PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Board of Regents voted Wednesday to approve the appointment of Dr. José Luis Cruz as Northern Arizona University’s new president.
Cruz, who had been the executive vice chancellor and university provost of The City University of New York, accepted the position at NAU on Feb. 18.
He’s already visited the Flagstaff campus and cited plans to develop programs and build initiatives that improve the university’s access, success and community engagement.
Cruz said he decided to leave his position in New York to become NAU’s 17th president because he wanted to return to a more community-integrated university.
Cruz is replacing current NAU President Rita Cheng, who announced in September that she would not seek a contract extension after serving as head of the university since 2014. Her contract was not set to end until 2022.
Cruz previously served as provost of California State University in Fullerton.
He’s a former vice president of higher education policy and practice at The Education Trust in Washington, D.C., and a former chief student affairs officer for the University of Puerto Rico system.
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