Illinois Wesleyan University President Georgia Nugent said Friday she plans to step down at the end of the academic year in July.
Nugent has led IWU since 2019. She was the first woman to serve as president at IWU, which has around 1,500 students.
“(Nugent) has been a passionate champion for IWU and has left an indelible imprint in shaping our future,” IWU Board of Trustees chair Timothy J. Szerlong said in a statement. “From very early in her tenure, Georgia has been willing to make tough but necessary decisions, motivated by ensuring the brightest future for IWU and an unwavering commitment to shaping a contemporary liberal arts experience for today’s and tomorrow’s students — all steadily guided by the highest integrity and pursuit of excellence.”
In an interview, Nugent said five years is the average tenure for a university president. She previously served as president of Kenyon College in Ohio, an office she held for 10 years.
Reflecting on her career, Nugent has frequently been the only woman in the room, starting with her undergraduate education. She was part of the first class of women admitted to Princeton University and the first woman to serve in many of the offices she held in academic leadership.
"There are famous experiences in my life," she said, "picking up my office phone and the man on the other end of the line saying, 'No, I was calling for the president.' They're shocked when you say, 'I am the president.'"
Nugent splits her time between Bloomington and the Northeast, where she and her husband live. She plans to live there full-time and write about higher education. She also serves on several university and nonprofit boards.
"I was never cut out for retirement," she said. "I failed twice already."
Nugent said she values the opportunity to have been a pioneer for women in educational leadership.
"I don't think I made any particular difference," she said, "but that was a wave that helped to change the future."
Nugent originally came to IWU for a one-year interim contract; she subsequently led the university through the COVID-19 pandemic and social movements like Black Lives Matter having increased presence on campus.
"So much has happened during this period," Nugent said. "I think it's just probably a good time to introduce new leadership."
The news of Nugent's departure comes less than a month after provost Mark Brodl announced he would step down as head of the faculty, returning to the classroom to teach in the biology department.
Nugent and Brodl oversaw a program review requested by the board of trustees that ushered in several career-focused programs as under-enrolled majors were phased out.
"If a university or a college is offering a program where it has about the same number of students as faculty members, it just isn't tenable any longer," she said.
Nugent maintains a strong passion for liberal arts, noting her discipline, classics, was one of several majors cut.
"My philosophy hasn't changed, and I don't think the university's philosophy has changed," she said, "but these have been very difficult financial times."
Nugent points to the need for IWU to continue to innovate in the next presidency. The university is exploring interdisciplinary programs, online options and programs catering to non-traditional students as the population of 18-22 year-olds continues to decline. And continuing to raise the cost of admission, she said, is not the answer.
"There is the very real financial challenge," she said. "For the entire time I've been here, the mantra has been, this is unsustainable."
IWU said its search for a new president will begin immediately. It’s hired WittKieffer Executive Search to assist with the search, and a search committee will be chaired by IWU trustee Tom Lawrence.
The timing of Nugent's departure is meant to align with the search for a new provost. Associate Dean for Scholarly and Creative work Abbie Kerr has agreed to serve as interim provost for a calendar year when Brodl steps down in December. Nugent said she hopes a new president will be in place to weigh in on picking the next provost.
