Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing breaking news story. Updates will be provided as they become available.
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System announced Friday that Rico Munn, CSU’s vice president for Metro Denver engagement and strategy, has been named the sole finalist for the CSU System’s next chancellor. Munn will succeed current Chancellor Tony Frank, who announced in December his plans to retire June 30, 2027. The application window for the position was open to all employees of the CSU System before closing Jan. 26.
The chancellor acts as a CEO of the entire CSU system, including the Fort Collins campus, CSU Pueblo and CSU Global. Per Colorado law, the Board of Governors must observe a 14-day notice and waiting period after announcing a finalist before entering into an employment agreement. Presuming the board offers Munn the position, he is expected to serve as executive vice chancellor, working closely with Frank until his retirement.
“We find it highly unlikely we would identify another candidate whose experience includes serving as the state’s top higher education officer, a longtime superintendent of one of the state’s largest and most diverse school districts, past chair of a governing board of a public university system, interim president of a public university campus and chief of staff at an R1 university campus — all on top of a successful legal career,” Board of Governors Chair John Fischer said in the statement. “We strongly believe Mr. Munn’s qualifications, passion for higher education and demonstrated commitment to our shared values can help us write an outstanding next chapter for the Colorado State University System.”
The announcement came in the midst of mounting criticism from several faculty groups who allege that the search process has so far violated the values of shared governance outlined in the Academic Faculty & Administrative Professional Manual. The Faculty Council Executive Committee, CSU’s chapter of American Association of University Professors and the Multicultural Staff and Faculty Council all sent letters to the Board of Governors before attending board meetings held at the Spur Campus in Denver from Feb. 4-6 to further voice dissent.
Faculty members objected to exclusionary nature of an internal search, the Search Advisory Committee being entirely compromised of board members, the potential conflict of interest presented by Frank’s involvement, the abnormally short timeline and previous faculty transitions that appear to establish a pattern of excluding key stakeholders.
“Such practices further undermine trust in institutional leadership and weaken the shared governance framework that has long defined Colorado State University,” the letter from the Faculty Council Executive Committee reads. “As the state-appointed stewards of our institution and mission, the Chancellor search process is an affront to the commitment you have made to make decisions in the best interest of the Colorado State University System on behalf of its faculty, staff and students.”
Further reporting on recent meetings held by the Board of Governors is underway.
CSU System’s announcement did not address concerns over the search process, but instead highlighted Munn’s extensive background in higher education leadership. Tiana Kennedy, CSU’s Associate Vice President of Communications, declined to provide information beyond what was provided in the statement.
Munn received his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver and worked for more than a decade as a litigator and trial attorney, at one point serving as chief of staff to CSU President Amy Parsons. He then served as executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies from 2007-2009 before becoming executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education from 2009-2011.
In 2013, Governor John Hickenlooper appointed Munn to chair of the CSU System Board of Governors, a role he served for six years while also serving as superintendent of Aurora Public Schools from 2013-2023. In 2019, he was named Colorado’s Superintendent of the Year and Aurora’s Man of the Year.
A long time community advocate in the Denver-Metro area — where CSU System is based — Munn served on the board of The Denver Foundation and was a co-founder of the Denver Urban Debate League. According to CSU’s statement, Munn was the principal author of the Denver Police Department’s first-ever policy against biased policing.
“I am grateful and honored to be considered for this role, and I appreciate the thoughtfulness the board has put into the succession planning process, one focused on maintaining stability while setting the table for future innovation,” Munn said in the release. “I’ve served in various leadership roles with the CSU System for more than a dozen years, and I am deeply committed to fulfilling its mission, championing its students, and supporting the faculty and staff who make this a world-class higher-education system.”
Reach Chloe Waskey at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
