Leaders on Leadership featuring Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President of San José State University

Episode Transcript

Jay Lemons:

Hello, and thank you for listening. I’m Jay Lemons. Welcome to Leaders on Leadership, brought to you by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute. The purpose of our podcast is to share the stories of the people and forces that have shaped leaders in higher education and to learn more about their thoughts on leadership in the academy.

It is a special pleasure today to ask to join us, Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson. Cynthia is an internationally recognized Latina leader. She’s known for championing student success, diversity, equity, inclusion, civic engagement, experiential learning, and she is a financial expert, to be certain, as well. More about that in a moment.

In January 2023, Cynthia was called to join and serve as the thirty-first president at San José State University. Before coming to San José State, Cynthia led Texas A&M University of San Antonio from 2015 to 2023. In her time in San Antonio, a very generative and productive time, she helped grow the campus into a comprehensive master’s institution, and earned designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the Department of Education.

Cynthia is a renowned public speaker, much in demand, has delivered a number of keynotes at national conferences around contemporary issues in higher education and risk management, women’s leadership, and Latinx leadership. Cynthia earned her Bachelor of Arts in management from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, her Master of Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage, and her doctorate in educational leadership from Cal State Fresno.

She serves on many, many, many boards, and I’m actually very happy to say that she serves both on the boards of Academic Search and our parent organization, the American Academic Leadership Institute.

Cynthia, it is a great pleasure to welcome you, and I’m grateful for your willingness to share this time, and for all you do, for all of us in higher education.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Thank you. It’s great to be here. Jay,

Jay Lemons:                 

We’re going to just jump right on in here. As our listeners know, one of our goals here is to really ask leaders to reflect, and to share a little bit about their own pathways, the important milestones and people who helped to shape you, and help forge you into the exceptional leader that you are, as your journey unfolded.

And I’d like to just ask you to begin right there. I was not aware that you did your formal education at the undergraduate and master’s level in Alaska, so …

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Yeah.

Jay Lemons:                 

Yeah, talk about your background.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

I’m a first-generation college graduate, and a first-generation professional. And my journey starts, my grandparents migrated from Mexico into south Texas, and that’s where they landed, on both sides of my family, on my mother’s side and my dad’s side.

Both my parents were born in San Antonio, and so was I. Neither of my parents had an opportunity to go to college, so they very much understood and imparted on me and my sister the importance of hard work, and really valuing college education. So I’d always known I was going to college. I just really didn’t know what that was all about.

I think as they were examining their life and trying to create a better life for our family, they felt that they needed to not only leave their home neighborhood, which is a very low-income neighborhood, but they left the state, and they did what many Latinos of that generation did, and they followed a sibling to Southern California.

That’s how I got to California as a child. During that time, my dad was able to earn a credential that took him into the trades and crafts, and moved us to Alaska. And it was, for them, a tremendous opportunity to change their pathway, and move them into the middle class. Because of that, I was able to go to college.

As a first-generation Latina, it was important to my parents that I was somewhat close to home and, close to home was still, we were living on Naval Air Station, Adak Alaska. It’s a very remote location, and living close to home was 1,200 miles away, at the University of Alaska, at Fairbanks. And it was the only campus in the state of Alaska that had residence halls, or dorms where I could live. So that’s how I ended up and stayed in Alaska really for close to 25 years, and how I got my start in higher education.

After graduating there with my undergraduate, I began working in higher ed administration, in procurement and contracts, and worked my way up there, and moved to Anchorage, where I worked, and earned my MBA. And that’s where I became a vice chancellor for administrative services, working at the University of Alaska Anchorage. And that system, at the time that I was there, was a combination of the public four-year universities and the community college systems.

At the time that I was there, there were no doctoral level programs. So when I became a vice chancellor there, I was one of the youngest vice chancellors they’d had, particularly in administration, with my background in business, both the undergrad and the MBA level, I moved around from procurement. I did auxiliaries, I oversaw facilities.

So I had held multiple jobs within the divisions before becoming a vice chancellor. It’s the system that they had there. And it was really a special time, because when I earned my MBA, I got the shoulder tap, so to speak, about considering an opportunity as an associate vice chancellor in budget and finance.

So that’s really what took me into that area. Although I am not an accountant, I very much learned and understand accounting principles. I obviously understand budgeting and finance, and those are actually one of the hardest jobs I ever had was being associate vice chancellor for budget and finance, because these are very technical roles, where you have to really have competency and proficiency in those areas. And those were things I learned along the way.

