NMSU regents, chancellor announce mutual separation

At a special meeting Friday, April 7, of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents, the board agreed to a mutual separation with Chancellor Dan Arvizu. The board also announced the selection of former NMSU President Jay Gogue to serve as the university’s interim chancellor, starting Friday. Gogue will lead the NMSU system while the search for the university’s next permanent chancellor takes place.

During the meeting, Arvizu said he believed accelerating this transition will allow the university to put its full focus on finding the NMSU system’s next permanent chancellor.

“This separation is truly mutual,” Arvizu said. “For the past five years, my only motivation has been to do what I believe is in the best interest of NMSU, and transitioning now will allow the university to devote the time and effort needed over the next several months for a successful search.”

“The Board of Regents appreciates all Chancellor Arvizu has done for our university,” said Ammu Devasthali, chair of the NMSU Board of Regents. “As we thank him and wish him well, we, at the same time, welcome Jay and Susie Gogue back to Las Cruces.”

Gogue has a long and distinguished career in higher education. He served as NMSU president from 2000-2003 and later served as president and chancellor of the University of Houston system from 2003-2007 and as president of Auburn University from 2007-2017 and again from 2019-2022.

“Susie and I are pleased to be back at NMSU,” Gogue said. “My plan is to hit the ground listening. No two institutions of higher education are the same. Just because something worked at Auburn doesn’t mean it will work at NMSU. In the coming days, I intend to meet with as many people as I can to get a better understanding of our overall landscape.”

During the time Gogue spent at Auburn, that university continued to assert its status as a premier land-, sea- and space-grant university through research, academic rigor and national recognition. He holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from Michigan State University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture from Auburn. He also served as provost at Utah State University from 1995-2000, vice president for research at Clemson University from 1986-1995 and vice president for agriculture and natural resources at Clemson University from 1993-1995.

During Friday’s meeting, the board of regents also selected the executive search firm WittKieffer to help with the chancellor search process, including identifying qualified candidates, conducting initial screenings and evaluating individuals for the position. The board plans to begin hosting listening sessions and gathering input from stakeholders around the state in the coming weeks.