CSU System Chancellor and Board of Governors Message

By now, all of you likely have received the message from President Timothy Mottet that he will be stepping down as president of Colorado State University Pueblo, effective December 30. As Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Governors of the CSU System, we recognize that this is a significant change for the campus; President Mottet has enormous support from the Board, and despite our efforts to persuade him to stay, we understand this is a personal decision based on what he and Rick want to accomplish in the next chapter of their lives. And so, we join all of you in wishing them both the very best – and in thanking Tim for his strong, thoughtful, and steadfast leadership of the campus during an extremely complex and challenging time.

It is always useful to look at the opportunities that come along with such a change. Our opportunity now is to continue to build on the momentum gained under Tim’s leadership. The campus has made essential and positive strides in the last six years that include strengthening administrative and fiscal accountability, significant investment in capital renewal projects, a strong focus on private fundraising, and a renewed commitment to student success, engagement, and career preparation. Tim has navigated some difficult issues with unwavering integrity and a focus on the long-term best interest of the university and its students. 

There is still work to be done on the goals established during his tenure, and the impacts of the pandemic and economic downturn are still being felt. We also face ongoing challenges related to compensation, budgets, and the role of regional comprehensive universities in the national higher education landscape – which means we need to ensure strong, engaged, and innovative leadership to keep CSU Pueblo moving steadily ahead. To that end, the Board will work with President Mottet over the intervening months to assure that CSU Pueblo continues to move forward, setting the stage for the next President.  We have every confidence that Tim will continue to provide thoughtful stewardship for CSU Pueblo, and we appreciate him providing advanced notice of his departure to allow us to prepare for some intermediate transition planning.

The Board will be using the next month to discuss the approach to identifying Tim’s successor, and soon we’ll begin the process of engaging the campus community and stakeholders in that process. We will work with President Mottet and his leadership team to keep the campus up to date as we move forward on this front. 

In the meantime, thanks for all that you do for the CSU Pueblo community. We are confident in the people of CSU Pueblo and know you are passionate about ensuring we continue to offer high-quality educational opportunities to our students and the communities of Southern Colorado. That commitment, and a steadfast focus on student success, will be valued guideposts during this transition and put the campus in good stead for the next era of leadership. We look forward to building a bright future for CSU Pueblo with all of you – and thanks, again, to President Mottet for a great six years.

Armando Valdez, Chair, Board of Governors of the CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank, Chancellor, CSU System