Walker walks in

Mike Terry
News Reporter

SIU's new president is looking forward to the responsibility of improving life at the university's campuses.

James E. Walker officially took over the position from Interim President Frank Horton on Oct. 1 and was in Chancellor David Werner's office Wednesday to answer questions from reporters.

Walker spent the last nine years as president at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn., building the reputation that influenced the SIU board of trustees to appoint him for the job in July.

Since he started in 1991, MTSU's enrollment increased from 15,000 to 19,000 students, and the percent of black students went from 9 percent to 11 percent.

The school has also increased its admission standards, and ACT average scores have gone up almost two points.

Among Walker's first concerns will be the appointing of a new chancellor for SIUC, a position that is temporarily being held by John S. Jackson. SIUC will also be looking for Walker's help in finding ideas to improve enrollment, which has dropped steadily over the last several years.

Walker, who lives in Carbondale, has seen many different colleges around the country. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala., earned a master's degree in special education at Atlanta University, graduated from Pennsylvania State University's doctorate program in education and graduated from the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management .

He began as an assistant professor at SIUE before moving on to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., and later MTSU.

Walker is also co-author of "Behavior Management: A Practical Approach for Education," a book in its seventh edition; a member of several higher education organizations including the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; and chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Athletics Certification Committee.

Walker will be on campus Tuesday to preview the agenda of the next board of trustees meeting. The meeting will be Thursday at the Carbondale campus..