July 21, 2003

Ken Monteiro, University Dean of Human Relations for the past five years, has recently completed a highly selective program designed to groom promising senior officials in higher education for future posts as college presidents.

Monteiro was among two dozen of the country's top college administrators taking part in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU) prestigious Millennium Leadership Initiative, an effort to strengthen the leadership preparation of promising individuals who have been underrepresented in the role of university president.

The institute's participants -- or proteges, as they were called -- ranged from a vice chancellor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo to an assistant commissioner for academic affairs for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. Four administrators, including Monteiro, represented CSU campuses.

"I did not become a college professor to become a college president," said Monteiro, 48. "But I believe that one can become a successful college president by holding dear to the values of a good teacher, constantly remembering that students come first and leading initiatives that support the development of those students and their primary resource, the faculty."

During the four-day program in Washington, D.C., Monteiro and others met with current and former college presidents to discuss such topics as working with governing boards, understanding financial management, handling media interviews and developing personal leadership styles.

The work of the initiative continues throughout the coming year with mentoring by presidents and chancellors. "Our talks with the presidents were especially valuable. We discussed real examples of the issues that college presidents face on a regular basis and how they reach solutions," Monteiro said.

Over the past four years, 12 of the proteges have gone on to become CEOs at institutions of higher education.

An expert in cognitive psychology with degrees from Dartmouth College and Stanford University, Monteiro joined the SFSU faculty in 1987 after previous faculty positions at Rutgers University at New Brunswick and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He later became chair of Psychology, the largest department in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.

In 1998 Monteiro was named University Dean of Human Relations, one of the few such designations in higher education. Monteiro heads an office that leads University initiatives to foster a nurturing campus environment that prepares leadership in a pluralistic society. The office, which also includes the University's Affirmative Action and Employment Equity programs and the Disability Programs and Resource Center, works to promote equal access for students and employees to develop their full potential.

-- Ted DeAdwyler

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Last modified July 21, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs