Office of the President

Julian Z. Schuster became President of Webster University in 2019 after serving as Provost, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since 2010. During this time, he has led the institution through a period of transformation and development. In the past years, a new general education curriculum has been adopted and implemented, the most diverse and academically qualified freshman classes have been recruited, and retention and graduation rates improved significantly.

Webster’s $55 million capital campaign concluded successfully, and several endowed chairs were established. During this time, the University has completed over $100 million in construction projects, increased the number of full-time faculty and launched more than 15 new academic programs, including several STEM-related offerings.

Webster University, comprising a network of international campuses in Europe and Asia, has enhanced and expanded its international visibility under Dr. Schuster’s leadership. A new location for Webster-Vienna has been secured, providing space for projected growth in academic programs and student housing needs. Under Dr. Schuster’s leadership, new international initiatives in Cuba, Georgia, Uzbekistan, China and Italy are being developed.

Dr. Schuster’s efforts to make Webster a national leader in global experiential education resulted in Webster's long-term study abroad programs being ranked in the top 10 among all U.S. master's degree-granting institutions, and first in the same category among Midwestern institutions, according to the Institute of International Education's annual Open Doors Report. Dr. Schuster led the establishment of Webster's first campus on the African continent in Ghana (which served students from 2013 to 2023), as well as a campus in Uzbekistan and additional partnerships in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Webster University now ranks among the top 16 comprehensive universities in the Midwest and boasts nationally ranked programs in a number of majors across fine arts, business, nursing, nurse anesthetist, education, communications, and the liberal arts and sciences.

In the Office of the President, we focus on academic and administrative excellence in support of student success. Everything we do aligns the administrative enterprise to support the academic mission of the University.

• Together, we will achieve global academic excellence by infusing concepts of global citizenship throughout the curriculum, enhancing opportunities for scholarly and artistic endeavors worldwide, and attracting and retaining diverse and highly qualified faculty and students from around the world.
• We will provide educational programs to our military men and women, which are relevant to their professions and lives, designed to be accessible and flexible, and embedded with support services to increase student success.
• We will enable the success of our students through innovation and access. Our Online Learning Center will continue to be a priority — offering the same level of quality and rigorous learning opportunities afforded to our brick-and-mortar campus locations.
• We will carve our niche as a global institution and as a sustainable institution — ensuring Webster’s success into its second century and beyond.
• We will continue to enhance the teaching and learning environment for the Webster community by implementing master planning for the main campus, expanding and improving facilities at international and extended domestic campuses, and increasing investment in technology to support innovation in teaching and learning.

The faculty-developed Global Citizenship Program, Webster's core curriculum, advances students' knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, their intellectual and practical skills, understanding of personal and global responsibility, and their ability to integrate these lessons into a complex 21st-century environment.

Faculty Research Grants are awarded to applicants among Webster's faculty whose proposals have the strongest potential to advance academic excellence for the individual faculty member and for Webster University.

The President’s Student/Faculty Collaborative Research Grant Program supports undergraduate students who are conducting research projects with the guidance of a faculty member. Research is defined broadly and includes artistic, scholarly, and other research activities fitting Webster's variety of disciplines and majors. Current undergraduate students from all schools, campuses, and majors are eligible to apply. There are multiple application windows each year. Apply for these grants .

Known as the Messing Faculty Award, the Wilma and Roswell Messing, Jr., Faculty Award award is presented to a full-time faculty member for summer activity which will strengthen the curriculum of their department or improve the teaching/learning relationship. The award, a stipend in the amount of $4,500, funds international travel and other expenses related to the summer activity.

The President’s Faculty Fellows Program is an invitation for faculty members to contribute to the leadership of key strategic efforts of Webster University on a part-time basis by partnering with Academic Affairs or its support units (Faculty Development Center, Reeg Academic Resource Center, Academic Advising, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Study Abroad, or other units or committees that support faculty and students). This opportunity allows faculty to work on special projects that are of particular interest and importance that take full advantage of the unique interests, skills, and academic backgrounds of the University’s diverse faculty. Fellows are awarded a $4,000 stipend for their work.

The Leif J. Sverdrup Global Teaching Fellowship provides the opportunity for Webster University faculty members to travel to teach at one of the following Webster campuses: Athens, Geneva, Leiden, Vienna or St. Louis. This program funds travel, housing and some incidental costs. The fellowship is open to full-time and adjunct faculty. Full-time faculty must have completed at least one academic year at Webster to be eligible. Adjunct faculty must have taught at least six courses at Webster to be eligible.