Framingham State's Flanagan Finalist for Illinois State University President Position

Framingham State University President Timothy Flanagan is one of four finalists to become the next president of Illinois State University, Trustees announced.

Flanagan, who has been president at Framingham State since August 2006, is scheduled to participate in a Illinois State campus forum tomorrow, April 26.

Along with serving as President at Framingham State, Flanagan also is a professor of sociology at the university. Previously, he was provost and vice president for academic affairs and a professor of criminal justice at State University of New York, College at Brockport in New York.

He received a Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Albany, State University of New York. Flanagan has done post-graduate work at Harvard University in Cambridge.

Framingham State University, part of the Commonwealth's higher education system has almost 6,500 students, including 2,000 graduate students.  The University’s annual operating budget is $75 million, and has 470 employees including 175 full-time faculty members. The University  has almost 35,000 alumni.

In comparison, Illinois State University has a total enrollment of more than 20,000, with almost 2,300 graduate students. Founded in 1857, it is the oldest public university in Illinois, located in the town of Normal.

The other candidates are:

• Karla Hughes is a tenured professor, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky. Prior to coming to Morehead in July 2007, Hughes served as the American Council on Education Fellow at East Carolina University, where she also was a professor and founder of the College of Human Ecology, a merger of the schools of Human Environmental Sciences and Social Work and Criminal Justice Studies.
• Randy Dunn has been president of Murray State University in Murray, Ky., since December 2006. Previously he served as state superintendent of education for the Illinois State Board of Education. Dunn also was a professor in the department of educational administration and higher education at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
• Larry Dietz has been vice president for student affairs at Illinois State University since June 2011. Prior to coming to Illinois State, he served as vice chancellor for student affairs and special assistant to the chancellor at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

“We have a slate of outstanding finalists from a large pool of exceptionally qualified, diverse candidates,” said Michael McCuskey, who chairs the Board of Trustees and search team in a press release. “We are confident the next president of Illinois State will continue to strengthen our reputation as one of the top public universities in the nation. I want to thank the board and the entire search advisory committee for their hard work in bringing these candidates to campus.”

The search team’s goal is to have the new president in place prior to the start of the fall semester.

Al Bowman, Illinois State’s 17th president, announced in December he would retire after serving Illinois State for 35 years, the last 10 as president.

Flanagan listed as his achievements since becoming FSU President in 2006 as:

• New academic programs: M.Ed. in STEM Education; B.S. in Environmental Science; B.A. in Criminology; two M.S.N. programs (Nursing Education, and Nursing Leadership); M.B.A. program.
• Secured Commonwealth capital funding for new Science Center ($64 Million), 400-bed residence hall ($47 Million), and Faculty Office/Classroom building projects.
• Total capital investment between 2006-2012 is more than $175 Million.
• Established record-setting levels of fundraising/private support.
• Launched first comprehensive fundraising campaign in the University’s history.
• Completed two comprehensive strategic plans (2008-12 and 2013-17).
• Completed comprehensive academic, assessment, capital, climate action, enrollment, diversity, technology and emergency operations plans.
• Established Honors Program Center; joined Commonwealth Honors Program.
• Established Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, Scholarship and Service.
• Lead campus participation in Foundations of Excellence in the First Year of College, a national effort to improve the transition of first-year students.
• Established United Way community service partnership to facilitate civic engagement among students (awarded Mulready Community Service Award by United Way of MetroWest).
• Established on-campus Child Care Center in collaboration with MetroWest YMCA.
• Established MetroWest STEM Education Network, a six-college collaboration with 14 school districts, 12 major science, engineering and technology employers, and others to improve student interest and performance, and STEM teaching effectiveness in K-12.
• Developed multifaceted partnerships with Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham Historical Society and Museum, Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra.
• Implemented new campus information system and portal.