By Keandre Williams-Chambers

In late May, CSU Chancellor Charles Reed announced plans to retire after heading the nation’s largest university system for 14 years.

Reed, 70, does not plan to leave office until his replacement is hired, but has expressed a desire to retire pending the completion of various projects under his command, such as the oversight of new college presidents at seven of the 23 colleges in the system.

Although he hasn’t given a specific reason for retiring, he has admitted to frustration at more than $1 billion in cuts to state funding for the CSU system over the past four years. Reed was the target of controversy and student and faculty protests this past summer when CSU trustees voted to raise the salary of several campus presidents in spite of the budget cuts and student tuition hikes.

In a statement about his retirement, Reed expressed pride at the growth in the CSU system over the past 14 years and a rise in student achievement. “Throughout my time here, CSU has grown by more than 100,000 students and I have been honored to sign more than a million diplomas,” Reed said.

Reed’s contributions to the university system also included the creation and induction of readiness and competency exams for 11th graders in the areas of college-level math and English. He is also credit with building diversity on the campus and keeping the focus on education in spite of continuous budget cuts.

Reed said he’ll retire to Florida to spend more time with his family. Before joining the CSU system, he spent 13 years as chancellor for the Florida State University system.