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Dr. John Jasinski was the 10th president of Northwest, leading it during an era when the University achieved record enrollment and enjoyed peer-leading metrics across measures such as retention, graduation, placement, student satisfaction, student engagement and composite financial index as part of myriad performance excellence. The University flourished under his leadership and its mission of focusing on “student success - every student, every day.”
Northwest was one of five institutions nationally selected to participate in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) pilot cohort focused on student success strategies, a grant-funded program through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The University also conducted extensive work to create an equitable Northwest and navigated the COVID-19 pandemic during Jasinski's tenure.
Forever Green, a seven-year campaign for Northwest was completed successfully in 2021 by raising more than $55 million to exceed its $45 million goal. Additionally, Northwest’s economic impact was measured to provide $617.5 million of added regional income.
Dr. J, as he was known on campus, began his Northwest presidency in 2009. He returned to the University after serving it from 1986 to 2001 as a faculty member, department chair and associate provost and receiving awards such as the University Service Award and National Broadcast Adviser of the Year.
He served Northwood University in Michigan from 2007 to 2009 as executive vice president and chief academic and operating officer. From 2001 to 2009, he provided consulting and training on leadership, organizational assessment and process improvement issues for a variety of organizations, including two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities, public K-12 education systems, health care, non-profit and business organizations.
In addition to his work at Northwest, Jasinski was active with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association, as a member of its Board of Directors, Committee on Student Success, and a leadership mentor for two individuals in its Millennium Leadership Initiative and Executive Leadership Academy. He also was active with the Council on Public Higher Education (COPHE) CEO Council, which comprises presidents and chancellors of the Missouri’s public higher education institutions, serving twice as chair from 2013 to 2015 and 2019 to 2020 and as co-chair from 2011 to 2013 and 2018 to 2019.
Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, he held a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Central Michigan University. In addition to being an avid marathon runner, Jasinski was passionate about his family, comprising of his wife, Denise, their four children – Matt, Joe, Leah and Lucas – and the family’s dogs, Ruby and Daisy.