So I had a great experience there. I became a vice chancellor unexpectedly. I would add that when you talk about leadership, Jay, you never know where your journey is going to take you. I was delighted to be an associate vice chancellor, and my boss, who was the vice chancellor, was killed in a plane accident, and they did a national search for the position. I was not a candidate.

Again, I got a shoulder tap, and after their first round of interviews or something like that, and just a suggestion, that maybe I ought to consider applying. So I applied, and was selected as vice chancellor for admin finance. So nobody, no matter where you live, there’s no kindergartner sitting at home, wishing that they would become an AVP, or an associate vice chancellor in budget and finance, and these hierarchies that we have. And that’s really what took me into that very first leadership journey, at the University of Alaska.

Jay Lemons:                 

Wow. I want to go back, and just take stock. The very remote naval base where your family was living is 1,200 miles, you said, from Fairbanks.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

By plane, because you couldn’t get there. It’s an island, on the tip of the Aleutian chain.

Jay Lemons:                 

Yeah. Wow. I mean, that just speaks to the vastness of Alaska, doesn’t it?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Oh, it absolutely does. I’ve known for a long time the challenges of these very diverse geographies, and how you provide educational services for those, and I was fortunate that my family could send me to college. Had that not been the case, I really wouldn’t have had very many options to what students do now, which is live at home, and go to campus. That would not have been an option for me.

So, I think, very much understanding the multidimensional elements of how people make decisions that are very much influenced by their familial conditions, particularly in the Latino community.

Jay Lemons:

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I associate the tight-knit family structures. That was a big leap of faith by your parents.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Oh, yes. And it came full circle for me, Jay, because as a vice chancellor, as a vice chancellor or a vice president, at those levels, you’re working very closely with your boss, whether that’s the president, or a chancellor. As you well know, those relationships are really critical for success.

And I was really fortunate to have a wonderful first chancellor, so to speak, in my first vice chancellorship. Not only did he believe in me, and selected me for the role, he was an economist. So he was really, almost ahead of his time, in terms of data, data-driven decision-making, back in the ’90s, so to speak, and really forward-looking, and moving quickly.

I had an opportunity to really develop a lot of skills, and fundamental leadership traits, that I learned from him, and with him. When he decided to retire, I was really confronted with, “Do I want to stay here for the rest of my career, or do I want to look elsewhere?”

As it just so happened, California State University at Fresno was hiring. I received a call from a recruiter, I went through the process, and was really impressed with Dr. John Welty, who was my boss at Fresno State, and the CSU system, the California State University system.

As a leader, and then, as a working professional, as a mother, as a spouse, it’s really important. Then you begin to realize that decisions aren’t all just about what’s right for you, it’s about what’s right for your family. So I had a pretty clear sense of what I was looking for, in a position, what I was looking for in a boss, what I was looking for in a community, and that everything just lined up for my ability to be at Fresno State, with Dr. Welty.

And I crossed some really important family boundaries there, that also taught me some things about how to negotiate. I accepted that job in July, at a NACUBO meeting. I remember it clearly. I was at the Gaylord Hotel when I got the call, and I was really on the verge, because my son, who was, I think 14 or 15 at the time, must have been around 15.

When you live in Alaska, you play hockey. So my son was a hockey player, and he had made the varsity team …

Jay Lemons:

Wow.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

And really wanted to stay as a freshman, and play high school hockey. You might imagine, there was not much high school hockey in Fresno, California.

So I talked to Dr. Welty, before I signed my appointment letter, and I said, “It’s really important to me that my son would be able to do this, so can I start in March?” He said yes, and I didn’t negotiate on anything else.

It was just really important to me to be able to do this piece for my family, because we were uprooting their lives. And then, my younger son was in a Spanish immersion program, and when I came for the interview with Dr. Welty, I said to him, it was really important to me, in terms of understanding your values and what you’re looking for, “My Spanish is okay, it’s mostly Spanglish.”

So it was really important to me, having lived in Alaska, and being removed from, really, Latino culture, that my children, well, my youngest son learned to speak Spanish. Our older son doesn’t speak Spanish, but he was in a Spanish immersion program. It was really important to us.

