Dec. 18, 2025
Colorado State University System Chancellor Tony Frank has announced his decision to retire on June 30, 2027. Given Tony’s long and distinguished leadership of the CSU System, we as a Board have given careful thought and much deliberation to how we go about hiring someone to take his place. Our greatest priority is to ensure the System and its campuses move forward with minimal disruption and with a clear focus on the System’s priorities and goals, as established by the Board of Governors.
Today, we voted to conduct an internal search for Chancellor, launching in January 2026, that will be open to anyone currently employed within the CSU System who meets the application criteria (noted below). The Board of Governors Evaluation Committee will serve as the advisory committee for this search.
We are grateful for and proud of the strong leadership teams that have been built across our System and campuses, and we recognize there already are people within our System who would easily emerge as top contenders in any national search. Beyond that, we see enormous value in finding our next Chancellor from among those who already are deeply invested in and committed to the CSU System. Our intent is to identify a sole finalist who will be appointed first to serve as Executive Vice Chancellor from their negotiated start date until Chancellor Frank’s retirement, ensuring the two have considerable time to work closely together before the formal transition in 2027.
We want to formally thank Chancellor Frank for his commitment to ensuring a seamless transition process. There will be time later to celebrate Tony’s significant contributions and thank him for his exemplary service, but today, we specifically want to thank him for his leadership in helping to craft a thoughtful succession plan for leadership of the System overall.
Sincerely,
The Board of Governors of the CSU System
Application Criteria
Applications for the position of CSU System Chancellor will be open to anyone currently employed within the CSU System who meets the following qualifications:
- Terminal Degree
- A record of significant accomplishment as a senior leader in a complex organization, in higher education, business, public service, government, or the non-profit sector
- Demonstrated ability to form cohesive, high-performing teams in pursuit of strategic goals
- Strong experience with Government Affairs
- Direct experience working collaboratively with governing boards and with institutional presidents or management leaders in bringing positive change
- Higher education knowledge and proven familiarity with the culture of Colorado public higher education, including the drivers of and barriers to advancing change and the role of shared governance
- Strong commitment to and passion for the importance, purpose, and advancement of higher education
- Proven ability to create, articulate, and advocate on behalf of an inspiring vision
- Ability to build and sustain respectful relationships with multiple stakeholders and constituencies, both internal and external
- Strong work ethic and integrity
Applicants should submit a current C.V. and a letter of qualification and interest. These should be submitted via email to [email protected] by January 26, 2026, for full consideration.