CSU Board of Trustees Extend President Scott’s Four-Year Contract

CHICAGO (June 15, 2022) - The Board of Trustees of Chicago State University has announced a 4-year contract extension for President Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott, Esq., who has held the position since July 1, 2018. President Scott is the 12th Permanent President of the University.

“The Board of Trustees’ unanimous support for this contract extension is a vote of full confidence in President Z Scott as the right person to lead CSU now and for the foreseeable future,” said Andrea Zopp, Chair of the Trustees. “During the last four years, President Scott has exceeded the Board’s expectations. Particularly she has moved the university forward while navigating the unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Zopp underscored that Scott has driven forward advancement in areas critical to the success of the university. Key accomplishments include creating a board-approved Strategic Plan reflecting university-wide input, launching a student success strategy that increased persistence and graduation rates, implementing a new plan for student recruitment, and positioning CSU as a statewide and national leader in advancing equity in higher education. Additionally, under President Scott’s leadership, CSU has spearheaded building a national coalition of U.S. Department of Education-designated Predominantly Black Institutions. Scott also oversaw the redevelopment of the university’s foundation and its Board of Directors.  Zopp concluded, “There is a renewed level of energy on campus, and a renewed focus on Chicago State University as the focal point for the engagement of corporate partners and important community initiatives.” 

In addition to her role as President, Scott is on the Board of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Shedd Aquarium, Commonwealth Eddison, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. During her time as President, Scott has provided expertise to local and statewide leaders including by serving as Co-Chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education Strategic Plan Committee and the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force. Prior to taking the helm of CSU, Scott was an equity partner in a national law firm with an international practice. Her career further includes work as federal criminal prosecutor in the position of Chief of General Crimes and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and the first Illinois Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Governor and its Public Universities

Scott’s initial contract expires on June 30, 2022. Her new contract will be effective July 1, 2022.

About Chicago State University

Chicago State University (CSU), founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University’s five colleges offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois and ranked by a Harvard economist in the top 4% of public and private universities nationwide in supporting our graduates’ economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent civic space on the greater South Side of Chicago by hosting a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The university is located near public transit that provides convenient access to the campus.