Biography

Chancellor James C. Schmidt was the eighth chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2013-2025. Schmidt grew up in a small town in Minnesota and headed to Winona State University for his undergraduate degree. He holds a doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Winona State University. Immediately prior to joining UW-Eau Claire, Chancellor Schmidt served as vice president for university advancement at Winona State University and as executive director of the WSU Foundation board of trustees.

Schmidt began his tenure at UW-Eau Claire in July 2013 with a vision to lead the university into a bold new future centered on a commitment to public good and a charge to move forward with audacity and joy. Schmidt forged partnerships across campus, within the community and throughout the region based on the vision and the values he outlined. During his tenure, some of the advancements he helped lead were: The Mayo Clinic and UW-Eau Claire Master Collaborative Research Agreement; the Rural Health Innovation Alliance; bringing in more than $725 million in public and private investments together to deliver major facilities transformations such as The Sonnentag, Pablo Center at the Confluence, and new and updated buildings and housing on campus; Increased academic opportunities with the addition of 14 undergraduate and six graduate programs in high-demand areas such as healthcare, science and engineering, and professional studies; and expanded athletics opportunities with the addition of programs for men’s soccer and baseball, and women’s lacrosse. In addition to his academic stewardship, Schmidt served as chair of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council, vice chair of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He also served on various local and regional boards, including Mayo Clinic Health System Wisconsin, Wisconsin Technology Council, WNB Financial, WiSys Advisory Board, Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp. and the NCAA Board of Governors, among others.

To the students on campus, he will always be known as Chancellor Jim, and they encouraged him to open a Twitter account after he arrived on campus. Through the medium of @ChancellorJim, students came to know the chancellor as the real-life, approachable Chancellor Jim.

Schmidt left UW-Eau Claire to become the next president of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Occupations

• Chancellor -- Date: 2013 - 2025

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