Kenneth Shaw

Kenneth A. Shaw is a nationally respected administrator and educator. Recently retired as the 10th chancellor of Syracuse University, he served as a university president for nearly 30 years. He has consulted with numerous educational, governmental, and private-sector for-profit and nonprofit organizations and currently serves on a number of such boards.

Prior to joining Syracuse in 1991, Shaw was president of the University of Wisconsin System, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Shaw presided over the 26-campus system, which serves more than 160,000 students. In addition, Shaw was chancellor of the Southern Illinois University System from 1979-86, president of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville from 1977-79, and vice president and dean of the University at Towson State University from 1969-77.

As chancellor of Syracuse University, Shaw served more than 10,500 undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students on the Central New York campus. During the early 1990s, Shaw led the university through the most comprehensive restructuring process in its history and set it on a course to achieve its vision of becoming the nation’s leading student-centered research university. Shaw was recently recognized by authors James L. Fisher and James V. Koch as one of the nation’s top entrepreneurial presidents in their most recent book on the subject.

Shaw is the recipient of honorary degrees from eight universities and was awarded the NCAA’s Silver Anniversary Award in 1986. He is a 2008 Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the state’s highest honor. Shaw is the author of over 40 articles dealing with higher education and leadership. His first book, The Successful President, was published in 1999; his second, The Intentional Leader—which deals with the generic understandings and skills needed by every leader or would-be leader—was published in 2005. A supplement to The Intentional Leader was published in 2009.

Shaw is the past chair of the New York State Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Higher Education and served on the New York State Governor’s Commission on Education Reform.

Shaw has made numerous presentations on higher education leadership and governance issues at state, regional, and national meetings; led sessions at the Association of Governing Board of Universities and Colleges (AGB) meetings; facilitated seminars for board chairs and system executives; led board retreats; and consulted on best practices in evaluating presidential performance and board effectiveness.

Shaw earned a bachelor of science degree from Illinois State University in 1961, a master of education degree from the University of Illinois Urbana in 1963, and a PhD from Purdue University in 1966.