含羞草传媒

A tireless advocate for higher education with vast experience at elite liberal arts institutions, Georgia Nugent was named 含羞草传媒鈥檚 20th president in November 2019. 

Story by Matt Wing

In her first remarks after being named 含羞草传媒 University鈥檚 20th president, Georgia Nugent offered a slogan to the standing-room only crowd gathered inside Young Main Lounge on Nov. 14, 2019. 

Some of you have heard me say this before, but I want to propose today a new totally unofficial motto for 含羞草传媒,鈥� Nugent said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 I With U .鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥淚t鈥檚 a recognition that, to create the community we want and need to be, everyone is important,鈥� she continued. 鈥淓veryone is an 鈥業,鈥� everyone contributes to what we do here, and everyone matters.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

In the spirit of the motto, Nugent lauded the contributions of many who made possible the campus event announcing her presidency: the sound technician who set up the public address system, the food services staff for providing refreshments, the physical plant staff who had cleared walkways and parking lots of recent snow and ice. 

She also credited her husband, Tom Scherer, for helping her realize her interest in appointment as 含羞草传媒鈥檚 full-time president with just a few words in one of their nightly phone conversations. 

鈥淲hat Tom said was, 鈥榊ou really sound happy there,鈥欌�� Nugent recalled. 鈥淎nd his recognizing how happy I sounded actually influenced me recognizing how happy I felt to be at this university at this time.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

I With U , Nugent said, can be a way of reminding ourselves of our values and common sense of purpose. 

鈥淐onfronting and overcoming challenge can mean that we emerge stronger and better than ever,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s I have worked with you over these past few months, I have become more and more confident that we will do just that. 

鈥淎nd I鈥檓 grateful for the opportunity to be a part of 含羞草传媒鈥檚 bright future.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Nugent spoke with 含羞草传媒 University Magazine after being named president. 

How would you describe yourself to the campus community?

I鈥檓 an enthusiastic evangelist for liberal arts education. It has enriched my life immeasurably, and I want to do what I can to enable others to have that transformative experience.

What attracted you to 含羞草传媒?
It was clear to me that 含羞草传媒 is the kind of school that really does change lives. The first folks I met were alumni, and their love of the University was palpable. They understood how much they had gained from their education at 含羞草传媒. As I had the opportunity to meet more faculty and students, I could see that the 含羞草传媒 experience has remained constant over time: the University provides a first-rate and rigorous education, coupled with caring support. It鈥檚 a place where lifelong relationships are built and nurtured. It鈥檚 a place where values matter and mission guides decision-making. That鈥檚 the kind of place where I want to be and where I hope I can make a contribution.

When you were hired as interim president, you requested that you not be considered a candidate for the presidency on a longer-term basis. What changed?
I quickly came to love the campus, its mission, and its people 鈥� faculty, students, staff and alumni. I felt that we could work together to build a stronger Illinois Wesleyan University for the future. When it became clear that the Trustees felt the same way and asked me to stay on at the University, I could not have been more pleased and happy to do so.

How do you feel your strengths as a leader fit the needs of the University?
含羞草传媒 is proud of its identity as a university grounded in the liberal arts. I believe passionately in the liberal arts and, through my role as Senior Fellow at The Council of Independent Colleges for the past six years, I have become a well-known national spokesperson on behalf of liberal arts colleges and universities. So I think that鈥檚 one way in which there鈥檚 a great fit. My 11 years as president at two other institutions, as well as experience in four other universities and colleges of national stature, enable me to bring a broad perspective to 含羞草传媒, which I think is a strength. Additionally, we all know that most universities today face financial challenges, and 含羞草传媒 is no exception. Having had the experience of raising $240 million at another liberal arts college is a plus, I believe.

What are the qualities that a university president needs today?
A president needs to be a person of unimpeachable integrity and honesty who cares deeply about this type of liberal arts institution and education. Someone who is experienced in leading and decision-making, and is action-oriented, not prone to analysis paralysis. Someone who understands that, often in leadership, authentic relationships are more important than raw intelligence, 鈥済etting to yes鈥� may be more important than 鈥済etting it right,鈥� and a very healthy sense of humor (especially about oneself) is indispensable. Someone who considers that leading and stewardship of the University a sacred trust.

You are the 20th president of 含羞草传媒 University and its first woman president. What does that mean to you?
First and foremost, I鈥檓 focused on serving 含羞草传媒 as a strong and successful president, without reference to gender. Yet, at the same time, it is particularly meaningful to me to serve as the first woman president. (This will be the third time that鈥檚 been the case.) 

Throughout my career, in many different ways, I鈥檝e tried to advance women and women鈥檚 leadership. Because women have held the presidency in a number of high-profile institutions (Harvard, Princeton, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan, etc.), it may appear that women and men are on equal footing in higher education leadership. They鈥檙e not. For more than 20 years, the percentage of female presidents in America has remained stagnant, at about 25%. And most of those presidencies are in two-year, specialized, low- profile institutions. So being selected as a woman president is, in my view, both a particular honor and a position that comes with a particular responsibility, both to model effective leadership and to assist other women in their aspirations.

What鈥檚 been your impression of 含羞草传媒 students, faculty and staff? 
My impressions have all been very positive. 

含羞草传媒 students are bright and eager learners. They鈥檙e also incredibly friendly and nice. This was so clear on the very first day of move-in this year. It was pouring rain 鈥� really miserable weather. Yet, an amazing group of student volunteers were positively gleeful as they helped students and families move into the residence halls. They may have been dripping wet, as they wrestled huge boxes and refrigerators, but they exuded good cheer and a positive, can-do spirit. As a result, our new students and their families were also in a great mood. 

