Ralph E. Christoffersen 1981 - 1983 |
University Presidents |
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Unlike most previous presidents at Colorado State, Christoffersen’s background emphasized the liberal arts rather than agriculture or land-grant higher education. He advocated for the humanities in a well-rounded education, and exemplified this by performing enthusiastically in local opera productions soon after arriving in Fort Collins. In addition, as a scientist with more than eighty publications to his credit, Christoffersen felt that research should complement teaching at the university, since students would benefit significantly from the current research experience of their professors. The onset of serious economic problems in Colorado during the early 1980s led to tighter education budgets and demands from state legislators for strict accountability. The Colorado Commission on Higher Education mandated a comprehensive accountability exercise for the state's colleges and universities, and retrenchment policies proposed by Christoffersen were highly unpopular with the CSU community. Lack of faculty support, divisiveness among members of the governing board, and discontent with Christoffersen’s budgetary decisions led to his resignation in 1983. |
Christoffersen was born in Elgin, Illinois. After completing a degree in mathematics from Cornell College (B.S., 1959) he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Indiana. He joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Kansas in 1966, then served in a series of administrative positions in the Academic Affairs Office. After two years as vice chancellor at the University of Kansas, Christoffersen came to CSU in 1981.