A Consistent, Connected Leader
James Smith’s approachable style and steady leadership shaped a transformative decade at Eastern Michigan University
A Consistent, Connected Leader
James Smith’s approachable style and steady leadership shaped a transformative decade at Eastern Michigan University
James Smith transitions to president emeritus this spring after nearly a decade as Eastern Michigan University’s 23rd president, concluding a tenure marked by steady leadership, modernization, and resilience through significant challenge and change.
Yet some things never change, including Smith’s trademark habit. Just as he did years ago as a school principal, he still whistles while he works.
“I wanted students to know I was around,” President Smith says of those earlier days. “People here still say, ‘I heard you coming.’ They kid me about it. I think I do it subconsciously. I don’t think I want to stop.”
In many ways, that familiar whistle reflects the tone of Smith’s presidency: visible, open and deeply connected to campus life.
Students in particular have come to value that accessibility. Throughout his presidency, Smith was a constant, visible figure across campus—often alongside his wife, Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith—making time for conversations, events and everyday encounters with students.
“President Smith made it a priority to connect directly with students whenever he could,” says Hamzah Dajani, an international student from Jordan and finance and accounting major who served as Student Body President during his senior year (2024–25). “It was not unusual to see him in a prolonged conversation in a quiet corner of the Student Center or attending a student organization event, fully present and genuinely engaged. He never allowed his position to create distance. Everyone could see not only the strength of his leadership, but also the quality of his character.”
“President Smith made it a priority to connect directly with students whenever he could… Everyone could see not only the strength of his leadership, but also the quality of his character.”
— Hamzah Dajani, international student from Jordan
That sense of authenticity resonated across campus—including among faculty.
“President Smith always did what he said he was going to do,” says Emeritus Professor Jaclynn Tracy, a longtime faculty member in the School of Education who also served as head of the Department of Leadership and Counseling. “He didn’t just give lip service to things. You could truly count on him. That is priceless.”
During Smith’s tenure, that reliability proved critical as the University navigated a challenging financial landscape facing many institutions across the Midwest. Even amid those pressures, Eastern continued advancing long-term priorities centered on academic quality, student experience and campus infrastructure.
Under his leadership, EMU undertook a series of transformative capital improvements that modernized key academic and residential spaces. Among the highlights were renovations to Sill Hall, home to the University’s GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology. In Strong Hall—focused on educating students in STEM disciplines—a once-cramped gathering area was transformed into a bright, open space anchored by a two-story atrium.
More recently, Eastern’s “Welcome Home” housing transformation plan led to the construction of two new apartment-style residence halls and renovations to nearly every other residence hall on campus.
President Smith was inaugurated as EMU's 23rd President on March 2, 2017, with a processional to the ceremony at Pease Auditorium.
Homecoming 2017 featured the 97th annual Spirit March and a nail-biting 20-17 overtime loss to Western Michigan.
Eastern celebrated the accomplishments and experiences of underrepresented students during the 2018 Multicultural Graduation Celebration.
Many of Eastern’s international students, along with faculty and staff, turned Detroit’s Comerica Park EMU green during the 2018 TruEMU night.
In 2018, President Smith oversaw the complete renovation of Strong Hall, a facility that houses numerous labs for STEM classes.
During the COVD-19 pandemic, President Smith led critical efforts to share the latest health updates with the EMU community.
The 2022 Move In day represented a return to more traditional campus operations post-pandemic, supported by various safety protocols.
Students, faculty and staff participated in the official opening ceremonies of Sill Hall, home of the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology.
President Smith’s presence at Eastern’s annual MLK Luncheon reinforced the importance of equity and inclusion to the entire community.
Turnout at the 2024 Thankful event doubled from the previous year, representing Eastern’s strong commitment to supporting the local community and families in need.
President Smith was a visible presence in the robing room each year, sharing in the anticipation and pride of Eastern’s graduating seniors.
President Smith, with his wife Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith and Swoop, waves to the crowd at the 2025 Homecoming, his last as president of the University.
Together, these projects reshaped the physical campus while strengthening the academic and residential experience—an outcome that reflects EMU’s longstanding student-centered mission.
Just as importantly, Smith consistently championed access and opportunity for students from all backgrounds, reinforcing Eastern’s identity as a university where diverse pathways to success are embraced.
“Diversity continues to be part of who we are; it’s part of our DNA,” he says. “We have students from literally all over the world.”
Kenneth Dobson, president of the EMU Alumni Association Board of Directors, says Smith demonstrated that commitment not just through words, but through consistent engagement.
“One moment that stands out is his commitment to the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon and Celebration,” Dobson says. “It wasn’t just another event on the calendar for him. He showed up fully engaged, and you could tell it mattered to him personally. He used that space to connect Dr. King’s legacy to the work happening on campus and to remind all of us why inclusion and equity are core to who we are as a university.”
Of course, Smith’s presidency also included moments of extraordinary challenge—none greater than the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, as the virus spread across the country, EMU moved rapidly to remote operations. Smith, his executive team and campus experts formed an intensive working group to guide the University’s response. In the earliest days, the group met for four hours every day on Zoom, sharing information and producing a daily campus-wide update at 5 p.m.
“It was all-hands-on-deck trying to get information out to the best of our ability,” Smith recalls.
President Smith and his wife, Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith, frequently made time for conversations and everyday encounters with Eastern students. (Photo by Leisa Thompson/Michigan Photo)
Through both challenges and achievements, Smith says the most rewarding aspect of his presidency has always been his connection with students. Few moments capture that better than commencement, when he visited the robing room each year to share in the anticipation and pride of graduating seniors.
“Our student body is truly a delight,” he says. “I hear from students that they have the most astounding experiences.”
He often marvels at the determination of Eastern students, many of whom commute, juggle multiple jobs or rely on campus as a second home.
“I ask them all the time, ‘When do you sleep?’” he says with a laugh. “They have great stories to tell.”
So how does President Smith hope to be remembered?
“As a guy who really believes in this place—what we can do for students and how we can change the direction of a student’s life,” he says. “To be here a decade as president, you have to love the place.”
By Geoff Larcom
Honor the Smiths’ decade of service by donating to the Drs. James Smith and Connie Ruhl-Smith Presidential Difference Maker Award. Your gift empowers the next generation of EMU student leaders who lead with heart and purpose.