In the fall of 2003, Millikin University inducted Doug Zemke as their new President. I was fortunate enough to interview Zemke during his first week in office. I feel that this article was very important, not only for me, but for Millikin as well.

President Zemke was very open to the idea of being interviewed for the MU’s Decaturian. I felt as if it were my responsibility to give Decaturian readers information, not only about Zemke’s background as an alumnus of Millikin, but his plans for the universities future.

I focused on his undergraduate studies at MU and transitioned to his ideas to make Millikin financially stable again. He was very open to all of my questions. The article was a success in my mind because I asked questions that allowed students to get to know President Zemke in both a personal and professional way.

News Interview

09-17-03

By: Elizabeth Luttrell

Millikin's new president plans ahead for Millikin's future and the well being of students and staff.

Millikin alumni, Doug Zemke, recently accepted the position as Millikin's new president. President Zemke is a Millikin alumnus, former member of the Board of Trustees and Dean of the Tabor School of Business. With over thirty years of business experience and his familiarity with Millikin University, President Zemke looks toward the future of Millikin with high expectations.

Zemke graduated in 1966 from Millikin's Tabor School of Business. He feels that many things have changed at Millikin both, physically and academically. "Physically Millikin has became a lot more beautiful." Zemke continues, "Academically, Millikin has changed, when I was here there were only about 1,000 students total. One thing is the same though, the relationship between teachers and students. That hasn't changed at all."

After receiving a warm welcome from students and faculty, President Zemke is focusing on three goals for Millikin's future, not only as a higher learning institution but as a business facility as well. President Zemke's first goal is education, "We can't lose the focus of why we are here. We are here to educate students and to always be looking for better ways to do so. We have to keep contemporary, because you can't teach the same things [or ways] that we did 30 years ago."

His second goal, as acting president, is to "recruit and retain" the best possible faculty members for Millikin's staff. "[Millikin] needs faculty members that fit within the environment we want to teach. We need faculty that fit the model that we teach with here." Zemke added, "We need the best we can possibly find."

President Zemke's third and final goal may be his most challenging. He feels that students and faculty are spending too much time focusing on the financial situation of Millikin. "We have to straighten the financial foundation of Millikin. The university is still a business and we have to have money to run it. I have to figure out how to generate enough money so we can do the things we want to do." Zemke continues, "My goal is to get us in a position where we don't have to talk about that [money] everyday. I don't want students worried about the financial condition of Millikin. I want you worried about studying and getting out of here with the experiences that a student should have.

President Zemke's positive outlook on Millikin's future is something that both students and faculty could use. The first few weeks of school have been rather eventful for our serene campus and an optimistic leader can boost the moral of all. Many are expecting great things from MU's new president, fortunately for the staff and students President Zemke is up for the challenge.

He also has a message for the students of Millikin, "I hope to make this a quality education experience, inside and outside, not just in the classrooms. I want students to look back on this experience and say what a wonderful time [college] was!

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