Colorado State University’s Board of Governors voted unanimously Friday to hire veteran education leader Rico Munn as the university system’s next chancellor.
Munn’s hiring is pending negotiation of a contract. The board approved the contract to begin on July 1, 2027, and run through June 30, 2032. Prior to starting as chancellor, Munn will work as executive vice chancellor under the current chancellor, Dr. Tony Frank, who is retiring.
The chancellor serves as the CEO of the entire CSU system, with two in-person and one online campuses educating more than 50,000 students per year and employing more than 8,500 faculty and staff.
“Your record of your life’s work is absolutely extraordinary, and I think that we are extraordinarily lucky to have you as a loyal and passionate leader in our system,” Board of Governors Chair John Fischer said to Munn after his appointment was confirmed. “I don’t think there’s anybody else in the country that could have met or exceeded your qualifications for this position.”
Munn, who currently serves as CSU’s vice president for Metro Denver Engagement and Strategy, said he is excited to step into the top role and learn from Frank and others.
“I am truly honored by both your consideration and your trust in me,” Munn told Board members during Friday’s meeting.
In a statement, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who served with Munn on the state Board of Education in the mid-2000s, congratulated Munn on his appointment. Polis praised Munn’s “dedication to expanding educational opportunities for every learner, and pushing Colorado to be the gold standard in higher education.”
“Munn’s extensive experience in education and proven leadership makes him a great fit to lead CSU and higher education into a new era,” Polis said.
Munn’s hiring caps a controversial selection process that drew criticism not for who was picked — Munn has previously served as the head of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and as superintendent of Aurora Public Schools — but for its speed and lack of engagement with CSU faculty, staff and students.
The entire search, from the time Frank’s retirement was announced to when Munn was named as the sole finalist for the job, took seven weeks, four of which occurred while CSU’s campuses in Fort Collins and Pueblo were on winter break. Four faculty or staff organizations at CSU Fort Collins wrote letters to the Board of Governors objecting to the search process.
CSU’s Board of Governors is made up of nine voting members who are appointed by Colorado’s governor and six nonvoting members who represent students and faculty at each of the system’s three campuses. During Friday’s meeting, some of the nonvoting members spoke warmly of Munn, who has previously served within CSU as chief of staff to the CSU Fort Collins president and as interim president of CSU Pueblo.
“No task has been above you, and it has been such a great honor to work with you,” Jakye Nunley, who serves as the student representative for CSU Fort Collins, said. “I think that you are going to do amazing things for the CSU system.”
At the same time, a couple of those nonvoting members raised concerns about the search process and the lack of opportunity for faculty or staff to be involved.
“While our concerns are not focused on the outcome of the search, I think it is imperative that we acknowledge the challenging times we are in in higher education and the role that the campuses and the people who are on our campuses must play in shaping how we respond to those challenges,” CSU Fort Collins faculty representative Jennifer Martin said.
Fischer, the board chair, reiterated during the meeting past comments that he believes the role of a chancellor is more outward facing and, therefore, it was appropriate not to seek extensive internal input on the search.
“It’s not inconsistent with what was done in the past, it’s not inconsistent with what is done in other parts of the country,” he said.
But, he also said board members on the search committee did meet with each campus president to hear “their input on what they thought attributes of the new chancellor should be.” He said he and board vice chair Nathaniel Easley Jr. visited CSU Fort Collins to meet with faculty about their concerns.
Munn, in his brief comments during Friday’s meeting, also acknowledged concerns around the search and emphasized his commitment to shared governance — the idea that administrators, faculty, staff and students all should have a voice in university affairs.
“I take note of the things that Governor Martin and others are raising that we want to make sure we continue to stay strong to our roots of shared governance and stay strong to our roots, ultimately, as a land grant institution,” Munn said.