MISSOULA — Dr. Jeremiah Shinn, the lone presidential finalist for the University of Montana, visited campus Monday to answer questions from the community during a public forum at the U-C Theater.
Shinn, currently the interim president of Boise State University, was selected from a pool of more than 70 candidates and was one of nine interviewed for the position.
Speaking to hundreds of attendees, the 49-year-old addressed a wide variety of topics, including funding cuts, global student engagement, adapting to artificial intelligence, and improving student retention. He emphasized his passion for higher education and making it his life's work.
Watch MTN interview here:
"For me, it's not an either/or; it's how do we get more people into higher education, whether that's career technical education, whether that's a two-year associate's, whether that's a bachelor's, a master's, or a Ph.D., I believe that we need all of it," Shinn said.
"And so for me, whatever path makes sense for a student is the path that we want them to pursue, and I think as a higher education apparatus in the state, we need to be sure that we have those pathways accessible to our students because we need all of it," Shinn said.
Shinn noted his prior experience with the university, having spent three days on campus as a consultant working with a leadership team member about a year ago.
"I visited here about a year ago. I spent three days as a consultant here, working with a member of the leadership team on a project. My conversations with students that day, my conversations with staff members that day left an indelible impression on me," Shinn said.
"I didn't know that it would be possible to consider coming here just a year later, but the sense of community, the sense of pride, the sense of what this university can be for the state of Montana is palpable, and it's something that I wanted to be a part of," Shinn said.
The Board of Regents will ultimately make the hiring decision. A public meeting will be scheduled for the vote, and university leaders believe a decision could be made in the next couple of weeks.
