A survey found Western Illinois University employees are pleased with the work of the institution’s leader.
The WIU Board of Trustees reviewed the results during their quarterly meeting on Dec. 10.
Trustee Kirk Dillard said the highest rating President Kristi Mindrup received was on the question of whether she’s leading WIU toward a stable and sustainable future.
“Are we moving in the right direction or aren’t we? And the university community clearly said, ‘Yes, we are,’” he said.
“We’re moving in the right direction, we have the right vision, and we have the right person as our president.”
Dillard said some respondents would like to see more outreach from Mindrup. But he said there’s a reason why she hasn’t been more visible.
“When she became our president, this university needed a lot of work on the financial side and on the enrollment side and also academically as we had to, sadly, downsize some positions,” Dillard said.
“So, Kristi was locked in meetings for a few months as the president and couldn’t get out. I mean, the poor woman was working 14 hours a day in meetings.”
He also praised Mindrup’s leadership on challenges such as the U.S. Army’s announcement at the end of June that it planned to deactivate WIU’s ROTC program. He said Mindrup acted quickly, and the Army reversed course a couple months later.
Trustee Erika Lowe Mullins served on the board’s Presidential Performance Review committee with Dillard.
“Overall, it seems the university community is quite pleased with Dr. Mindrup’s dedication and leadership to the university,” Lowe Mullins said.
She said board members read each comment submitted with the surveys, and they hope future surveys yield a greater amount of input. Just 44 people responded to this one.
Lowe Mullins also said the board stands behind Mindrup.
Mindrup began serving as WIU’s interim president on April 1, 2024, and the board agreed to remove “interim” from her title in December 2024.
Mindrup told TSPR after the meeting that she appreciates the feedback from the university community and the board.
“As an individual, as a team across the university, we’re committed to constant improvement. Communication is something that continues to be a focus, as well as leading the institution forward in a positive direction,” she said.
Mindrup said in the coming year the administration will get further in-depth on a new strategic plan for WIU.
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