Charles B. Reed

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Charles B. Reed bigraphy, stories - State University System of Florida chancellor,

Charles B. Reed : biography

September 29, 1941 –

Charles Bass Reed (born September 29, 1941) served as the chancellor of the California State University (CSU) system from 1998 to 2012.

California State University chancellor

As the former chancellor of the California State University system, Reed oversaw 44,000 faculty and staff and 427,000 students on 23 campuses and seven off-campus centers. The CSU, which spans the entire state of California, had an annual budget of more than $5 billion at its peak, but recent budget cuts have significantly reduced this figure. An appointed Board of Trustees adopts rules, regulations, and policies governing the CSU.

In March 2012, Reed was awarded the prestigious TIAA-CREF Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence, which is named in honor of the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. In deciding the award, the judges cited Reed’s commitment to students as chancellor of the CSU, where he has successfully steered the system’s 23 campuses through state budget cuts while simultaneously meeting the complex demands of increasing enrollment. In addition, they highlighted Reed’s efforts to build collaborative partnerships and award-winning outreach programs – particularly those dedicated to students from underserved backgrounds – that have received national acclaim. They also acknowledged his support of a number of multi-campus initiatives to improve research and instruction, and benefit local businesses and communities. Reed pledged the $20,000 prize from the Hesburgh Award to the William Randolph Hearst CSU Trustee’s Scholarship fund. He and his wife Cathy have donated almost $90,000 to the scholarship fund since 1998.http://www.calstate.edu/pa/News/2012/Story/HesburghAward.shtml

In 2008, Reed was awarded the Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education for his work in paving the way for increased higher education access and success for U.S. students. Judges specifically noted his efforts to reach out to students from under-represented African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian populations. One indicator of success was an increase of 6.5 percent in the enrollment of African American students at the CSU from 2006 to 2007; an increase in Hispanic enrollment of 9.5 percent; and an increase of Native American enrollment of 8.2 percent.http://investor.mcgraw-hill.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=96562&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1199914&highlight=

Reed is credited for his strong outreach to K-12 and incoming college students. During his tenure, he led the creation of the Early Assessment Program, a partnership with the California Department of Education and California’s State Board of Education to provide an early warning system on students’ readiness for college.http://www.calstate.edu/eap/ This statewide assessment is designed to test students’proficiency in mathematics and English and to reduce the likelihood that students will have to take remedial classes once they enter college. The program embeds a voluntary college-placement exam in the state testing program required of all 11th-grade students, using the CSU’s admissions placement standards in math and English. The “early” component of the program—testing in the 11th grade, rather than the 12th—-provides students an opportunity to make gains in areas of weakness during their senior year. It was cited by the Commission on the Future of Higher Education as "one of the best national models of how higher-education and K–12 officials can collaborate to help students."http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/final-report.pdf

Reed has also led the CSU in outreach to students from traditionally under-served populations. During his tenure, the CSU created the Super Sunday outreach program, which aims to provide college information to students and their families at predominantly African-American churches throughout California. In February 2012, more than 100 Super Sunday events were held throughout the state, reaching more than 100,000 churchgoers. The annual Super Sunday effort appears to have made an impact; notably, during the open application months of October and November 2011, the CSU received 16,588 applications from individuals self-identifying as African American, representing an increase of nearly 1,000 from the prior year.http://www.calstate.edu/pa/News/2012/Release/supersunday2012.shtml