San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney announced Tuesday that she will retire next summer, concluding an eight-year tenure marked by a significant decline in student enrollment. Mahoney, who will step down in the summer of 2027, cited the university's struggle with a "demographic decline" and the "enrollment cliff" as significant challenges.
When Mahoney began her presidency in 2019, the university had approximately 30,000 students. This fall, the undergraduate student population has fallen to 20,563. Over the past seven years, the university has lost a third of its students. During her tenure, nearly 600 courses and more than 2,000 programs were eliminated or consolidated. The university also saw a reduction in faculty, with around 200 part-time lecturers and 86 tenure-track professors departing.
Mahoney acknowledged the difficulties, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased financial support as additional factors impacting the campus. However, she also highlighted successes during her leadership, including the construction of new academic and residential buildings. She noted a 10% increase in new student enrollment this fall, attributed to intensified statewide marketing efforts.
"As I look across campus this fall, I see abundant evidence of our success at navigating these unprecedented moments," Mahoney said in a statement. "Working with the best colleagues anywhere in service to our deeply engaged and talented student body has been a joy, but supporting my growing family, especially my beautiful granddaughters, calls."
Despite the enrollment challenges, California State University Chancellor Mildred García praised Mahoney's contributions. García pointed to improvements in student success measures, including increased four-year graduation rates for first-time students, two-year graduation rates for transfer students, and first-year retention rates. "Thanks in large part to President Mahoney’s extraordinary service, the future of San Francisco State is indeed bright," García stated.
The California State University system will initiate a national search for Mahoney's successor. The university has faced criticism from some faculty members. Michael Bar, chair of the economics department, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Mahoney's decisions to cancel and consolidate classes, while intended as savings, caused significant damage to morale, trust, student experience, retention, and the university's reputation.
San Francisco State University's enrollment decline reflects a broader trend facing higher education nationwide. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education predicts a potential 13% decrease in traditional college enrollment among high school graduates over the next 15 years, as more young people pursue vocational training and trade careers.