The New Mexico State University Board of Regents is looking for a new chancellor after agreeing to mutually separate with Dan Arvizu.
The board named former NMSU President Jay Gogue as the university’s interim chancellor, while the board continues to search for a permanent chancellor to lead the NMSU system.
Arvizu said in a statement, per KOB 4, that stepping aside right away will expedite the nationwide search process. Arvizu signed a five-year contract with the university in 2018. His contract expires on June 30, 2023.
“This separation is truly mutual,” Arvizu said in the statement. “For the past five years, my only motivation has been to do what I believe is in the best interest of NMSU, and transitioning now will allow the university to devote the time and effort needed over the next several months for a successful search.”
The board said it will begin hosting listening sessions and gathering stakeholders’ input. “The Board of Regents appreciates all Chancellor Arvizu has done for our university,” Ammu Devasthali, the chair of the NMSU Board of Regents. “As we thank him and wish him well, we, at the same time, welcome Jay and Susie Gogue back to Las Cruces.”
Gogue, whose background is in horticulture, was NMSU’s president from 2000-2003. He was president and chancellor of the University of Houston system from 2003-2007, and then president of Auburn University from 2007-2017 and 2019-2022.
“Susie and I are pleased to be back at NMSU,” Gogue said. “My plan is to hit the ground listening. No two institutions of higher education are the same. Just because something worked at Auburn doesn’t mean it will work at NMSU. In the coming days, I intend to meet with as many people as I can to get a better understanding of our overall landscape.”
Gogue has a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn.
Arvizu, originally from Alamogordo, received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from NMSU in 1973. Most of his career was spent in advanced energy research and development, including being appointed by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama to serve on the National Science Committee. He went on to become the director and chief executive officer of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Arvizu leaves the university after a series of troubling incidents. A year ago, Arvizu shook the NMSU community after a police body cam video came out from a dispute at his home. The $500,000-a-year chancellor was accused by his wife, Sheryl, of abusing her and having an affair with an NMSU staff member. He denied the allegations and the charges against his wife were dismissed.
Earlier this year, the cherished men’s basketball program was suspended in the middle of its season after two incidents that drew national negative attention to the university. First, a player on the basketball team was involved in a fatal shooting in November when NMSU traveled to Albuquerque to play the rival University of New Mexico Lobos. The game was eventually canceled and a State Police investigation was launched into the action of the players and coaches in the aftermath of the shooting.
In February, allegations of locker-room hazing surfaced. Arvizu immediately announced the firing of first-year head coach Greg Heiar and the suspension for the remainder of the season. A police report said that the alleged criminal action took place both at the university's campus and at away games