For Cal State Fullerton President Framroze “Fram” Virjee the first day of the spring semester Monday, Jan. 23, was both exciting and a bit sad as he told the campus community he will retire at the end of the school year.
Virjee, 62, will continue to lead the largest university of the Cal State system through July 31.
“It is as I imagined it; it’s bittersweet,” he said Monday afternoon after spending the day in cabinet meetings and walking the campus to talk with students following his announcement. “Julie (his wife) and I love Cal State Fullerton; it’s our passion and mission. It’s sad that I know a chapter is ending, but also exciting that another one is beginning.”
While he said it will be “God’s plan” what he and his wife take on next, he does intend to devote more time to the nonprofit the couple started in Rwanda years ago. Yambi Rwanda is dedicated to transcending genocide and overcoming poverty in the African country by creating opportunities focused on education.
Virjee was initially tapped to lead the university on an interim basis; after working in the Long Beach Chancellor’s office for four years and then as general counsel for the 23-campus system he planned to retire and go to Rwanda, but was persuaded to help out Cal State Fullerton. Fifteen months later, that interim period turned to full-time for the next five years. Before joining the Cal State system, Virjee worked as a litigator in private practice for 30 years.
“Fram Virjee has been the epitome of a servant leader, displaying an infectious passion to improve opportunities for students,” Cal State University Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester said in a statement. The first in his immigrant family to graduate from college, Virjee “strongly identified with the CSU mission,” Koester wrote. “Throughout his presidency, he has been laser-focused on expanding access and success for students from all backgrounds.”
An interim president will be appointed while Cal State officials launch a nationwide search for Virjee’s successor.
Virjee said choosing the start of the semester to make his announcement was deliberate because it would give university administrators time to look for his replacement, and it would also super-charge his own efforts to achieve a few more goals.
He said he is incredibly proud of the record number of students earning their college degrees. Since 2018, more than 45,000 students have graduated. As of spring 2022, the four-year graduation rate for first-time freshmen was 39%, a 7.7% year-over-year improvement since spring 2021, and a 53% improvement over the spring of 2018.
Successful physical improvements he points to include construction of the Titan Arch and promenade, renovations of the library and the reopening of its South Tower; a new 600-bed residence hall; new and renovated athletic facilities; a new state-of-the-art lab space and more.
During his tenure, Virjee also faced navigating the 50,000-student university through the global pandemic. The university was one of the first in the nation to go virtual and among the first to return to in-person classrooms.
And, maybe among the most defining principles of his time at CSUF, Virjee said, “has been our unwavering and complete devotion to creating a community where all can thrive and reach their full potential, a community dedicated to equity, inclusion and social justice.”
“We set out five years ago to elevate the profile and reputation of Cal State University Fullerton, to have people understand how important we are to the community,” he said. “I’ve set out to make the value of the diploma go up. We are proud Titans; it’s as important as being a Trojan or Bruin.”
The university has become a destination campus, with 80,000 applications each year for 8,500 spots and an average entering GPA of just under 3.7, Virjee said.
Over the next months, Virjee said he will continue to work non-stop to prepare the campus for its future, which includes even more investment in its students and the campus facilities.
“I think it’s much better to leave on a high note,” he said.
Dr. Stephen Stambough, a political science professor and former chair of the university’s Academic Senate, commended Virjee for the work on the campus facilities, pointing out the excellent use downtime during the pandemic closures.
“Significant investment of the physical infrastructure of the campus, that was long-needed,” he said, adding it has made the campus overall more welcoming.
“It’s really changed the sense of community and feel,” Stambough said, describing Virjee as incredibly accessible and interested in all aspects of campus life. “Twenty years ago, the reputation was more of a commuter school. It has much more of a campus feel now. With the investment into technology, we are the envy of the system now. That’s paid a ton of dividends.”
Ding-Jo Currie, director of Cal State Fullerton’s Leadership Institute for Tomorrow, said Virjee’s “brand of leadership can be described as love-based, compassionate and authentic. I have always felt proud to call him my president because he leads with a big heart for our students, cares for his faculty and staff and our entire Titan family.”
Beyond traveling to Rwanda, Virjee said he is excited to go fishing, something he hasn’t been able to find time to do, and he also hopes to write.
But he also plans, he said, to continue to advocate for the importance of higher education.
“Higher education is the great equalizer,” he said. “It raises up the graduates and their families. It includes values and builds communities. It strengthens economic prosperity, but also instills a sense of servant leadership and giving back to lift up the lives of others.”
