The chancellor of the California State University system, Charles Reed, announced his retirement this week after 14 years.

“From the very beginning, I was drawn to the California State University system because of my great respect and admiration for its mission,” Reed said in a statement. “Fourteen years later, I am proud to have served at this great institution through such a dynamic period in its history.”

During his tenure, the CSU grew by more than 100,000 students, and Reed saw more than a million students graduate. Reed will stay on until his successor is appointed, he said.

Reed also served as chancellor of the State University System of Florida, totaling 27 years as a chancellor.

Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong said in a statement, “I have great respect for (Reed’s) unwavering advocacy on behalf of the CSU’s mission.”

“There is no advocate more passionate about the need for broad access to an affordable, high-quality college education than Chancellor Reed,” Armstrong said.

The CSU’s faculty union, however, said Reed’s announcement calls for a new leadership direction within the system, and expressed hopes for an “open, transparent, and inclusive process for selecting a new chancellor."

“Chancellor Reed has presided over an era of unprecedented turmoil in the (CSU),” the union said on its website. “The CSU has seen devastating budget cuts, and students have borne much of the burden — student fees have more than quadrupled since 2002.”