Новый президент Университета Монтаны Джеремайя Шинн начал первый семестр с акцентом на диалог со студентами

Jeremiah Shinn is not a pizza delivery man, but on Aug. 29, you could have been forgiven for thinking that he is. At halftime of the University of Montana’s football season opener, Shinn marched into the student section carrying a stack of Pizza Hut boxes. He spent the game break handing them out to gathered Griz fans for a time honored UM tradition: pizza with the president. The president in question is Shinn himself, who was hired as the 20th president of the University four months after his predecessor, Seth Bodnar, resigned. As he begins his first fall semester in the role, he hopes to build on the framework the previous 19 leaders left behind. “I want to be sure that our foundation is not a resting place,” he said. “I want to be sure it’s a launch pad for what we need to be next, because the world is moving fast.” Shinn’s suits, posture, three university degrees and decades of experience as a student affairs administrator paint the picture of a prototypical university leader, but it wasn’t always a given that he would end up here. As an undergraduate starting at Arkansas Technical University, Shinn wasn’t even sure he wanted to complete his degree in natural science. “I didn’t know how to navigate,” he said. “The fact that I was able to persist and earn my degree was a life-changing experience, and one that I’m forever grateful for.” Shinn was the first person in his family to attend college. Though he didn’t know much about higher education, he knew he was a good enough student to make it work. Initially, he wanted to pursue medicine, but he ended up joining the university’s student government and serving as student body president, where he discovered a passion for academic leadership. That pivotal experience still informs his leadership style today. “Being the first in my family to go to college was a transformational experience for me,” he said. His student-centered leadership style is easy to see in the way Shinn talks about his priorities. “I want to be absolutely certain that everything we do is [designed] with students in mind, and [be] sure that we’re setting them up for success,” he said. That sentiment has shown up in almost every speech Shinn has given as president thus far. As someone whose own academic path wasn’t always clear, Shinn has dedicated himself to helping students find their way, and his resume bodes well for the future of UM. Shinn began his career in academic leadership in 2001, when he started his time as the assistant dean of students at Eastern Michigan University. Since then, he has worked at three other colleges in numerous roles, but almost all have centered on improving student life, and he doesn’t plan to shift gears at the University of Montana. Shinn knows he lacks experience with UM and the state of Montana as a whole, but he’s eager to learn. “It’s not my job to come in and say to the students of the University of Montana: ‘Here’s what you need from us,’” he said. “It’s my job to come in and listen to students and listen to folks from around the state and stakeholders of the University.” Although he’s still in the early stages of his time in Montana, Shinn doesn’t exactly lack experience in higher education. His past work at other universities and the many colleagues who served alongside him give insight into his leadership. Carrying the baton Several people at the University knew Shinn long before he was wearing maroon quarter-zips. Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Leslie Webb, who worked with him for years at Boise State University, was “ecstatic” to learn he’d be taking over as president. “I’ve been doing this work for more than 25 years, and I’ve met a lot of good humans along the way,” she said. “He’s one of the best humans.” Webb has known Shinn for 16 of those years and expressed excitement about the future trajectory of UM with him at the helm. She worked closely with Bodnar as well, and sees the two men as runners in the same relay. “I think it’s kind of like a baton,” she said. “President Bodnar came here and then served for almost nine years and did incredible work to revitalize every different aspect of the University of Montana. President Shinn gets to grab that baton and continue that good work.” In a time where trust is often in short supply for administrators and officials, Webb described Shinn’s greatest traits as his clarity and consistency. She pointed to his first campus visit in April as an example, where he stood before a crowd in the University Center and answered questions from UM’s community. The questions ranged from diversity, equity and inclusion to R1 research status to labor unions, but Shinn answered them all. Webb attributed it to his wealth of experience in academic institutions. “He literally is a student of higher education,” she said. “And as a result of studying and having multiple degrees in this thing, he knows it, he understands it and he has thoughts about it. Running a university certainly isn’t a one-person job, but Webb has confidence that Shinn can work with all the constituents of UM. “He will pull those people together to find a unified purpose to serve students, to serve Montana,” she said. “Everyone can get behind those two things. To serve students and to serve Montana.” There are also administrators at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge who remember his time there fondly. “He thinks very big picture, and I think sees very uniquely how the systems of a university operate,” Emily Hester, who serves as chief of staff for LSU’s student affairs department, said. “He’s a person who believes that if you get the small things right, you’re more likely to get the big things right.” Hester described a moment where Shinn had told the department they should try creating rejection letters that prospective students could learn from, rather than copy and pasting a denial statement. According to her, that level of