Illinois State University President Larry Dietz has named Janet Krejci vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, effective immediately.
“Dr. Krejci has shown great passion and vision for Illinois State. Her experience reaches into all levels of higher education, and she has shown distinction at every step,” said Dietz. “We look forward to her leadership helping to guide our commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship at ISU.”
Dietz thanked the committee that led the search process and oversaw the candidates’ open forums and meetings with shared governance groups. “The University is grateful for the dedication and hard work of the committee. Their concerted efforts yielded an exemplary provost search process, a strong pool of candidates and four outstanding finalists.”
Since July 2014, Krejci served as the interim vice president for Academic Affairs and provost at Illinois State, after Sheri Noren Everts accepted a position as chancellor of Appalachian State University. Krejci also served as the dean of Illinois State’s Mennonite College of Nursing from 2009 to 2014.
“I would put Illinois State faculty and staff up against any in the nation,” said Krejci, who noted it was the teacher-scholar model that drew her to the University. “At Illinois State, we share a passion for student success and an incredible community in which to foster it.”
Krejci began her work in the health care field as a nurse and nursing leader before responding to a call to teach the next generation of nurses. Earning a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she served as an instructor, faculty member and administrator at Marquette University in Wisconsin, where she won the all-university teaching excellence award and became associate dean of the College of Nursing.
Her research can be found in scholarly publications such as the Journal of Nursing Education and the Journal of Nursing Administration. She is one of the authors of the upcoming edition of Advanced Practice Nursing: Core Concepts for Professional Role Development. Throughout her career, the Health Resources and Services Administration in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Krejci almost $1 million in grants for diversity and advanced-practice research in nursing.
During her career, Krejci studied conflict resolution and change management as a fellow for the American Council on Education. She was also a Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow and is past chair of the Illinois Association of Colleges of Nursing. She continues her work as a consultant-evaluator for accreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission. Krejci also currently serves as a governor-appointed board member for the Illinois Center for Nursing.
“Higher education is a large part of the solution to the problems of society,” said Krejci, who noted that state universities are often thrust into a defensive position when it comes to funding. “We are at a critical crossroads, and I look forward to helping reframe the debate about higher education.”
