Interview with Dr. Joseph I. Castro, Chancellor of California State University

Today, we are talking with the Chancellor of California State University, Joseph Castro.  CSU announced last December that it would be mostly in person this year.  While it’s been challenging, they’re at about 80% in person this fall (with variability among the 23 campuses), and Chancellor Castro is extremely proud of the students and staff for making that happen.  One thing they’ve done to make this happen was to put a vaccine mandate in place.  He spent a lot of time listening to students and faculty when deciding how to navigate these times.  Students' experiences are incredibly important, especially those with lower- income backgrounds. Chancellor Castro says emergency grants have made a big difference for those students, as well as their basic needs program.  Another issue that’s come to the forefront is that of mental health.  A lot of students had a hard time with the isolation that came along with virtual learning.  On the other hand, students would like to keep the option of virtual learning.  CSU became one of the largest online universities overnight, and many educators are seeking certification to continue teaching virtually.

In these trying times, Chancellor Castro has seen the issue of burnout among university staff and faculty.  He tries to combat this by being as flexible and compassionate as possible.  He says he’d also like to see more invested into counseling for students and employees alike.  One thing that’s been hard for many education leaders is to not jump to conclusions if you don’t have to.  Chancellor Castro says to try to listen to as many perspectives as possible before making a decision, if you can.  As a leader, Chancellor Castro is also focused on equity gaps.  He says they’re sharing data in new ways, coming up with new strategies, and aligning resources.  Luckily, the state governor and legislature has been investing more in these areas.

Chancellor Castro says the best advice he’s ever been given is that as a leader, it’s important to do the right thing even if you get knocked over.  He says you must decide what is the right thing to do and then connect it with values and mission.  On the other hand, the best advice he gives to potential Chancellor’s is to just share what it’s like.  He likes to share the deep meaning of the job as well as the challenges to give an accurate picture of what the job is really like.