So Dr. Welty helped me look at the schools during my interview process, to evaluate the programs there that might fit this criteria. And I had jokingly said, “If the job doesn’t have these two elements in the community, then I won’t be able to come for the job.” I think for me, as I was mentioning, as a working parent, it also helps me to be empathetic to the needs of others who are facing these sorts of career decisions as a leader.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

And I was very inspired by Dr. Welty, and as we mentioned earlier, these are tough jobs, and that relationship is really important. And I had a strong professional relationship with Dr. Welty, and I still do.

Jay Lemons:                 

Well, Cynthia, as a young AASCU president, man, I just looked up to John Welty, and I can only appreciate, and I love hearing that. In some ways, I guess I will say it this way. John might have been the caricature, or if you were Central Casting, he’s who I might have cast historically as a college president. And I’m mindful of the great work of Estela Bensimon, and the work that she did this past year, we have been really studying and making sense of, and she says, that that is a John or myself, or those historic caricatures.

I love you are representing what I hope might be a new caricature. And I’d love to hear if you have any reflections on, I’m just curious, did John tap you on the shoulder, to use that phrase yet again and say, “Cynthia, you need to think about something else, and we need more women coming up through the ranks?”

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Unequivocally. I said to you, I started in March and I remember this vividly. I started March 29th, because Cesar Chavez Day was that week, and I didn’t want to start on April Fool’s Day.

So I started in March. My first performance review was in June, 90 days into the job. And in my goals, the top goal was, “Must earn doctorate.” And it stayed in my performance review every year, until I enrolled in a program, and completed.

So he really pushed me. I mean, as a vice president, having an MBA is a terminal degree in that sort of a job, or at least it was at the time. Obviously, and we know this, I mean, I’ve studied this particular data, more CFOs and chief business officers are coming in with doctorates, or earning doctorates along the way, particularly from communities of color.

But he was ahead of his time in inspiring me to do that. So every year, and it sat there, and like I said, until I started. So I started working for him in 2004, and I graduated in 2013, with my doctorate. So actually, he put that idea in my head, and really worked with me on it.

And yes, after I received the doctorate, he suggested to me that I register for the Executive Leadership Academy, the ELA. So I was in the ELA at that time, and he was my sponsor and my mentor, and helped me through that process, and to diversify my capabilities to be prepared to be a university president.

So when I was nominated for the presidency at Texas A&M, the University of San Antonio and accepted that role, I went back to the exact same neighborhood and ZIP code that my parents worked so hard to get out of.

Jay Lemons:

Wow.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

So it was a really full circle moment in memory, and a leadership exploration, I would say in my first presidency, in my time there, really learning not only about myself as a leader, but about the students that we served, and the backgrounds, and really had a deeper appreciation for what I call the ZIP code lottery. I heard that phrase from Warren Buffett, the ZIP code lottery.

Jay Lemons:

Yup.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Had I stayed in that ZIP code, the data is still true. Had I stayed in that ZIP code, I might not have graduated from high school. I would have had a higher probability to be a teen mother, probably would not have gone on to college, and my life expectancy would be reduced by 10 years.

So there’s a lot of those moments, along my leadership journey, that have inspired me to really understand more about communities of color, and first-generation college experiences.

Jay Lemons:

Well, thank you for sharing all of that, even with people whom I’ve known a number of years, and had the privilege of working with. I find in these conversations, I learned so much more, and I really appreciate your sharing.

You said earlier that you think that some of those experiences have made you a more empathetic leader, and I’d love to hear you maybe talk a little bit more about, what makes a good leader? And I use “good” in the Ann Hasselmo sense of meaning, virtuous, not grade B, but effective, successful, but at the end of the day, filled with virtue. So talk a little bit about those qualities, and for you.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

So I think it’s really important to be able to create the vision, to really set that visionary, forward-looking viewpoint, perspective landscape, that others that you work with around you, and throughout the organization, can understand and follow.

It’s really important that we be, I think, as inspirational as possible, and have clarity, clarity of purpose, for yourself as an individual, and for your institution. Right now, today, I think this has always been true, but acting with integrity. I think, as we have lived through the last few years of the pandemic, post-pandemic, political dynamics, geopolitical dynamics, acting with integrity is really critical.

I think when you’re in these roles, once you become grounded and established as a leader at this level, at the executive level, I have found it important to have focus, and to really stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish in the long run.

There’s a lot that comes at you, on a daily basis, that you have to have the mental capacity to evaluate what’s important, or where you’re going to place your energy. Some things will pop up that take you off track, and you have to be able to recognize that, and get yourself and your institution on track, and stay on track.

