Timothy Flanagan

Framingham to ISU

Timothy Flanagan (circa 1952 - ) was the eighteenth president of Illinois State University. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Flanagan earned his degrees at Gannon University and the University at Albany – SUNY. Flanagan went on to hold faculty and administrative positions in New York, Texas, and Massachusetts. He was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY – Brockport before becoming the president of Framingham State University in 2006. Flanagan was hired as ISU’s next president in the summer of 2013 after a national search.

Campus Tension, Diversity Initiative, and Facility Changes

Flanagan’s short tenure was rocky. Only one week into his presidency, bomb threats were discovered in Schroeder Hall. The building was evacuated on several occasions in the following weeks. Campus police temporarily set up tables at all entry and exit points to the building to check the bags of faculty, staff, and students entering the building, causing long lines. The threats eventually ceased, and Flanagan began to focus on university matters, including the creation of the President’s Council on Diversity and a search for a presidential aide who would be dedicated to promoting diversity on campus. He also gained approval for the demolition of the South Campus residence complex which had been decommissioned in 2012.

Resignation

By early 2014, Flanagan began to receive criticism for missing meetings and for his treatment of staff members. In March 2014, Flanagan submitted his resignation to the Board of Trustees. After leaving Illinois State University, he served as Chief Student Success and Academic Affairs Officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education.