Taylor Richards – News Writer
President Mary A. Papazian announced today via email that she will be leaving Southern at the end of June. She received an offer from the Trustees of the California State University system to become the next president of San Jose State University, on July 1. San Jose State University, located in San Jose, California, sits in the middle of Silicon Valley and has a student body of over 32,000 students.
Papazian stated that one of the main reasons she chose to leave is to reconnect with her extended family in her home state and be closer to her “aging parents.” She looks back on her four years at Southern with warmth:
“I was warmly received and felt I had arrived at a new home, which indeed was the case. I fell in love with the students, the campus, and the incredibly dedicated faculty and staff. Contributing to Southern’s development after a period of uncertainty gave me a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment,” said Papazian in an her email.
Kiana Smith, a freshman, is sad to see her go. “I’m happy that she’s able to be closer to her family, but we’re her family here too.”
During her run at Southern, Papazian supported new undergraduate programs in sports management, respiration therapy and utilities management, graduate degrees in cyber security, materials science and applied physics, and an accelerated MBA program. She also implemented the Work/Life Balance Initiative for employees and established the first President’s Commission on Campus Climate and Inclusion, to provoke dialogue around the university’s commitment to social justice and equality amongst students, according to Papazian’s biography found on SJSU’s website.
Tysheema McDonald, a senior, thought that Papazian’s departure announcement was “abrupt.”
“It seemed like Southern was a transition stop for her. If she accepted the position so soon, it must have meant she was looking,” said McDonald. “I think she decided a while ago her time here was done.”
According to Southern’s Twitter account, she will be here for graduation in May.
