The “interim” title is coming off for two senior leaders at IU Bloomington’s Residential Programs and Services who have been working in their positions since the summer of 2019.
Lukas Leftwich is the new executive director of RPS, and Sara Ivey Lucas is the director of Residential Life and assistant Dean of Students. Both are long-time IU employees with a long history working in student service.
We are fortunate to have Luke and Sara leading efforts in this very important part of student life,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel. “These are people who care deeply for our students, and each has an impressive record of success working with IU students, as well as coordinating and working with thousands of students, staff, and parents.
Leftwich joined the IU staff as an academic advisor for Undergraduate Programs in the Kelley School of Business in 2007, moving into the role of associate director and then executive director of the program in 2012. Since taking on the role of interim executive director of RPS in August, Leftwich has developed communications strategies; overseen the implementation of askRPS, the new Salesforce Customer Relations Management system; engineered a model of public and private shared ownership of leased apartment space to address a campus housing shortfall during renovations; partnered with the Office of the Vice President & Chief Financial Officer to oversee the groundbreaking, maintenance, renovation, debt-service, and all other aspects of the $1.3 billion in residence halls, university apartments, and dining courts assets; and managed a senior staff that collectively oversees more than 3,000 RPS staff.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of an organization that is a market leader in developing students through the services and experience we provide,” said Leftwich. “The RPS staff has a long history of passionately serving IU students, and I am delighted for the opportunity to lead such an amazing organization with such an impactful mission.”
Ivey Lucas has 24 years of experience in student care, parent engagement, housing management, and residence life at IU, with expertise in the areas of student and family support services, staff supervision, student advising and support, living-learning communities, fiscal and facilities management, conference services, and student judicial affairs. She began working at IU’s then-Department of Residence Life in 1995, moving into positions with progressively more responsibility. In 2015, she was named the assistant dean of students for Parents and Off Campus, Division of Student Affairs, shifting to the assistant dean for Student Care and Parents in that division for the 2018-2019 academic year.
As director of Residential Life and Assistant Dean for Student Care since August, Ivey Lucas is responsible for directing the work and efforts of staff to support a residential community on campus and in leased off campus apartments for approximately 10,000 students. She has developed initiatives to help RPS staff coordinate efforts to address student concerns thoughtfully and with the highest degree of open communication possible; guided the creation of the online tool askRPS to help internal and external staff better track the services provided to students and their families; promoted staff recognition through individual, departmental, and national organization channels that led to regional accolades. Ivey Lucas is also working with staff and students to develop a multi-layered program to deal with the various aspects and nuances of bias in a college community. She has coordinated with staff in the Dean of Students Office on issues relating to students in mental health distress to determine the best way for students to move their education forward while protecting the interests of other students and community members.
“I'm honored to serve as the leader of the department that initially engaged my interest in providing education, support and care to college students,” Ivey Lucas said. “The Residential Programs and Services staff is a wonderful family, dedicated to student education and support. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with this team again.”
