WIU President Huang steps down

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — Western Illinois University President Guiyou Huang has announced his departure from the University effective March 31. Pending the approval of the Board of Trustees, Vice President of Quad Cities Campus Operations Kristi Mindrup will serve as interim president, beginning April 1.

“I am incredibly grateful for the honor of serving as the 12th president of WIU. While we have faced many challenges, we have also overcome many. I appreciate the opportunity I was given to lead this great institution, and I know that the future is full of possibilities for WIU. It is time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life and be closer to my family, but I will always be a Leatherneck at heart,” said Huang.

The WIU Board of Trustees appointed Huang as WIU’s 12th president Dec. 18, 2020. During his tenure in office, Huang presided over an internationalization of the campus that saw a record number of international students enrolling at WIU and presided over the successful transfer of WIU’s 17 Division I Athletics programs to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Among his accomplishments, Huang created the Office of JIDE (Justice, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) and established the Anti-Racism Taskforce, a body made up of faculty, staff, students and community members, launched by Huang to make recommendations and take meaningful actions to dismantle racism. In addition, Huang oversaw salary increases for both the faculty and staff.

Chair of the WIU Board of Trustees Carin Stutz thanked Huang for his service and wished him well.

“Dr. Huang brought professionalism and integrity to WIU, a leader who was an advocate for all students from all walks of life. During his time at WIU, he championed the Performing Arts Center, drove enrollment and re-engaged many of our alumni.  The trustees thank him for his dedicated and tireless service to our university,” Stutz said.

Mindrup, the longest-serving vice-president on the current leadership team, brings a 27-year connection with WIU.

“I have full confidence in Dr. Mindrup’s new role as interim president. During my time spent working closely with her as a member of the cabinet, she has demonstrated thoughtful leadership. She is full of knowledge of both campuses, and I am comforted to know this will be a smooth transition for the University,” Huang said.

As interim president, Mindrup is looking to the future.

“I am grateful to President Huang for his steady and thoughtful leadership and his many accomplishments. I look forward to working with the University community and our partners to align Western Illinois University’s present and future with a shared vision that positions this great institution to become increasingly responsive to opportunities to serve our students, our region and beyond in an ever-changing world,” Mindrup said.

The Board will vote on Huang’s Separation Agreement at its regularly scheduled meeting March 22. Information regarding a presidential search will be determined by the Board at a later date.