President Loren J. Blanchard on leading CSULB with 'as much heart as I possibly can'

For President Loren J. Blanchard, taking the helm at Cal State Long Beach was, quite simply, meant to be.

"This is my 35th year in higher education, and I believe that all of those 35 years have really prepared me for the opportunity to lead this university," said Blanchard, sitting in the president's conference room sporting a black and gold tie, with a mug emblazoned with "LB" by his side on the table.

As he embraces his role as the campus's eighth permanent president, Blanchard said he intends to lead with "as much heart as I possibly can."

Q: What do you see as your top priorities?

My first 100 or so days will be spent doing a lot of listening: meeting with all varied constituent groups - students, faculty and staff.

I'm also equally interested in meeting with the external community. We know that this university is integrally tied to the city of Long Beach and certainly to the greater region. I want to make sure to listen to those constituents and to the alumni who are the movers and shakers around the community and beyond.

It's really to get a better sense of all the strengths that the university already has in place on things that are working remarkably well, relative to not only the educational experience that we provide the students, but more importantly, the connection points that really show evidence of all the different ways that we are expanding our capital.

We have so much intellectual, cultural and social capital; how are we using those for the growth and development of the city, the region and the world?

Q: How has your experience as a first-generation college graduate shaped the way you have led? 

As a first-generation student, I was very, very fortunate. In every avenue that I could pursue or that I could navigate, there were people helping me along the way. And it wasn't coincidental; it was intentional.

I'm a strong proponent of student success for that very purpose, in recognizing that all students have some type of barrier that they bring to the educational experience, even those who are not first-generation.

Typically, we think that it's only going to be financial or academic support that they need, but we've learned that there are many other barriers that we have to pay attention to, and that we're doing that very concretely here.

We're looking at mental health and we're looking at childcare, we're looking at food insecurities, transportation insecurities. All of those can stand in the way of students saying, "I'm not able to this, or I'm not able to finish."

We're here to say, "We've got avenues here that can help you. Let us give you that support that you need."

Q: What are some of the things about The Beach that give our alumni and friends confidence in the university today? 

The superior aspect of the work that we do here brings about a sense of pride, and for the alumni, it's their foundation that sets their course forward. Most of what they were able to accomplish has to do with their educational experience here at Cal State Long Beach.

That reputation of high quality - in all aspects of work, in all aspects of the educational environment - is what really matters for this university.

And it's the strong reputation of the people. We've got top-notch faculty who are doing stellar work in research and teaching. Many of them are leading professional associations throughout the country. We've got those individuals employed here, making an impact with our students and with our greater community.

Students who really understand that, yes, it is about obtaining the degree, but it is also recognizing that they're leaving with the knowledge and skills that prepare them for the workforce, that prepare them for graduate and professional school.

But there's something even greater in terms of the leadership acumen that they walk away with, where they know that they can become those leaders in their communities and leaders in their professions as well.

When you pull all of that together, it really has everything to do with why this university continues to stand tall.

Q: Your career-long commitment to being student-centered is clear. What are the key ways we can continue to instill this at The Beach?  

It's about being intentional about recognizing and helping students remove barriers that stand in the way of their success. It's central, in an environment where you've got 42,000 students, that you really understand what their needs are, and that these students know exactly where all the resources lie to make sure they can stay the course to complete their degrees.

I'm a firm believer in the fact that, if we found a student qualified enough to enter our doors, we have a responsibility to make sure that they graduate with a degree, the knowledge and the skills, but also make sure that they become leaders in their fields as well.

It's also providing opportunities for students to make connection points within the greater community while they're going through their educational experience here.

That matters a lot. The immediate community in terms of service, in terms of internships, the greater opportunity for them to study abroad so they can understand the world better as well - all of those touch points become important for students as they journey through their educational experience, and recognizing that it is designed to make them better human beings, as well.

Every opportunity we get to make sure that they understand it's not just about those hard skills and those soft skills, but who you are as a person and how is that being influenced and shaped? That, to me, matters a whole lot - and more importantly, it is part of the student's success paradigm.

Q: What excites you most about the future of The Beach? 

First of all, it's in Long Beach. I absolutely love the city of Long Beach! This university has such a strong reputation, and what I hope to be able to achieve as the next leader is to ensure that we don't just rest on our laurels.

There are greater heights for us to reach. And there are opportunities, especially for our students. We want to make sure that we're putting them in optimal situations, optimal opportunities that will allow them to not only shine brightly, but to lead with the whole notion of them being ambassadors for this university.

I've had conversations with the mayor and with some of our congressional delegation, and there's a lot of promise for different events that are forthcoming. They want to make sure that we work collaboratively.

We want to make sure that everyone understands that Cal State Long Beach is the university that's really making a difference.