So I think, when I worked for Lee Gorsuch, he used to say, “Never underestimate the vision thing.” And I think that sort of phrase has always stuck with me, “Never underestimate the vision thing,” because it is really clear.

And then consistency, consistency, consistency, repeat, repeat, repeat. So I think those are some of the things that I think make an effective CEO and President. There’s many other elements, but those are among the top.

Jay Lemons:

And that’s really what I’m aiming at. I so appreciate that. I worked with a group of colleagues once, who had a way of dealing with the problem of the shiny object. Because we have shiny objects thrown in our footpath all the time, and they can take away from that focus, and it was, somebody would yell, “Squirrel,” and bring us back to focus. Because in a world with many, many options, you can lose sight.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Many, many public universities are the size of small, medium, or large cities, depending on the size and scale of your operation institution. So there is a lot of what I call, just the business of running the university, that, to your point, about how do you evaluate some things that you have to do, if we have to upgrade the payroll system, or we have to make sure the electricity stays on, we have to make sure we have the most current computer technology of the day.

But that cannot be your long-term strategy. So how you balance all of those elements, to your point, I love that analysis of just somebody yelling, “Squirrel,” or whatever it may be, I think is critical for you, as a leader, but among your team.

Jay Lemons:

Yup, that’s exactly right. Well, speaking of teams, when you are building, creating your team, what are you looking for in the leaders, that you invite to be a part of that? And I am a huge believer, and it goes back to Ed Penson and John Moore, and the president and the presidency.

And the presidency is far more important, and the team is one of those major strands that helps to define the strength of a presidential tenure. So when you’re building your team, what are you looking for, in those people?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Well, first, I always look for operational mastery. The world is changing very quickly. In a public university setting, there’s a lot of regulatory compliance elements, as well as what we were talking about earlier, envisioning, and really, even future casting.

So I believe I need people around me, who are operational masters. They’re highly effective in whatever that space is, and their sphere of influence, that people look to them as knowledgeable experts and leaders in that space.

I think that’s number one, and that just goes without saying. For the team, then, I also look for individuals who have integrity, who we can build trust with, who have strong communication skills, who have the ability to say, “Squirrel,” to use your analysis, or, “Stop, that this is not a good thing,” to really own their voice. You call this speaking truth to power, but really, also, to share that voice in that vision, because you cannot be an effective team, if we don’t hear from everyone.

I also think it’s important to find people that don’t necessarily think like you do. So you want to have that diversity, in so many areas. It’s not just about gender or ethnicity, or race or political, any viewpoints. It is really also around, all of that makes a diversity of voice, which helps to build a strong team, and a strong cabinet, as we move forward.

So those are among probably the top lists. There’s many others, in terms of how the team behaves, how you create a shared purpose, and a common vision to ensure that we’re acting effectively.

Jay Lemons:

Excellent. Thank you. Cynthia, I don’t know, you were among probably the earliest participants in the AALI programs, and ELA, you mentioned. Of course, there’s BAPA and SLA, and mastering the presidential search process.

Those folks who have been identified, if you will, they’ve gotten the early tap. You should be thinking about something, beyond what you’re doing, as a part of our audience. And I really treasure what advice you might have, to share with those leaders, as they think about the possibility of leadership in the academy.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

I often say to professionals, “Stretch yourself.” It’s in the academy, particularly if you’re coming up through the faculty ranks. I think this is true in administration, too, because I was an administrator, but the academy is very focused in our lanes. And if you are a biologist, all of your work is in and around that academic discipline.

So it’s important to find opportunities, to experience other parts of the academy, other parts of the university. I think that same thing holds true for staff, that we have to see ourselves in other roles, and we do that best, I believe, in committees, in joining committees that are outside of areas of expertise, in areas that are of interest to you.

So I always encourage people to stretch themselves, get on committees, look at other avenues, other opportunities, and then, to remember, that the academy needs leadership, and to really challenge people to say, “Have you ever thought about leadership? Have you ever thought about the leadership roles? Have you thought about becoming a department chair, or division manager, or some other specialist across the university?”

I always encourage, particularly women and women of color, “Ask for what you need to be successful, but to do that in a context of what helps the institution.” So, to put yourself in that lane, and then figure out what it is. Some of the examples of some of the programs you named, ask to be participating in certain training programs, ask to have a release for a special assignment, offer to do something that’s outside of your scope.

