In Appreciation

The Academic Senate saluted Interim President Willie Hagan Thursday, April 26, for his nearly 16 years of university service, with the presentation of a resolution in his honor and much applause.

Caption: Incoming CSUF President Mildred García congratulates Interim President Willie Hagan on the resolution of appreciation presented to him during the April 26 Academic Senate meeting. Photo: Matt Gush Download Photo

The action by Academic Senate Chair Jack Bedell — who also presented a ‘senate keychain’ — drew smiles of surprise from Hagan, who received a standing ovation from the senators and others in the audience, including Incoming President Mildred García.

Following the reading of the resolution and its presentation, Hagan commented about how fond he is of the university, how it “feels like home.” He mentioned that he had recently visited the Academic Senate at Cal State Dominguez Hills where he soon will be serving as interim president — when García exits to take the reins at CSUF — and how, although he didn’t know their names and faces, the senators there made him feel welcome because they already had talked with CSUF’s senate members.

García congratulated him on the honor and spoke of her firm support for Hagan, saying “I hope that we have many years of collaboration and friendship ahead of us.”

The text of the resolution:

• Whereas Dr. Willie Hagan joined the Fullerton TITAN family in 1996 when he was appointed Vice President for Administration; and
• Whereas Willie served with integrity and deliberateness as CSUF’s Interim Vice President of University Advancement from 2000- 2003 and as a member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Auxiliary Services Corporation; and
• Whereas Willie became responsible for CSUF’s financial operations in 2005 when he became Chief Financial Officer of our University; and
• Whereas Willie has brought unparalleled transparency to any and all operations he has touched; and
• Whereas Willie was the first “pure” administrator elected to one of the faculty seats on the University Board on Writing Proficiency; and
• Whereas Willie was elected to the Academic Senate no fewer than five terms plus has served a semester as Interim President; and
• Whereas during his tenure on the Academic Senate, he was elected to the Executive Committee 2009/10 and 2010/11,where he served with diligence, distinction and aplomb in spite of the apparent inherent role conflict; and
• Whereas Chancellor Reed had the good sense to appoint Willie Interim CSUF President effective in January, 2012; and
• Whereas Willie’s Interim Presidency has been characterized by boldness of action, a plethora of decency, and no shortage of everything that we have come to respect and love about Willie before he was elevated to the 10th floor of College Park; and
• Whereas Interim CSUF President Hagan will assume the title of Interim Dominguez Hills President on June 11, 2012; now be it
• Resolved that the Academic Senate of CSUF respectfully requests that one of Dr. García’s first presidential actions be the conferring of Emeritus status upon Dr. Hagan with all of the rights and responsibilities thereto attached; and be it further
• Resolved that the Academic Senate wishes Willie much success as he undertakes his new responsibilities down the 91 fwy, which runs eastward as well as west should he desire to return to CSUF; and be it further
• Resolved that this Resolution of Commendation be shared with our campus community, our colleagues at the Dominguez Hills campus, Chancellor Reed and the Board of Trustees.

John (Jack) Bedell, Ph.D., Chair, the Academic Senate

April 27, 2012