CSN president won’t seek to extend contract

The president of the College of Southern Nevada will not seek to extend his contract past its expiration in June 2024, he announced to the campus community Thursday.

Federico Zaragoza, who has served as president since 2018, said in the email he would work through the end of his contract to ensure a smooth transition for the next president.

He said he informed the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents and Acting Chancellor Dale Erquiaga of his decision earlier this week.

“I look forward to the next year at CSN, and I have enjoyed the last five years immensely,” he wrote. “For me, you have truly become my family.”

Zaragoza’s and Erquiaga’s offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Review-Journal reported that the college’s status as a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving institution — a designation it first received in 2015 — is in question.

Nearly 40 percent of CSN’s student body identifies as Hispanic, and Zaragoza sits on the governing board for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

CSN is the largest community college in Nevada, with a fall 2021 enrollment of nearly 30,000 students, accounting for more than 60 percent of all students in Nevada’s two-year institutions.

Its graduation rate has increased from 9.3 percent in 2018 to 16.4 percent in 2021.

Zaragoza said in his email Thursday he was proud to have overseen the planning for a new northwest campus and the construction of a manufacturing training center in conjunction with the city of Henderson, which is scheduled to open this fall.

Contact Christian Casale at ccasale@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4551. Follow @vanityhack on Twitter.