As we move toward the second half of the summer semester, I write to share progress on a number of ongoing efforts.
Summer growth
Progress toward 2030
The IUB 2030 Executive Leadership Team (ELT), which is shaping implementation of our new strategic plan, has continued to meet regularly through the summer, both as a full team and as individual groups assigned to each of the three pillars: student success, research and creativity, and service to the state and beyond.
The ELT is actively considering the appropriate projects, sequencing, and milestones to chart the best path for success toward actualized goals, objectives, and metrics. Each group is aimed at an early/mid-July target for a full draft implementation plan for larger review.
As previously shared, we expect to have a full implementation plan for the upcoming year ready by the start of fall classes.
I am grateful to College Executive Dean Rick Van Kooten and School of Education Dean Stacy Morrone for their excellent leadership of the ELT to date, and to the other ELT members for their outstanding dedication and engagement over these critical summer months. I am greatly encouraged by their progress and look forward to a broader implementation rollout.
Welcoming the New IU Indianapolis
Last week, I was thrilled to join the Board of Trustees, President Whitten, and other IU and state leaders in celebrating the agreement that formalizes the transition from IUPUI toward IU Indianapolis.
This is an important milestone in the history of our Indianapolis campus and a major step toward increasing IU's impact in the city and across the state and world.
With the talented faculty, students, and staff; dynamic alumni base; connections with premier employers and our state government; and a 53-year history of community engagement and relationships, IU Indianapolis will add greatly to our collective capacity at IU, including for Bloomington.
I am excited for the new opportunities we will discover together, including for the Kelley School of Business; Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering; School of Nursing; and O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, which already have presence on both campuses. There will be much more to come as this transition takes shape, but I am confident that the future in Indianapolis is exceedingly bright.
On a personal note, I want to send my thanks and congratulations to my dear colleague, interim Chancellor for IUPUI, Andy Klein, who has recently been named dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law. Andy has had a tremendous and lasting impact at IUPUI and the McKinney School of Law, and he will be deeply missed at IU. I am also pleased to welcome Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, dean of the IU School of Dentistry, to her role as interim chancellor, and I greatly look forward to our work together.
Executive search updates
I am excited to report progress on several ongoing key leader searches.
Associate Vice President and Vice Provost for Research
In collaboration with incoming Vice President for Research Russ Mumper, we have extended the application period for this important internal search through the end of June. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute and Ruth N. Halls Professor of Gender Studies, has generously agreed to step in to chair the search committee for Scott Michaels, professor and chair of Biology, who has stepped down from this committee. I encourage qualified candidates to apply, and we look forward to greeting candidates for campus visits later in July.
Vice Provost for Student Life
Over the next week, we will be hosting four finalists for this reimagined position leading the new Office of Student Life. We are fortunate to have a diverse and talented pool of national student life leaders. I encourage all campus community members to participate in the campus town halls, either in person or virtually.
Dean of the School of Optometry
We have also extended the search process for this position and expect to invite additional candidates for first-round interviews in early July. With the upcoming return of longtime Dean Joe Bonanno to the faculty at the end of the month, we will soon be naming an interim for this role.
I am excited for the July 1 start dates for three new senior colleagues in Bloomington:
- Rebecca Spang, Interim Dean of the Hutton Honors College
- Vasti Torres, Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
- Jamie Gayer, Senior Director for Human Resources for IU Bloomington
We are also eagerly awaiting the arrival of our new Media School Dean, David Tolchinsky, in September.
Finally, I would like to welcome Colin Johnson, incoming President of the Bloomington Faculty Council, who will begin his term on July 1. My deepest thanks and appreciation go out to current faculty president Cate Reck, who has been a truly exceptional leader for the faculty and campus over the past year.
As we move into the second half of 2023, may we continue to accelerate our efforts to make IU Bloomington the best possible place for teaching, learning, and service to our state and world. Along with our continued work together, I hope you are finding some moments for renewal and personal and professional growth.