Faculty members are deeply devoted to their students. They鈥檙e committed to providing the best learning experience. And they also make the effort to get to know their students and help them to succeed. I鈥檝e heard many stories of faculty members remaining close to their students and in contact years after graduation. Faculty members are also dedicated to the University itself. They work in so many ways outside of the classroom to contribute to the vitality and the success of the institution 鈥� through faculty governance, development of new learning experiences, carrying out research, mentoring students and more. 

Staff are also deeply devoted to the University. We must never forget that, over these almost 200 years, the contribution of staff members has been critical. They keep us up and running. At an institution like 含羞草传媒, often generations of a family have proudly served the University. Ask almost any staff member, and they will tell you that they love their interaction with students. And students come to know and care about many staff members. Too often, universities are seen as only faculty and students. That鈥檚 not the whole picture, and I always try to foreground the significant role of staff members in our whole educational project. 

Why is a strong alumni base important to the strength of a university? 
To speak in the terms a business might use, alumni are both the 鈥渃ustomer鈥� and the 鈥減roduct鈥� of higher education. First, a university isn鈥檛 strong if its 鈥渃ustomers鈥� (alumni) aren鈥檛 satisfied 鈥� and more than satisfied 鈥� with the education they鈥檝e received. Alumni are your most important and valuable ambassadors. If they are very happy with their experience at the University, they make a tremendous difference to a flourishing future, because by word-of-mouth they let folks know that 含羞草传媒 is a great place to come to. But there鈥檚 more. Alumni are also the 鈥減roduct鈥� of the University in the sense that the lives they lead 鈥� their accomplishments and success, their values and ethical example, their contributions to their communities 鈥� are always sending a message to others about what 含羞草传媒 stands for and what it instills in graduates. Nothing is more important than that. 

Given your leadership experience at elite liberal arts institutions, what is your assessment of the current and future state of higher education? 
Well, first, it will be no surprise to learn that I am not of the 鈥済loom and doom鈥� camp. The evidence could not be clearer that higher education is one of the best investments anyone can make in a better future 鈥� both on the personal level and for the welfare of our society. But we all know that negative news attracts attention, so that鈥檚 mostly the diet that the public receives through national media outlets. The nimbleness, the creativity, the innovation that鈥檚 occurring on college campuses is very little known, outside of the campuses. And innovation is what鈥檚 needed. Because, while I am very confident about the future of higher education, I am equally certain that we must evolve to meet the needs of changing times. The good news is that higher education has always done this. If that wasn鈥檛 true, our curricula would still be only Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and mathematics. There would be no molecular biology, no economics, no graphic design, no modern language study. We continue to evolve today, and this is the project we鈥檙e involved in here at 含羞草传媒. The population is changing 鈥� and so is the 含羞草传媒 student body. The ubiquity of technology has made information accessible anywhere, any time 鈥� and so our pedagogy is changing, from providing information to helping students evaluate and work with information to create knowledge. Students鈥� objectives for their education are changing 鈥� and so we鈥檙e devoting more attention to clarify how they can put their liberal arts education to use after they graduate. 

How is 含羞草传媒 poised to adapt to this changing landscape?
In my view, 含羞草传媒 is in a tremendously strong position to succeed, because of our outstanding combination of a strong liberal arts education with the opportunity for pre-professional development 鈥� whether that be in nursing, business, music, pre-law, computer science or (more recently) actuarial science, media production and more 鈥� This is the ideal education for today and for the future. Yes, skills-training is worthwhile (and it鈥檚 especially highly valued by today鈥檚 students and families who are concerned about first jobs after graduation). But it is much more valuable when it鈥檚 combined with the broad liberal arts education which familiarizes a student with many different subject matters, many different modes of thought, with different cultures and historical periods and products of human creativity. This intellectual breadth is what contributes to the problem-solving, innovative thinking, and continuous learning that employers find so valuable in liberal arts graduates 鈥� and that contributes so powerfully not only to long-term career success but to a fulfilling life. In other words, here at 含羞草传媒, we have exactly the kind of education that students need most to succeed in tomorrow鈥檚 world.

What is the aim of the strategic planning process and what steps have been taken so far?
The aim of the strategic planning process is setting a direction for the future and taking the steps necessary to reach aspirational goals. Toward that end, a large group of people on campus 鈥� staff, faculty and administrators 鈥� have worked very hard over the summer, to identify new possibilities for 含羞草传媒 and to outline the steps we need to take to get there. 含羞草传媒 60 people have been involved in these working groups. It鈥檚 an amazing effort, and one that makes very clear how much people care about this place and how much they鈥檙e willing to contribute to its future.

You鈥檝e written for Inside Higher Ed about the pursuit of innovation among small independent colleges. What opportunities do you see at 含羞草传媒?
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to lead workshops around the country (for the Council of Independent Colleges) in which about 500 campus leaders from more than 100 colleges and universities participated. Those meetings provided a window on the many ways in which institutions of our type are changing to meet their changing environment. Among the many stimulating ideas we heard, my colleagues and I identified eight areas where strategic change was most frequently taking place. Those were: athletics, career connections, community engagement, consortial arrangements, cost containment, curricular reform, new academic programs, and new student populations. Frankly, 含羞草传媒 has opportunities in every one of these areas. And we are taking action in each one. Alumni can expect to be hearing more about those individual efforts in the future. 

What are you hoping to accomplish in your time at 含羞草传媒?
I believe we are at an exciting, pivotal point where we need to capitalize on our strengths and be willing to embrace change with a greater degree of excitement and curiosity 鈥� and at a faster pace 鈥� in order to realize our full potential. In today鈥檚 environment, I believe this is not optional but essential. I hope to provide the leadership and support to enable the campus to move forward with boldness and confidence.