Dr. Carl Kemnitz has been appointed Cal State San Marcos’ next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Kemnitz’s tenure will begin on July 1.
“Dr. Kemnitz strongly believes in the teacher-scholar model, is a strong faculty advocate and is driven by the success of students,” CSUSM President Ellen Neufeldt said. “He joins me as a champion for shared governance, innovation, diversity and inclusive excellence. He will be a true advocate for our students, our faculty and our staff, not only internally but externally with our community partners, leaders and donors.”
As provost, Kemnitz will be responsible for ensuring the integrity and excellence of Academic Affairs while overseeing the deans of the university as well as the division’s academic associate vice presidents and the vice provost.
Kemnitz comes to CSUSM from San Jose State, where he has served as senior vice provost for Academic Affairs since 2015. In his role at San Jose State, Kemnitz is responsible for an academic budget of $300 million and for the recruitment, retention and development of faculty, department chairs and staff. Among Kemnitz’s accomplishments was helping to establish a plan called Four Pillars of Student Success, which resulted in a 15-point increase in graduation rates at the university.
“I am thrilled and grateful to be joining such an extraordinary campus community where everyone is so passionate and committed to student success,” Kemnitz said.
“I can’t wait to begin working with the entire campus community and help CSUSM emerge from these challenging times stronger than ever.”
Before joining San Jose State, Kemnitz served in a variety of faculty and administrative roles at Cal State Bakersfield, including associate vice president for Academic Programs, dean of Undergraduate Studies, dean of Graduate Studies, associate dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, chair of the Department of Chemistry, and director for several successful STEM diversity programs.
Kemnitz has a bachelor’s in chemistry from Occidental College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Washington.
About California State University San Marcos
Building on an innovative 30-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 306-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange counties.
The university enrolls more than 16,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014 — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.
