The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system is down its second president in as many days. The head of Southern Connecticut State University is leaving to head a California university.
Mary A. Papazian will resign as president effective July 1, 2016, and will become the 29th president of San José State University. She had headed the New Haven based university since 2011. John Miller announced his retirement as president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain yesterday.
During her tenure, Papazian is credited with establishing a Student Success Taskforce that enhanced student services and support, and the first President’s Commission on Campus Climate and Inclusion. Major construction projects included the new School of Business, renovation of Buley Library, and the Academic Laboratory Science Building.
While president, she also established the Office for STEM innovation and Leadership, where SCSU’s new science, technology, engineering and math programs were created. Papazian also led the university through the final phase of a successful academic accreditation process, expanded SCSU’s community engagement by cultivating stronger ties to SCSU’s feeder K-12 school districts, and began the planning phase in partnership with New Haven Public Schools to place a K-4 magnet school on campus.
