By Andres Felix Romero

On July 11, 2024, a message was sent to the Cal Poly Humboldt community that the campus’ eighth president, Tom Jackson Jr., would be stepping down from his position in August 2024 for a faculty position. In his stead, the California State University Chancellor Mildred Garcia appointed Michael E. Spagna as the acting President of Cal Poly Humboldt as of Aug. 26, the first day of classes. In the CSU Board of Trustees’ September 22-23 meetings, they will decide whether Spagna will remain acting President while they search for a new president over a 12-month period.

Previous to becoming the Interim President for the Humboldt campus, Spagna performed the roles of provost and vice president of CSU Dominguez Hills. Spagna’s resume primarily consists of academic leadership roles. He began his career teaching middle and high school students with learning disabilities. He eventually earned his doctorate in special education from the UC Berkeley and SF State joint doctoral program. President Spagna also appears to be making efforts to involve himself with the Cal Poly Campus. Friday, Sept. 13 at the Redwood Bowl, Spagna and his team plan to host the annual College Colors Day. Spagna will start the event at noon with a few words, and attendees of the event can expect food, giveaways, and the second faculty kickball tournament.