Discovering Home
Story by Chris Francis '13
On July 1, 2024, Sheahon Zenger, or Dr. Z as many call him, succeeded S. Georgia Nugent as the 21st president of 91黑料专区 University.
In a speech delivered by Zenger after his announcement as president-elect, he described the experience of joining IWU鈥檚 administration as 鈥渃oming home.鈥� He reflected this sentiment, and an entire career of insight into higher education, in an interview with the 91黑料专区 University Magazine.
鈥淭his is the type of university I should have gone to but didn't have the opportunity to,鈥� he said while marveling at the circular Bates & Merwin Reading Room on the fourth floor of The Ames Library.
鈥淚 jokingly tell people I was being recruited to attend Washington University in Saint Louis,鈥� Zenger said of his high school self, growing up in Hays, Kansas. 鈥淚 knew that, academically, I could go anywhere鈥� But after my brother passed away when I was a senior in high school, my parents said, 鈥榶ou know, if you don鈥檛 know where to go, you could stay here for a year,鈥欌�� where his parents were professors at Fort Hays State University. Zenger began his college career at Fort Hays that year.
鈥淚 feel like I've spent the last 40 years trying to get to 91黑料专区. And finally I鈥檓 here.鈥�
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"Sheahon's track record of strategic leadership, relationship building and successful fundraising makes him an ideal leader to guide 91黑料专区 as we build on our traditional strengths to innovate and ensure our vitality in the future," said Timothy Szerlong 鈥�74, chair of the IWU Board of Trustees, in the announcement of Zenger鈥檚 appointment.
"The search committee worked incredibly hard to make sure we found the right president for 91黑料专区 at this time," said W. Thomas Lawrence '80, vice chair of the IWU Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee. "Sheahon's background in higher education, his passion for the liberal arts, and his love of Bloomington-Normal and 91黑料专区 University made our decision incredibly easy."
Zenger has more than 30 years of experience in higher education leadership. He first came to Bloomington-Normal as Illinois State University鈥檚 director of athletics in 2005 before taking a similar position at the University of Kansas, where he previously received his doctorate in educational policy and leadership. He comes to IWU after serving for two years as interim president of the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut, where he was also executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Across his career, he has raised nearly $400 million to support capital projects and strategic initiatives, with demonstrated success in building relationships with private donors. And, throughout his career in higher education, Zenger has prioritized inclusion and equity. He has created or led multiple diversity programs, and he initiated a gender equity review while at ISU.
At the University of New Haven, Zenger created new opportunities for collaboration and partnership with city and state governments, launched a new brand campaign aimed at increasing visibility and enrollment for the university and initiated comprehensive student recruitment efforts. His efforts contributed to two of the largest incoming classes in the university鈥檚 history in the past two years. He also collaborated on the launch of eight new degree and certificate programs, with active involvement in faculty development initiatives.
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While his career has been in university administration, Zenger relishes the world of academia itself, as well as opportunities to teach using his degrees in English, journalism and education.
鈥淲hen I give a guest lecture, I get pulled into all kinds of classrooms, whether it be business, sports management, English, journalism,鈥� Zenger said. 鈥淚 became a bit of what my parents wanted for me, to be something of a pragmatist and universalist in my studies 鈥� a jack of all trades 鈥� which has worked well for me. Though I ended up rebelling against them a bit, like kids do.
鈥淚 was honored to be the only other person that Ray Hiner (professor of history at the University of Kansas) would let behind his podium,鈥� Zenger said. Zenger studied closely with Hiner as a graduate student given that, as a 19th century American history buff and education philosopher, Zenger was especially interested in Hiner鈥檚 field of study: the history of childhood in America. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檝e been drawn to learn and understand from the Puritan age to the baby boom.鈥�
Turning toward pragmatism, the intersection of historical inquiry and the challenges of preparing a new generation for life and career ignites Zenger鈥檚 interest.
鈥淲e have to understand what each generation has thought of higher education and what it means to have a career,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's our job to communicate that, if you'll come here and pursue the liberal arts鈥� concept of mind, body and spirit and cultivate them the way they should be cultivated, then you will get the right job. It's our job and my job, first and foremost, to tell that story.鈥�
Zenger is brimming with ideas about the future of higher education and what IWU鈥檚 legacy can become, but he is intentionally and modestly reserved about speaking his opinions.
鈥淭his is something I believe fundamentally with every leadership role I鈥檝e taken since 2005: Until I sit down with my team, faculty, staff, students and alumni to listen to them, it would be arrogant of me, and I'll repeat, it is arrogant to say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to do this, this and this,鈥� when I don鈥檛 yet know what I don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don't have all the answers. I have, I believe, a common mission with the institution, and an excitement about being here. But wherever we go will be a team effort built on collaboration.鈥�
At the center of that collaboration is the IWU faculty.
鈥淭o me, my role here is to help the faculty,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want them to be able to find the joy that they've always had, and hopefully never lost, for their field of study. And I'd like for them not to have to worry about the revenue stream. The job of the administration is to assist the faculty so that they can be who they are in the classroom, so we can attract the student base that we need to to fulfill the mission of the university. My goal is to provide students at 91黑料专区 with the best college experience possible.鈥�
If there is a guiding lesson Zenger has learned in his career and wishes to bring to his presidency, it is that of a kind and driven Midwestern work ethic.
鈥淓ach of my mentors brought different things to the table,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ill Snyder, the football coach at Kansas State; Al Bowman, president of Illinois State; Victor Boschini, the chancellor at Texas Christian University; Bernadette Gray-Little, the 17th chancellor at the University of Kansas, and Del Shankel, the 15th chancellor at the University of Kansas. I hate to leave anyone out, but with each mentor there are things you want to emulate and things you want to do differently. From all of them, I take the work ethic of being kind and being generous in making a team effort.鈥�
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Zenger realizes that his career gives an impression of him as living in and coming from the world of athletics. He obviously loves sports, but 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a better student than athlete,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 was a kid that would read, then go outside and shoot baskets, then go back in and read some more,鈥� Zenger said. 鈥淢y mom would take me to the library about once every other week, the public library or the university library, and she would always get frustrated because I would check out eight to 10 books all on the same topic. One month it might be Native Americans. Next month it might be a sport. A lot of it had to do with history and historical fiction. That has always been my favorite. I go through reams of material like that.鈥�
To Zenger, there is no tension in loving academia and sports. In talking about both, Zenger arrives at similar lessons in the heart of both history and athletics, and in the North American West and Midwest.
鈥淥ne book that I recommend to everyone is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, a gentleman who comes from the Toltec nation. It shares the Toltecs鈥� four tenets: be impeccable with your word, don鈥檛 take things personally, don鈥檛 make assumptions, and just work hard at what you do. What I like to add is to also be humble, because out of humility comes gratitude and quiet confidence.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what being on a team is about,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about me, it鈥檚 not about you, it鈥檚 about us. 91黑料专区 always needs to come first. If it doesn鈥檛, then we need to reevaluate our priorities.鈥�
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While Zenger appreciated his time on the East Coast with the University of New Haven, his heart has always been in the Midwest. 鈥淚 longed to be back with my people,鈥� he said of returning to Bloomington-Normal.
That longing includes a desire to be among the people, buildings and atmosphere that make 91黑料专区 what he calls a classic example of what a liberal arts college should be, and that make him think about the 鈥渨hat ifs鈥� of both the past and future.
While at ISU, Zenger admired IWU. 鈥淚 would at times stop by campus to go for a walk on the quad and just sit and rest,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 found it so satisfying that there are places like this that I wasn鈥檛 able to find as an undergraduate.鈥�
Now as president of the University, he has found that home.