AUTHOR - ACADEMIC -
HIGHER EDUCATION LEADER
Terrence Cheng is a distinguished writer, professor, and higher education leader with more than 25 years of experience. Driven by his passion for serving students, his leadership is focused on helping students from all different backgrounds succeed in the classroom and beyond.
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About
Cheng has also held several academic and administrative leadership and faculty roles which include associate provost/assistant vice president, Academic Programs at Brooklyn College; and associate dean, School of Arts and Humanities, and chair, Department of English at Lehman College. Both institutions are part of the City University of New York.
Cheng is a first-generation student who immigrated to the United States in 1972 . He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Binghamton University and an MFA in fiction from the University of Miami, where he was a James Michener Fellow. He is the author of two novels: Sons of Heaven (2002), and Deep in the Mountains (2007), as well as numerous published short stories and essays. In 2005, he received a Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Currently serving as Special Advisor to the Board of Regents for the CSCU system, Cheng will return to the faculty at Western Connecticut State University in Fall 2026.
Terrence Cheng was chancellor of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system from 2021-2025, overseeing six institutions with more than 20 locations, 10,000 employees, and a budget of over $1B, serving more than 85,000 students. Prior to his role as chancellor, he led the University of Connecticut Stamford campus from 2016 to 2021, where he was also a tenured faculty member in the English department.
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Experience
Chancellor
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities
2021-2025
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Consolidated 12 community colleges, into one singularly accredited institution
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Increased system-wide enrollment
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Launched state-wide auto-admit program
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Established new industry and community partnerships
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Increased system-wide extramural funding​
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Mitigated $160M system-wide deficit
Campus Director
University of Connecticut, Stamford Campus
2016-2021
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Increased campus enrollment by 50% in five years
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Transformed UConn Stamford, from commuter campus, into residential campus
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Expanded industry and community partnerships, and experiential learning
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Established new scholarships
Books
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Deep in the Mountains. New York: Watson Guptill, 2007.
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Sons of Heaven. New York: William Morrow, 2002. (Reprinted in paperback, HarperPerennial, 2003; Xlibris, 2007)
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International Editions of Sons of Heaven
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Anak-Anak Langit. Jakarta: Serambi, 2005.
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L'étudiant chinois. Paris: Mercure de France, 2003.
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Leadership
With Former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, students, and REP4 leaders
Committees, subcommittees, and working groups for national and regional organizations:
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NASH (National Association of Higher Education Systems)
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American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)
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American Council on Education (ACE)
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The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE)
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REP4 Alliance
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Business and Higher Education Forum (BHEF)
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Teaching
Cheng has taught creative writing courses at all levels, from introductory, to senior seminar. He has also taught:
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Composition
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American Literature
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Asian and Asian-American Literature, Dystopian Literature
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Literature and War
His favorite books to teach include:
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The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
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Beloved by Toni Morrison
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Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
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poems by Langston Hughes
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Proof by David Auburn; and many others
Select Awards & Recognitions
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Greater Hartford NAACP Thurgood Marshall Excellence in Education Award (Fall 2024)
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National Endowment for the Arts, Literature Fellowship, 2005-2007
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Junior Library Guild selection, June 2007 (Deep in the Mountains)
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Barnes & Noble 2002 Discover Award: Honorable Mention (Sons of Heaven)
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​Multiple awards and placements for short fiction
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Education
MFA in Fiction Writing (University of Miami, 1997)
BA in English (Binghamton University, 1994)
Recent News & Updates
Cheng to moderate panel of Higher Education Leaders at ACE Experience 2026 in Washington D.C.
Panelists include:
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former U.S. Undersecretary of Education James Kvaal
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President Emerita of UConn, Susan Herbst
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3x HBCU President Walter Kimbrough