intentionality and care is what sets him apart from other leaders. Shinn’s time at LSU ended in 2023, but Hester said she still puts extra effort into rejection letters, and often receives grateful messages from the students she sends them to. Shinn stands out, even today, among Hester’s colleagues because of his innovative thinking. “The way that he thought was more unique than anyone I have worked with in the higher education space,” she said. “I believe that he was built to be a president, especially a modern-day president.” Only time will tell if she’s right, but he holds the role whether he was built for it or not, and he’s already communicating his ideas to the wider UM community. For the students Shinn delivered his first State of the University address on Aug. 21, where he outlined the goals and challenges that come with his new title. Associated Students of the University of Montana President Chase O’Brien introduced him after a speech about the works of student government. “In just his first couple months on campus, President Shinn has made a real effort to be present,” she said. “He’s been on campus, he’s been meeting with students and faculty, he’s been listening, he’s been learning what makes this University great and what we can continue to build together.” Shinn began his address by talking about James Straw, a Marine Corps veteran and recent UM graduate who earned a Marshall Scholarship to pursue medicine at the University of Edinburgh. “His story reminds us that there is no single front door to the University of Montana,” Shinn said. He also referenced Susan Connelly and Elannah Flat Lip, who recently became the first Indigenous UM students since 2006 to earn Udall Scholarships, awarded to students with careers in environment, tribal public policy or Native American health care. Connelly has been open about the homesickness she felt during her first year at UM, but eventually found community in the Curry Health Center, where she worked alongside other students. Shinn described her story as an example of how students can achieve amazing things when their community shows up for them. “Another student like Susan moved into Turner Hall this week,” he said. “She’s here, and she’s already wondering if she’s gonna stay. She doesn’t need the entire university to rally around her; she just needs someone. We get to be that someone.” In order to ensure students like Straw, Connelly and Flat Lip can afford to attend UM, Shinn announced the launch of a new fundraising initiative. “Finances should never be the reason a Montana student concludes that UM isn’t an option,” he said. Some students say they’ve already felt a shift in the way things are done. O’Brien, who is a senior double majoring in history and political science in addition to her title as ASUM president, has already seen the differences. She’s new in her role as well, and said that Shinn called when she was elected to congratulate her before he was even officially hired. As far as student government goes, he has already been more present than previous leaders. “Shinn has been in our office multiple times of his own accord, which is not something that we really had prior,” O’Brien said. She pointed to the address as an example of the way Shinn plans to prioritize students. “I think his State of the University address made it incredibly clear that he is more focused on the individual student experience rather than the broader numbers,” she said. Faculty have also noticed differences from previous leaders. Kristin Vekasi, who serves as the Mansfield Chair of Japan and Indo-Pacific Affairs, noted that Bodnar focused heavily on his message of “inclusive prosperity,” where there seems to be no equivalent for Shinn. “Bodnar was very message focused,” she said. “I’m still waiting to see what president Shinn’s throughline will be.” Vekasi also mentioned that some faculty are curious to see how Shinn will approach program funding and support. She has her office in the Eck Liberal Arts building where several departments have faced cuts in the last year. “I hope that President Shinn will listen to faculty to really understand how the full scope of intellectual experience supports the University of Montana and student success,” she said. “Is there optimism about that in Eck? Hard to say on Aug. 31.” Student-centered leadership isn’t a new concept for the University, but Shinn seems intent on bringing it a step further. UM’s change in leadership also reflects changing times for colleges as a whole, where the future looks increasingly uncertain. The path forward Budget cuts, confusion about artificial intelligence and mistrust of academics have all posed issues for universities in recent years, and during Shinn’s first State of the University address, he spoke to some of these concerns. Shinn is not blind to the fact that people have questions about the value of the education that UM provides. Rather than shying away from such questions, he said that the University must make sure the education it provides confronts those challenges. “Any institution that exists to serve the public should constantly ask whether they are fulfilling that responsibility,” he said. Asking the question is only part of the process, though. The true value lies in listening to the answer. Shinn has been transparent about the things he does not yet know about campus, but said he leans into those gaps. “I’ve been really intent on listening and learning as much as I can about where we are and what that means for the University,” he said. Shinn knows it will take time before he can address larger issues, like R1 status and department cuts. “I have ideas about what might need to change,” he said. “But I don’t want to let my own assumptions walking in cloud my judgment too much.” There is no defining answer to the question of what the University of Montana’s purpose should be and where its worth lies. Every UM president — all 19 of them —have had their own visions for the school. Now a 20th gets his turn with the baton.