Dr. Jolene Koester, the former president of CSU Northridge, has been named the interim replacement for the role of chancellor of the California State University. Koester will become the second woman to ever hold the role of chancellor and is the first woman in the last 30 years.

The hiring comes on the heels of former chancellor Joseph I. Castro abruptly resigning from the position. This was due to public backlash from how he mishandled sexual misconduct allegations on one of his former top administrators.

Following her hiring, Koester released the following statement which can be found across various news sources:

“The CSU and its 23 campuses make a significant impact on California and the nation, and I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve as their interim chancellor. The commitment of our world-class faculty, staff, administrators, executives, and trustees deeply align with my values to provide life-changing educational opportunities for our students. I look forward to learning and providing my skills to guide the university during this transformational time in CSU history.”

Koester will begin the job on May 1, and will not be a candidate for the permanent position of CSU chancellor. Koester will be on a $625,000 annual salary, with a $7,917 monthly housing allowance and a $1,000 monthly auto allowance.

After taking a job that has been under a lot of scrutiny as of late, Koester will attempt to restore the loss of credibility. According to Koester, she wants to repair the relationship between the chancellor’s office and the rest of the CSU community.

In an interview with Edsource, Koester said, “A primary focus of my work and those who work with me will be to renew and establish trust.”

The former CSU chancellor, Joseph Castro, resigned amid scrutiny for mishandling a sexual misconduct case for Frank R. Lamas, a former vice president of student affairs at Fresno State. To announce his resignation, Castro released the following statement:

“I have been honored to serve the California State University for more than eight years, including as its eighth chancellor, and the decision to resign is the most difficult of my professional life. While I disagree with many aspects of recent media reports and the ensuing commentary, it has become clear to me that resigning at this time is necessary so that the C.S.U. can maintain its focus squarely on its educational mission and the impactful work yet to be done.” 

While president of Fresno State University, Castro reportedly ignored many complaints of sexual harassment, bullying, and retalion from Lamas. Rather than discipline Lamas for these complaints, Castro gave him raises, good performance ratings and even endorsed him for a lifetime achievement award.

While in office Koester will surely look to amend the past discrepancies from the CSU chancellor’s office. Koester has already made history as the second female chancellor of the CSU system and will continue to build off that during her tenure.

“With her institutional knowledge of the university and long-standing history of service to higher education, Dr. Koester is the perfect person to lead the CSU during this time,” said CSU Board Chair Lillian Kimbell, in an article for the Los Angeles Times.