Jon Whitmore wins SJSU presidency

New president to start job August 1

By: Kyle Hansen

Posted: 5/15/08

Texas Tech University President Jon Whitmore has been selected to be the next president of SJSU, the California State University Board of Trustees announced Wednesday morning.

"It's a great day," Whitmore said from his Texas Tech office. "I have a heck of a lot more to learn about (the job)."

Whitmore submitted his resignation at Texas Tech in February. He will replace Don Kassing, who served as SJSU president since 2004.

Kassing was initially expected to retire on June 30, but it has not yet been announced if he will stay in San Jose until Whitmore takes over on August 1.

Whitmore said he expects the transition to be fairly smooth.

"We plan to visit a couple times between now and then so we can hit the ground running," he said.

"(Kassing) has done a great job as president and I have full confidence that any decisions he makes between now and then will be in line with the university's vision."

Whitmore's appointment was announced at the end of a CSU Board meeting in Long Beach.

The Board of Trustees interviewed three candidates for the job and made its selection in a closed meeting on Monday, but an announcement was not made public until Wednesday.

"Dr. Whitmore's outstanding academic credentials, proven leadership abilities and commitment to students will be a tremendous asset to the campus and the community," said CSU Trustee William Hauck in a news release.

"His strong administrative skills, management style and ability to connect with students combined with a vision for the campus are the perfect combination to lead San Jose State into the future," said Hauck, an SJSU alumnus and chair of the presidential search committee.

The Board of Trustees will set Whitmore's compensation during its July meeting, according to the news release.

Each of the three candidates visited campus last week after being selected by the committee, which also included CSU Chancellor Charles Reed.

Whitmore was selected over Northern Arizona University Provost Elizabeth Grobsmith and Sonoma State Provost Eduardo Ochoa.

"We got really excited about the spirit that already exists there," Whitmore said of his visit to campus.

The incoming president said he does not know enough about the university to say exactly what he will do after he arrives.

"I want to visit with all the different constituent groups on campus," he said of his plans for the future. "My main goal will be to learn as much as I can about the university."

Whitmore said there are a number of areas that he feels he can step into without too much delay, such as fundraising.

He also said one of the first items on his agenda will be to try to raise graduation rates.

"Continuing to work on that will be very important and something I would like to address as a major goal," he said.

Whitmore leaves Texas after the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed the university on one-year academic probation last December.

Bill Dean, the executive vice president of the Texas Tech Alumni Association, said that Whitmore will be missed.

"I think everyone liked Dr. Whitmore and they are happy he got this and he is going to be really good," he said.

"(Whitmore) is very well liked by the faculty. I think he secured faculty raises every year he was here. He secured additional counselors," he said. "There's a lot of real positive things that happened while he was here."

Prior to his visit to SJSU, Whitmore was a candidate for the president's job at Portland State University. He withdrew his name from that search in mid-April.

Louisiana State University also said it was considering Whitmore to fill an open chancellor position. Whitmore said he had not spoken with LSU about the position and someone else submitted his name for the job.

Whitmore said he is not interested in the job at LSU if the university approaches him in the future.

"That's a dead issue," he said. "I'm coming to San Jose State for the next several years."

Whitmore, who is 63, also said the university community should not worry about him retiring shortly after arriving at SJSU.

"It's way too early to consider that," he said, adding that he normally commits to a new job for at least five years and typically stays for six or seven years.

He was hired at Texas Tech five years ago.

Click here to read more about the search for a new president.