Presidential Transition
Willie J. Hagan Appointed Interim President of California State University, Dominguez Hills
(April 10, 2012) – Dr. Willie Hagan, interim president of California State University, Fullerton, has been named as interim president of California State University, Dominguez Hills, effective June 11. Hagan has served in various senior leadership positions at Fullerton during his 16 year tenure at the campus, including serving as vice president for administration and chief financial officer.
"I am honored to have been selected to lead the Dominguez Hills campus, and look forward to working closely with faculty, students and staff to build on the university's excellent foundation," said Hagan.
Hagan joined Cal State Fullerton in 1996, overseeing the university's administrative functions and has provided increasing levels of service to the campus during a period of unprecedented growth. From 2000 to 2003, he also served as interim vice president of University Advancement and was instrumental in the reorganization of that division. Beginning in 2005, Hagan assumed responsibility for university financial operations, serving as the chief financial officer for the university.
Hagan holds a doctorate in psychology from the University of Connecticut and a master of fine arts degree from UCLA. Before coming to CSUF, he served as associate vice president for Administration at the University of Connecticut, and as a lobbyist for the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education at the state and federal level.
Hagan's appointment becomes effective June 11 when current California State University Dominguez Hills President Mildred Garcia begins as president of California State University, Fullerton.
A Message from Dr. Mildred García
News Release from the CSU Office of the Chancellor
January 25, 2012
Dear CSU Dominguez Hills Community,
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I have accepted the position of President at CSU Fullerton, effective after June 1.
My four and a half years at CSU Dominguez Hills have been some of the most rewarding years of my career. While dealing with the most drastic budget cuts ever experienced in the CSU, with the hard work of everyone on this campus, we have maintained our commitment to student success and the communities we serve. By growing our enrollment, enhancing our relationships with external communities and focusing on our mission, CSU Dominguez Hills is poised for even greater success in the years ahead.
We are a model urban University with a diverse student body that is the envy of many other universities and we have faculty and staff that are deeply committed to student success. I am continually impressed with the excellent work being done here to help students reach their educational goal of attaining a college degree. Everyone on this campus has embraced my belief that all who work at Dominguez Hills are educators, prepared to help students reach their academic goals and dreams. Although many challenges lie ahead, I am certain that CSU Dominguez Hills will continue to grow and exceed expectations!
When I came here, I heard from many people that CSU Dominguez Hills would never be a campus of first choice and that we couldn’t reach our enrollment targets. Since then we have worked together to prove our naysayers wrong by meeting or exceeding enrollment targets every year since 2008. In addition we have eliminated a structural deficit, dramatically increased our fundraising and improved our graduation rate. We even have our very first endowed professorship, the Wallis Annenberg Endowed Professor for Innovation in STEM Education. Your hard work made this possible and I am grateful for your loyal support.
Thank you again for your commitment to CSU Dominguez Hills and for the valuable contributions you make to our students! It has been my honor to serve as your President and a pleasure to work with all of you.
Mildred García
President