Over the past year, many of you have asked why I chose to step down as provost and what comes next. The Western Herald captured that journey with care: the moment that tested my values, the exchange program I proposed to help students and scholars displaced by war, and the larger lesson I keep returning to, failure to take a stand doesn’t define you; it can refine you. I’ve spent a career climbing rungs in higher education, but this season is about returning to purpose: teaching, speaking, and standing with students as we navigate a difficult political moment for K–12 and higher ed. As I say in the piece, neutrality in the face of injustice is complicity; silence protects the status quo, not the vulnerable. I’m sharing the article here because it reflects who I am, why I’m here, and how I intend to use my voice going forward. I hope it’s useful to students, colleagues, and anyone reimagining their own path. Here’s the article:

Western Michigan University’s former provost, Julian Vasquez Heilig spoke on stepping down from his position and where he is going from there. 

Vasquez Heilig served as the provost for two years before stepping down to become a faculty member. 

He coauthored an article How One Failure Changed My Career Forever, speaking on his response during a Board of Trustees meeting regarding the ongoing war in Gaza. 

“I remember one of the students was talking about the ongoing deaths of students and families and civilians in Gaza,” Vasquez Heilig said. “He asked folks to take a stand. It was an emotional moment for me. And you know, you don’t pass judgment on anyone else at the table.”

He continued: “I’ve had seven academic leadership roles, from provost to dean to vice chair to program chair, really went moving up the ladder. You experience the realities of academic leadership and you have to make decisions. You have to understand consequences of the decisions. You understand that institutional dynamics shift.”

Failure is not something that defines you nor should you be afraid of the mistakes you have made, according to Vasquez Heilig. 

“I don’t think that a failure in a moment has to define you, I think it can refine you,” Vasquez Heilig said. “I think that each setback in life gives you that opportunity to grow and reimagine your path.”

Vasquez Heilig thought of something he could do in his purview, an exchange opportunity program. 

“I thought about an exchange opportunity program to bring in students and faculty that would come from institutions who had been destroyed by conflict, by war,” Vasquez Heilig said. 

He continued: “For me, this was the thing that I could do within my purview as provost, regardless of whether other people, trustees or cabinet members, were going to make their choices. This was a choice that was within our purview and was consistent with other activities the institution has undertaken over time in terms of exchanges with other countries and other universities.”

The program was not implemented. 

The article Vasquez Heilig worked on was with other faculty members. 

“Writing for faculty is not usually emotional,” Vasquez Heilig said. “We were just one of many universities that had encampments on our campus. What we wanted to understand in the upcoming publication was what universities had dealt with the encampments in ideal ways and which universities had dropped the ball and created issues.”

They found that universities who engaged in a dialogue with the protestors did not make national headlines, according to Vasquez Heilig. 

After stepping down from provost, Vasquez Heilig had found his voice again. 

“I’ve also been able to find my voice again as a scholar, because when you’re in university leadership you’re representing a lot of perspectives,” Vasquez Heilig said. “I’ve been able to take this moment to really talk about what’s happening in the current political moment, to education, both higher education and K-12.”

He continued: “I’ve been able to speak out against neutrality, because I believe that neutrality in the face of injustice is complicity, because silence does not protect those being attacked. It just protects the status quo.” 

After stepping down, Vasquez Heilig joined a student protest at the WMU Student Center. 

“The students is where my heart is,” Vasquez Heilig said. “It’s with the students. I’ve been a leader in the civil rights movement. The university knew when they hired me that I was a civil rights leader. As someone deeply engaged in civil rights work, as a person who protested as a student, I could never be critical of student protestors.”

Over the summer, Vasquez Heilig was awarded the Keeper of the Flame award by the NAACP. 

“That’s an award that you get for standing up for justice, even when it’s inconvenient or costs you something,” Vasquez Heilig said. “I had a friend that once told me, if you’ve been given a flame, it’s your responsibility to keep it burning for others.”

Vasquez Heilig highlighted that failure does not define you. 

“Failures are part of the journey,” Vasquez Heilig said. “When you have setbacks, this is for the students, setbacks are turning points. They reshape your career. And honestly they’ll open doors. Doors are opening that I never expected.”

Students who are interested in learning more about leadership can take a course with Vasquez Heilig. He is teaching EDLD 3020, leadership and advocacy as well as EDLD 2000, leadership in a changing world.

Julian Vasquez Heilig is a nationally recognized education policy scholar and civil-rights advocate, previously serving as dean and provost. His research and public scholarship focus on equity, accountability, and leadership in K-12 and higher education. He also authors the Without Fear or Favor newsletter on LinkedIn.