Lynn Mahoney to retire as San Francisco State University President

Lynn Mahoney, the first female president of San Francisco State University, has announced her intention to retire next summer. Mahoney cited a desire to support her growing family and spend time with her granddaughters as the primary reasons for her decision, describing it as a “deeply and solely personal decision.”

Her tenure, which began in 2019, was marked by significant challenges and achievements. Mahoney managed the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and navigated a substantial decline in enrollment, with the student population dropping from approximately 30,000 to roughly 20,563 over seven years. Despite this, she noted a recent 10% increase in new student enrollment for the upcoming academic year following statewide marketing efforts.

Other notable aspects of her leadership included overseeing the university’s divestment from weapon manufacturers and managing budget constraints caused by declining funding. While some campus leaders noted the difficulty of negotiating with faculty and staff, Mahoney highlighted the completion of new academic buildings and residence halls as successes during her term. The California State University system will begin a national search for her successor while she completes her final year.