Illinois State University President Emeritus Al Bowman has been named executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
Appears InThe board has oversight of the state’s 12 public universities and 48 community colleges.
Bowman served as president from 2003-2013. His commitment to Illinois State spanned 35 years total, including service as a faculty member and in administrative roles prior to leading the University.
He accepted the position after seeing how the IBHE can benefit from his extensive campus experience. “I can talk about college life in a way that a typical state agency bureaucrat can’t,” Bowman said. “I felt like in a small way I could use my skills to represent the very important needs of public higher education in the state.”
Among his priorities will be tackling the state’s enrollment crisis. Illinois ranks second only to New Jersey in the loss of traditional freshmen who choose to pursue a college education in another state.
