Sacramento State’s president, Robert Nelsen, retiring after 8 years. ‘Time to move on’
Robert S. Nelsen, president of Sacramento State since 2015, has announced that he will retire next summer.
“It’s been a great ride,” the university president, accompanied by his wife, Jody Nelsen, said in a video message posted by Sacramento State on Wednesday morning. “It’s been a great ride because of you. But now — really, July 1 — it’s time to hang ‘em up. It’s time to move on.”
That July 1 retirement date will mark exactly eight years since Nelsen, 70, took over as the eighth president of Sacramento State. He succeeded Alexander Gonzalez, the university’s president from 2003 to 2015.
Nelsen previously served as president of the University of Texas-Pan American from 2010 to 2014.
In his departure announcement, Nelsen touted accomplishments by the university during his tenure.
“When we came, we set goals. Those goals have been reached,” he said.
He pointed to big on-campus projects, including the construction of the Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex and expansion of the student union, as well as boosts to scholarships and academic growth.
“When I came, I also said that our graduation rates sucked,” Nelsen continued. “Well, they don’t suck anymore. 187%. We raised our graduation rate, our four-year graduation rate by 187%, and our transfer rates are way above what our goal was. ... It’s just been amazing.”
The 187% figure cited by Nelsen refers to the increase Sacramento State officials reported last November, of its four-year graduation rate growing from 9% in 2016 to 25.8% in 2021. Nelsen in 2016 created the new position of graduation “czar” specifically to improve those completion rates.
Nelsen also boasted of his Hornets’ recent success on the football field. Sac State is undefeated this season, a perfect 8-0 with three games left in the season.
“We beat Montana, my home. We beat Montana, and we are going to win the (Big Sky Conference) Championship this year for the third time in a row.”
He said he was proud of the accomplishments, thanking faculty, students and staff for their work, but added that “change is good.”
“We need new blood. We need new ideas. These are times when we must move forward.”
It’s not clear what will be next for the Nelsens.
“We’ve always been of service in every community we’ve lived in and I want that to continue, but perhaps at a slower pace,” Jody Nelsen said in the video. “Exactly what form that will take, I don’t know, but I know it’s what we should do, and I look forward to doing it together.”
Sacramento-area leaders reacted to Nelsen’s retirement announcement, praising his service to the community.
“He has transformed the campus and made it his mission to ensure students have the resources to succeed both in and out of the classroom,” U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, said in a Wednesday statement. “Robert has been a wonderful partner here in Sacramento – we have worked together on many projects, and I am fortunate enough to call him a good friend.”
Mayor Darrell Steinberg tweeted that Nelsen has “forever changed Sacramento for the better.”
The California State University system will launch a nationwide search to succeed Nelsen, the university said in a news release, with Jolene Koester, the interim CSU chancellor, selecting a committee for the task.
Nelsen ended his announcement with a refrain he’s shouted to close out many of his speeches at the university, including his first fall address in 2015.
“Sac State is No. 1. Stingers up!”
This story was originally published November 2, 2022 at 10:15 AM.
