley signed a memorandum of understanding, titled the Long Beach Housing Promise, with city leaders in 2023 to create affordable housing for students and their families. In June, CSULB broke ground on a new 424-bed residence hall 鈥 La Playa Hall 鈥 which will enable campus-wide housing to accommodate more than 400 students who are experiencing housing insecurity. 
     

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    President Jane Close Conoley with a microphone speaking with a large crowd seated behind her

    Beach Wellness
    Beach Wellness was launched in 2018 to serve as a central hub for health support on campus. The comprehensive plan includes dozens of initiatives aimed at improving students' mental health and wellbeing. It is part of the university's effort to create a supportive campus environment, and Conoley has consistently guided The Beach toward a more holistic approach to student success. Acknowledging this commitment to prioritizing and promoting the mental well-being of it students, CSULB was recognized with the Active Minds Healthy Campus Award in 2016. 
     

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    President Jane Close Conoley walking through confetti while wearing academic regalia

    Beach XP
    Conoley is credited with establishing the Beach XP program in 2023. Short for Beach Experience, Beach XP is a learning community modeled after BUILD and designed for first-time, first-year students with the goal of raising student retention and closing the achievement gap. Beach XP fosters connections among peers while providing personalized support and resources from day one. It includes smaller class sizes, college-specific cohorts, mentoring and social activities. 

Garc铆a noted Conoley鈥檚 success in creating 鈥渁 more diverse and inclusive campus environment, as evidenced by the university being named a Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.鈥 And she applauded the No Barriers鈥 campaign for raising $37 million over its goal, an achievement she said 鈥渃learly shows an institution that has the respect and enthusiastic support of its alumni, the extended campus community and the region it serves.鈥

鈥淚 offer President Conoley my heartfelt gratitude and deep admiration for her remarkable leadership, Garc铆a wrote. 鈥淐al State Long Beach is a stronger and more vital institution for her service, and I wish her the very best in her life鈥檚 next chapter.

As for her own closing remarks Monday, Conoley reminded all students, faculty and staff that she is not going anywhere just yet and looks forward to 鈥渙ur remaining work together.鈥

鈥淵ou are in my heart,鈥 she said, 鈥渘ow and in the future.鈥

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President Jane Close Conoley seated next to her husband while holding a bouquet
President Jane Close Conoley, right, along with her husband, Collie, will match every donation made to the 笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟鈥檚 Scholars Program up to $25,000, in celebration of Giving Tuesday.