President Cathy Sandeen

After a continuous 40-year career in higher education, with thirteen years serving as a president or chancellor at public regional universities, and six extraordinary years at Cal State East Bay, I have decided to step down from my full-time role as president at the end of December 2026. 

As a first-generation college graduate, one proudly “Made in the CSU,” it has been the honor of a lifetime to bring my experience back home to the East Bay, the place where I was born, raised, and first began my journey. 

While this stage of my career is ending, I can’t quite bring myself to say “retirement.” After December, I will continue serving as a commissioner for First 5 Alameda County and as a board member for HERS (Higher Education Resource Services). Beyond this work, who knows what new opportunities and adventures still lie ahead. 

To the many students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and friends who have supported me along the way: thank you. I move into this next chapter with deep gratitude and immense pride in all we have accomplished together.  

No matter what, I am a Pioneer for life and will continue to serve as president proudly for the remainder of 2026.

Proud moment for our Pioneer family! Last night, I got to see our , coaches, and Athletic Director recognized by Hayward Mayor and City Council.

A historic 33–1 season, CCAA champions, NCAA Division II Elite Eight, National Player of the Year, and National Coach of the Year—just to name a few.

Grateful to see our entire community celebrating their success. The is strong in our city!

Yesterday, I was honored to attend the grand opening of our new, expanded WellNest ✨

Alongside Mayor Mark Salinas and many dedicated staff and students, I saw years of work by our Pioneer family come to life; a new chapter for Student Wellbeing Services

The WellNest will be a welcoming hub for cooking demos, fresh food access, and essential support resources. I am proud to be just one part of this commitment to our students’ success.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring this vision to life ❤️

At today’s annual Convocation, we proudly unveiled an exciting new chapter for Cal State East Bay. We introduced our refreshed brand, which includes a new positioning statement, messaging platform, and a vibrant logo identity. And the BIG news...we also launched a brand-new mascot: the Peregrine Falcon!

While we remain the Pioneers — our identity and spirit are unwavering — the Peregrine Falcon now stands as a symbol of our dynamic and ambitious future. As we soar to new heights, we invite you to embrace and celebrate our new mascot with us.

It was such a joy to see our faculty on campus again for Back to the Bay! I will see you all tomorrow for Convocation.

Thank you to our keynote speaker, Hayward Mayor Mark Salinas. We are able to have a positive and collaborative relationship with the city of Hayward thanks to you. Your partnership is invaluable.

Let’s give a warm welcome to our new faculty! I’m excited for us all to learn from them and work together to give our students a top tier education.

What a joy to be cheered by the Hayward High Farmers cheerleaders today. We welcomed these students and 1200 teachers and administrators from the Hayward Unified School District for their professional development day. Welcome to East Bay!

Vote for Cal State East Bay’s beautiful photo in California State University's Photo of the Year contest! Credit to our university photographer, Garvin Tso.

https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/news/Pages/Photo-of-the-Year-2024.aspx

I’ll see everyone next Friday at Fall Convocation in VBT. Make sure to RSVP by tomorrow at the link you should have received via email. If you cannot attend in person, it will be live-streamed and recorded.

I represented Cal State East Bay at the Convening Health Care and Higher Education Leaders event. I’m pictured with Bob Linscheid, President and CEO of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. It was a great night full of thoughtful conversation.