SDSU President Elliot Hirshman leaving for new job

SAN DIEGO (CBS 8/CNS) — After six years of successes and some controversy, San Diego State University's president is leaving for another job. 

President Elliot Hirshman has accepted an offer to become president of Stevenson University in Maryland, San Diego State announced Wednesday. 
 
Hirshman, who has been SDSU's president since 2011, plans to leave the university June 30. 
 
"Elliot has made an incredible impact on San Diego State University," California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White said. "His focus on academic excellence and on life-changing educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds has contributed to SDSU's emergence as a top public research university" 
 
During Hirshman's tenure, SDSU has raised its profile as a major public research university and moved up 37 spots in the U.S. News & World Report's ranking of America's best colleges. The university has also implemented an integrated budget and financial strategy and raised more than $785 million in donations for scholarships and new initiatives, officials said. 
 
"Elliot has an ability to articulate the university's vision and to bring in the entire community to become a part of its future. His legacy at SDSU will be felt for generations to come," White said. 
 
Hirshman said his six years at SDSU had been the "most extraordinary period" in his and his wife, Jeri's, professional lives. 
 
"The opportunity to work with the dedicated and talented students, faculty, staff, alumni and community supporters of San Diego State has inspired us, and it has been a privilege to contribute to the growth and development of this great university," Hirshman said. 
 
California State University officials plan to conduct a national search for Hirshman's successor.