But also, ask for the tools you need to be successful, whatever that looks like for you. Sometimes, it may be a leave of absence, sometimes it might be a fellowship, sometimes it might be a special assignment, leading an initiative for a Cabinet member. There’s just lots of ways to do that, but I don’t think we inherently think about that.

Another phrase I use with young professionals is to think inside the box. By that, I mean, look at existing leadership programs that are at your campus now, and have you taken advantage of what is being created already?

Because we know, across public universities, many human resources departments, organizational dynamics or organizational excellence divisions, excuse me, are creating programs, creating content to help create leaders. Then we find that the classes aren’t full, or people sign up, and then they don’t show up, because they feel like they can’t leave their desk, for whatever important and urgent assignment crossed that way, at that time.

So sometimes, this is not universally true, but often, there are programs on the campus, of which you could grow and benefit and learn, but people don’t take advantage of them. So, a number of things there.

Jay Lemons:

Excellent, excellent, yup.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Stretch yourself. Look for opportunities, think inside the box. Ask for what you need to be successful.

Jay Lemons:                 

It’s so interesting, in many ways, and you used the word “specialist” a couple moments ago. We are trained to become specialists, and then hyper specialists. We’re trained in some ways, especially as people come through the faculty ranks. It’s not biology, it’s chunks of biology that get narrower and narrower.

And yet, the needs for institutional leadership are almost, you back out, and become, as a president, I don’t know how you feel, I remember feeling like, “Man, I am a generalist at this point.” Now you’ll never leave your extraordinary expertise and finances behind, but we really are, as presidents, you have to be a generalist, too.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Well, yeah. As president, you have to be generalist. I mean, as president, you’re responsible for everything that happens, every word that is spoken, across every square inch of the institution, whether you know about it or not.

So, the ability to navigate and move quickly as a generalist, and that’s why this team element is so important, because you’re relying on those experts to act in the best way possible for the institution, when you’re not there, even when you are there, but when you’re not there. And that’s daunting.

I think, for what I hear from in those academies, where we’re teaching people to move to the next level, it’s overwhelmingly daunting and scary. And we need to make it more accessible and understandable, and learn, really, what those roles are, so that you can see yourself in it, and practice in those, going forward.

Jay Lemons:                 

Yeah. Thank you. I’m going to move us forward, because I am so grateful for your finding and making time on, I know, a busy piece in your schedule. I want to kind of move into the lightning round here.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Okay.

Jay Lemons:

So, shorter questions. The answers can be as long as you want. Who’s had the most influence on you? And you can name more than one person.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Well, first and foremost, my mom. Anyway, my mom is someone that I look up to, a person who really taught me the importance of hard work, lots of life lessons and experiences, in always pushing yourself, and making the world better for others. Those are things I learned from my mom.

Jay Lemons:                 

Do you still have her?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Oh, yes. Yes, I do. My dad is now deceased. We lost him during the pandemic, and so I reflect on a lot of these types of experiences. So for those of you who still have your parents, be thankful.

Jay Lemons:                 

Amen to that. Well, I can only imagine the extraordinary pride your parents must have felt, watching you take up leadership in the town in which they immigrated to.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Yeah.

Jay Lemons:

Wow.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Yeah. Well, it was very hard to leave, and to join San José State University. So when you asked me about people who influenced me, obviously, I named a few of my bosses, who I’ve learned a lot from. Lee Gorsuch, he’s my first boss at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, when I became a vice chancellor, John Welty, who I still have the utmost respect, look to think about him a lot in how he made decisions during his time and tenure. I’ve admired and always appreciated Jolene Koester.

Jay Lemons:

Nice.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Jolene is an amazing person, and-

Jay Lemons:

A giant.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

One of the reasons that I’m back in the California State University system. I look to people like Ruth Simmons, who I met, when I was at A&M. She was a person, again from afar, that has had this incredible career, faced very difficult decisions, and is just a role model for so many people, not only in the African-American community, but in other communities, as well, for her extraordinary accomplishments.

So those are among a few. I could probably come up with others, but the few that come to mind.

Jay Lemons:

Amazing. That’s great, thank you. How about a book or books that have had great influence on you?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Early in my leadership, actually, when I worked for Lee Gorsuch, one of his leadership tactics, which is a good one, we would read books as a Cabinet, and then we would discuss them. I don’t know that very many leaders do that anymore, because of everyone’s extraordinarily busy schedule.

