Cheryl Green

Dr. Cheryl Green brings more than 30 years of professional experience in higher education to her role as the sixth President of Governors State University, and the leader of the Jaguar family. A passionate educator and administrator, Green believes fiercely in the power of education to change lives. Throughout her career, she has pioneered the innovation of academic enrichment opportunities and student success initiatives that promote increased retention and graduation rates for first generation and non-traditional college students.

Most recently, Green served as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, as Interim Chancellor for the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, and as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Tennessee State University.

Before her time at Tennessee State University, Dr. Green served at Chicago State University in a variety of administrative and academic roles, including director/chair of the counseling department, inaugural dean of first-year students, acting associate director of career placement, and as a tenured associate professor of counseling. In addition, Green served as the statewide representative for 2,700 faculty and staff in her role as the Grievance Officer for the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI) Local 4100 for seven public universities.

Her fiscal experience includes the budget management of more than $300 million dollars at three universities. Throughout her career she has served as the primary or contributing author for multiple grants which yielded more than $5million dollars in revenue. Most of her scholarly research has been focused on increasing student achievement and delivering community-based health initiatives for diverse student populations.

Green’s commitment to making a difference is evidenced by her service to the community, which spans the United States and has included serving on ten different advisory boards or boards of directors. Currently, she serves on the Manchester University Board of Trustees, the Association of Governing Boards (ABG) Council of Presidents, the Will County Center for Economic Development Board of Directors, and the Southland Development Authority Board of Directors. In the recent past, she has been active on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute STEM Grant Advisory Board of UW Madison, the Forward 50 Advisory Board for the National Association of Student and Financial Aid Administrators, and the Milwaukee based Gift of Adoption Wisconsin Board of Directors.

Dr. Green is the proud recipient of Chicago Crain’s 2021 Notable Black Leaders and Executives, and the Illinois Black Hall of Fame has honored her as a Woman of First Distinction. In March 2022, Dr. Green was awarded the Excellence in Education award by the Central Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.

Additionally, Newsweek recently featured Dr. Green in a profile that discussed the university’s 2022 ranking in U.S. News & World Report for one of the top 25 best Midwest schools for social mobility.

Green has a Ph.D. and master’s degree in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Manchester College (now Manchester University) in North Manchester, Indiana. She also holds several National Incident Management System certificates from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Institute and serves as a recognized leader in grievance mediation and conflict resolution.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Green is also the loving mother of two adult children who constantly keep her inspired to believe in the worth and potential of all human beings and to make a difference in the world.