John A. Fallon’s distinguished career in higher education has been marked by an enduring belief in the power of education to transform lives. A professor and senior administrator for more than 30 years, he has emerged as a national leader and eloquent spokesperson for higher education. Dr. Fallon is currently the president of Eastern Michigan University.
Dr. Fallon has led three institutions. He was president of William Penn College in Iowa from 1995 to 1998 and then served as president of the State University of New York at Potsdam from 1998 to 2005. He assumed the presidency at Eastern Michigan University in July of 2005. During his tenure at SUNY Potsdam, he was widely regarded for his leadership, which included establishing an institutional management system comprised of biennial goals and objectives and merit-based compensation system. In addition, he is one of the most prominent leaders in the country with regard to the community education movement, which advocates the creation of opportunities for community members from individuals and schools to businesses and private organizations to become partners in addressing community needs. He has served as president of the National Community Education Association and as consultant at the Institute for Community Education Development at Ball State University. Dr. Fallon has also been a strong advocate of the teaching profession and has developed and implemented innovative programs such as the Korean Initiative, which involved the annual recruitment of a cohort of Korean graduate students who studied teacher education at SUNY Potsdam, and the Canadian Initiative, which was comprised of partnerships with Canadian postsecondary institutions.
He received his bachelor’s degree (1969) in education from Western Michigan University, a master’s degree (1970) in educational administration from Northern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. (1973) in higher education from MSU.