But I really came to appreciate Good to Great, and learned a lot about leadership there that still holds true. And so, a lot of those metaphors, we use them, they’ve become vernacular.

Jay Lemons:

They do. You talked about focus, I thought, “Hedgehog,” immediately.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Yeah, yeah, exactly right. People on the bus, Level Five performance, all of those.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

So I’m a real fan of Good To Great. I also was a real fan of Clay Christensen’s work. Because he really put so much into space, into existence, about disruption, and really was predicting how to think about being a leader in higher ed, how higher ed was going to, and continues to be disruptive, and what that means for our future.

So he wrote many pieces that I really appreciate in Harvard Business Review, about yourself, and your own leadership values. But the pieces he wrote about disruption, and being a disruptor, I think are really important leadership lessons for all of us. And they still resonate today.

Jay Lemons:                 

They do. Thank you for that. And I mean, I also love, and you referenced this, how will you measure your life? That sort of final lecture is just a beautiful challenge to everyone. Yeah, yeah.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

I find, sometimes, when I find myself in a bad head space, or something where I just need clarity, reading some of his work, that article, in particular, just referenced is a good one to go back.

And it gives you pause, and it helps lift yourself back up. I mean, no one leads a perfect life, and no one leads a perfect leadership.

Jay Lemons:                 

That is so valuable. Yes, I look at you, and I think, it’s hard for me to imagine you having a bad patch, but we all have them. We all have them. How about a fondest memory of your undergraduate experience?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Well, I would say, I really loved living in the college residence halls. As an undergraduate freshman, I lived on campus, I think I lived on campus for a few years. So I lived on campus, living in Fairbanks, Alaska, living in very cold weather, people would tell stories about, “Don’t go out with wet hair, because your hair will break off” kind of things, if it freezes. So I was at the University of Alaska, doing very cold weather periods.

And so, living in the hall, and just having that common experience with others, and new experiences that I had never tried before, or participated in before, was very special.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah, yeah. Is there a favorite campus tradition, in a place that you’ve attended or served, that you hold dear?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

When I was at Texas A&M University in San Antonio, we were building a university, and I was fortunate to be President when we were welcoming our first freshman class, in 2016.

As you know, or as you may know, because we talked about this a little offline, Texas A&M is filled with traditions. So, at Texas A&M San Antonio, we were able to, with that spirit, create a lot of long-lasting traditions.

But one of them was called the Jaguar March, and it was at the end the culmination of the freshmen orientation experiences. But these were right before they’re coming to campus. So, the freshmen onboarding, a few days, before we called it Jaguar Camp Nation, Jag X is actually what we called it, for the experience.

And the students would culminate at what was known as, it is still known as the Tower, the Tower of Esperanza. And it was a mile from the tower, to the Texas A&M San Antonio fountain. And the freshman class would march together. This was at the end of their Jag X experience, and be presented to the faculty. So it was leading into a convocation sort of experience, after preparing them to be college students, and the readiness to be a college student.

And they would receive a mini-keychain that was a ring, a mini class ring, to remind that they would know that they would stay together as a class, and that they would earn their ring, their college ring, their A&M San Antonio ring.

But it’s really powerful to be with that large group of first-year students, and be part of something that’s bigger than yourself, and to know that you are here together, to get through the journey together. So I helped to put that tradition in place, and knowing that it’s going to be there, continues, is really special.

Jay Lemons:

Thank you for sharing. I would commend the work of Ernest Boyer, and his notion about what defines a collegiate community, the place of ritual and tradition. And I’ll acknowledge, Cynthia that, yes, my three years at Texas A&M made me a great appreciator of traditions, as a way of helping to define and bring together a community.

So how special, to have welcomed the very first students, and to have been a part of defining traditions, as a part of an environment where tradition is among its most sacred virtues and values. So, wonderful.

Hey, if you hadn’t worked in higher ed, if there had been another path, what might you have done?

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Well, it’s so hard to predict that, but I can tell you as an undergraduate student, I always, in Alaska, I had a very high interest in being in the energy sector. So there was oil and gas and utilities, basically.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

And that was part of the big culture there, the pipeline culture, and the big industries there, were at the time, with BP and ConocoPhillips and Exxon, a lot of those experiences helped shape what I was interested in, because that’s what I knew, what was present there, where I could have a stable career.

