Biographical Information
Jolene Koester
 

Dr. Jolene Koester began her appointment as the fourth president of California State University, Northridge on July 1, 2000. The Board of Trustees of the California State University (CSU) formally announced their appointment of Dr. Koester as president on November 16, 1999.

Prior to her appointment, Dr. Koester served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at California State University, Sacramento, a post she had held since 1993. Before her service as provost, she held other executive positions in the academic affairs division at Sacramento State, and was a faculty member there, as a professor of communication studies, since 1980. She earned a Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1970, a Master’s of Arts in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1971, and a Ph.D. in speech communication from Minnesota in 1980.

As an active member of the community, Dr. Koester serves on the boards of directors for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, and the Southern California Biomedical Council. She also is a member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. Known nationally for her leadership in the area of higher education, she serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. For the CSU, she serves on the Systemwide Budget Advisory Committee, the Human Resources Advisory Group, the Presidents’ Task Force on the Preparation of School Administrators, the Systemwide Task Force on Shared Governance, the Systemwide Admissions Advisory Council, Task Force on Excess Units, the Housing Review Committee, and the Technology Steering Committee. She also currently is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Big West Conference, the NCAA Division I athletics conference in which Cal State Northridge competes. Dr. Koester has been recognized for her leadership in the community with the 2004 Pioneer Woman Award for Los Angeles City Council District 12, presented by the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women and the Los Angeles City Council; the Armand Arabian Leaders in Public Service Award given by the Encino Chamber of Commerce in 2002; and a “Woman Who Means Business” Award given by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal, also in 2002. In 2003, Dr. Koester accepted a Star of the Valley Award from the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley on behalf of the University.

Since her arrival at the University, Dr. Koester has been committed to furthering the excellence of Cal State Northridge. Under her leadership, the University remains accessible to qualified students, maintains its historical commitment to diversity, and has achieved record levels of fundraising. The University also continues to play an indispensable role in the community and the region. At the beginning of her presidency, Dr. Koester identified several goals to serve as the focus of the campus’ efforts. These include improving graduation rates, creating a user-friendly campus, strengthening the University’s connections to the community, and increasing fundraising. CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed and the Board of Trustees in spring 2003 completed their first three-year performance evaluation of President Koester. The public summary called Dr. Koester “a very effective president for a very large urban university” who has “exhibited strong leadership skills that benefit CSUN and the California State University system.”

Cal State Northridge is one of the largest universities in the 23-campus California State University system. Founded in 1958, the University has grown to encompass 356 acres, with more than 32,000 diverse students and nearly 4,000 employees. As a comprehensive university, Cal State Northridge offers more than 90 different degrees at the bachelor’s and master’s levels in more than 60 different majors. In 2008, the institution will celebrate its 50th anniversary as the only public university located in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, home to about 1.8 million residents.

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Updated August 2005
Created November 2000