Dive Brief:

• In a public written apology, San Jose State University President Mo Qayoumi admitted to moving too quickly in his attempts to improve the school, saying he "stepped on" and "harmed" a tradition of cooperation among faculty, staff, and students.
• The apology follows a rough first 18 months on the job. Since joining the school in late 2011, he has generated controversy and criticism for experiments with online education, budget cutting, and the replacement of existing campus diversity initiatives with his own, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
• Qayoumi’s apology was contained in a joint statement with California State University Chancellor Timothy White, alongside a detailed plan to improve the San Jose State's governance.

Dive Insight:

White was called in by the SJSU Academic Senate in November to mend the issues between faculty and administration. Just days later, the school faced a racial bullying scandal after a black student had a bicycle lock placed around his neck by roommates, among other things. White’s intervention was apparently the first time a California State University school had undergone such a review, and Qayoumi is reportedly on a “short leash.”