Public U Leaders Spotlight: Lisa Freeman

Your Name: Lisa Freeman
Your Title: President
Your Institution: Northern Illinois University
Year You Started Your Current Role: 2018
APLU Council or Commission Chaired: Commission on Information, Measurement, and Analysis (CIMA)

What’s the most exciting work your APLU Council or Commission is currently undertaking?
The opportunity to be part of a commission that crosscuts major functional areas of the university is energizing, and there are myriad ways to use data and information to drive institutional performance. I really love the fact that CIMA focuses not on one specific area but rather broadly on data empowerment to support strategic decision-making.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing individuals in your role on campus?
Every major challenge facing our university and its president has embedded opportunities.

The challenge of eroding public confidence in universities and the value of higher education offers the chance to use quantitative and qualitative data to bust myths about affordability, debt, cost, and the return on investment associated with degree attainment.

Changes in the nature, number, and needs of students pursuing post-secondary education offer the opportunity to fulfill our public mission by serving and supporting talented students from groups that have been previously underserved or overlooked.

The integration of AI on our campus challenges us to prevent misuse, guard against bias, and protect privacy but offers transformative opportunities ranging from enhanced learning environments to increased administrative efficiency.

What are the most important and valuable partnerships on campus for individuals in your role?
Professional networking with colleagues in the role of president or chancellor creates opportunities to learn from leaders at similar and different types of colleges and universities.

Describe your university in three words.
Diverse. Innovative. Accessible.

What makes your university great?
Northern Illinois University (NIU) lives up to every aspect of its identity as a student-centered, engaged public research university. We are a high research activity university with a diverse student population, and this positions us to take a leadership role in broadening opportunity and addressing our nation’s research and workforce challenges. The excellence of our faculty and our Chicagoland location enables us to offer students incredible research, artistry, and engagement opportunities. Accordingly, we have been recognized nationally both for producing important research and extending social mobility opportunities to students from low-income households.

What experience best prepared your current role?
Every day as NIU President I use the skills that I learned as a 4th year veterinary student. I observe, listen, and use that experience to synthesize a plan. I act with incomplete information, understanding that adjusting downstream can yield better outcomes than doing nothing. I pursue pathways that are the “best options” in the context of “limited resources.”

If you could go back and give yourself advice on the first day of your job, what would you say? Everything starts with trust.

What is your favorite way to spend your free time?
On the water of Lake Michigan. My husband and I spend almost every weekend on our boat, sometimes even working remotely! The water helps me think not about the everyday problems, but about the larger issues. It’s inspiring as well as relaxing.

What is the best book you’ve read recently?
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

What was the last concert you attended?
Jahari Stampley