Jennifer Jacobs Henderson named provost at Willamette starting July 1, 2025
- Karmen Zhao, Staff Writer
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Willamette University Communications has announced Jennifer Jacobs Henderson as Willamette’s new provost starting July 1, following the retirement of current provost Carol S. Long.
Willamette University has had a provost for the past nine years after Long and President Steve Thorsett created the position in 2016 and Long stepped in as Willamette’s very first provost. The Office of Provost outlined that within her position, Long has worked in collaboration with faculty, staff, and administrators to “educate ethically grounded citizen leaders” by “ensur[ing] student success, academic innovation, and institutional effectiveness.” With Long having announced her retirement at the end of the 2024-25 school year after her 30 total years of service within the university, Willamette welcomes Henderson’s tenure starting on July 1, 2025.
Prior to Willamette, Henderson began in 2002 as a professor of media law and ethics at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She served as the chair of Trinity’s Department of Communications and associate vice president for academic affairs, as well as managed Trinity’s nonprofit radio station.
In an interview with Henderson, she noted her familiarity with undergraduate arts and science institutions drove her interest in taking on the position of provost at Willamette. She highlighted that she was drawn by how Willamette’s mission as an educational institution is very similar to that of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she completed her undergraduate degree. “The university [Willamette] has been thinking about what the next years of higher education look like, really thinking creatively about intersections of degrees and putting them together in unique and interdisciplinary ways.”
Henderson stated that in November, she had spent a day at both the Salem and Portland campuses, where she was met with “great academic programs and people [who] were kind and caring not just about the university, but to each other.”
Jameson Watts, dean of the School of Computing and Information Sciences, was a member of the hiring committee that reviewed Henderson’s candidacy. In reflection of Henderson’s hire, he acknowledged that she had the proper levels of administrative experience and was particularly well-fitted for Willamette. He said that Henderson would excel in her abilities to manage and take lead in the university’s complex changes and growth while also raising the voices of faculty and staff.
Watts noted that Henderson is successfully set up to meet the core responsibilities of being a provost, which include managing the deans and faculty members, advising the academic and career services on campus, and identifying and enforcing matters that can uplift Willamette’s higher education.
Henderson is meeting regularly with Long in order to “build a bridge between all of that knowledge she holds. Her connections [to Willamette] are essential,” Henderson said. “I am new and I just need to listen and learn so many things. [Long] is an amazing guide for that and has been generous and lovely in every way.”
Without having prior affiliations with Willamette, Henderson’s integration into the position as provost requires her to familiarize and connect herself within this new community. She stated that her first goal is to listen to all the varying faculty and student groups and get to know who and what she is working with. To Henderson, her position as the new provost means that she will be overseeing the core mission of the university, which is education. She will be involved in topics related to student academic experiences, including student life, housing, classes, faculty, and many other factors that surround the student adventure on campus.
Towards the student body, Henderson wishes to convey that her work involving decision making has always been centered around the students. “I am always willing to listen to students and their different voices,” Henderson concluded. “I'm an advocate, and I would be happy to meet as many [students] as possible. Come by and see me!”