So those were my early inklings. The world has changed significantly since I was an undergraduate. So it’s hard to know where my journey would have taken me, had I not been in higher ed.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah. Well, wonderful. As a part of our wrap up, I have a little tradition of our own, is that we like to invite our guests to reflect and think about your current leadership post, and to give you a chance to say a little bit about San Jose State University, and the distinctive qualities that drew you back to California, and make it a special place to serve.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

So San José State University, in my view, was the original startup. We talk about that on our campus. It’s the oldest university on the West. It’s the founding university, and the first university in the California State University system, and today, I think is the epicenter of the future.

The city of San José and San José State University are the epicenter of the future. The city of San José is the capital of Silicon Valley. There is much that is happening there, in which we can leverage our geography, as we think about the future ahead, a very complicated future, as we all know.

There is incredible diversity at San José State University. We have a large population of international students from all over the globe. We have students that come from all over California, to earn a degree, in areas that you might imagine, engineering, computer engineering, computer science, computational linguistics. A lot of new degrees that are being created to serve this technology need, the drive, the entrepreneurial spirit that exists. The innovative spirit that exists in the Silicon Valley is embedded within San José State University.

San Jose State University is also one of the few universities, and there are others, we’re not the only ones, that are a downtown urban campus. So we’re located in the heart of downtown. We face many of the same opportunities, and the energy that goes with being in a bustling downtown, as well as downtowns that are recovering like ours, in the tech community.

We also have some of the same challenges, of that social challenges, social issues, that occur in downtown communities. And we have found ways to integrate that into our ecosystem, around programs like our CommUniversity program, CommUniversity, where we do experiential learning, community engagement, AI. We’re all at the tip of this generational AI revolution.

None of us know exactly where this is going to take us. We can’t pinpoint exactly where large language models, and artificial intelligence, machine learning, the various definitions of artificial intelligence, and where we’ll be, in 10 to 15 years, in generative AI.

But San José State University is the place to help create, define, and teach that. And those are some of the great aspects of what we’re doing there. We have these incredible internship programs for any major company that you can imagine in the Bay Area.

We are one of the largest feeders, for big names like Apple and Meta and Google. And even now, TikTok, the name of their parent company escapes me at the moment, but there is so much that is going on in these sectors. So it’s not just about computing, it’s about arts and humanities, and the digital frontier, and how it will spread into all of the disciplines.

And our programs are very integral in making those things happen, making not those things, those new concepts, these new interdisciplinary approaches, these new degrees that are putting people to work at the right place, at the right time, with the right talents.

So it’s a great energy and a great spirit on the San Jose State University campuses. And those are some of the few things that are, just stand out for me. We are rising in the rankings. We’re moving into R-2 status.

Undergraduate research is really a critical core of who we are, which means many of our students are having these terrific undergraduate research experiences in the heart of Silicon Valley, truly working towards incubation, innovation, and this next generation of disruption, that we were talking about earlier, that we’re living through right now. It’s a fascinating time, it’s a scary time, it’s all of the energy of an uncharted future, that permeates at San José State University.

Jay Lemons:

Yeah, I love hearing you speak about that intersectionality, in all kinds of different dimensions for you, within the educational and academic program, but also, within the community that you live, and help lift. So Cynthia, I want to just say thank you for joining us.

So grateful to you, for all that you do, and for the inspiration and example that you are. And I’m just want to say thanks.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Thank you, Jay, and thank you for inviting me. It was a great conversation, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Jay Lemons:

We will look forward to seeing you soon. And again, every good wish to you, and to all at San José State, truly a special institution.

And I thank you for the reminder. The oldest of the California State University system on campus is the first in the West, and that’s quite a point of distinction.

Cynthia Teniente-Matson:

Yeah. It is for us, thank you.

Jay Lemons:                 

Listeners, we welcome your suggestions and thoughts for leaders. We should feature in upcoming segments.

You can send those suggestions to leadershippodcast@academicsearch.org. You can find our podcast on the Academic Search website, or wherever you find your podcasts.

Leaders on Leadership is brought to you by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute. Together, our mission is to support colleges and universities during times of transition, and through leadership development activities that serve current and future generations of leaders, in the academy.

Today, it has been a special joy to host Cynthia Teniente-Matson on our show. Thank you once again, Cynthia, for joining us, and to all, have a good day.