January 20, 2023
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you all enjoyed your holiday break and that your Spring semester is off to a great start.
Our IU community is stronger because of the vast diversity of identities and perspectives that make up our campus. This message that President Whitten and IU Bloomington Provost Shrivastav sent to the IU Bloomington community this week, addresses the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but also a troubling, racially motivated incident that took place in Bloomington. I echo their firm stand against hate and injustice and with IU’s Asian and Asian American students, faculty and staff. As we say in our Titan Creed, we respect the dignity and worth of all members of our campus, celebrating our differences while creating an environment in which all voices are heard and embrace equity, diversity, and inclusivity in all we do.
IU 2030
The Campus Directions Committee has been hard at work this semester aligning our existing strategic plan to the new IU 2030 framework. While IU South Bend’s 2030 plan may look a little different than our Building a Brighter Future plan, I think you’ll find the committee has done a tremendous job of keeping the elements of our current plan intact. Look for more details from the Campus Directions Committee on their progress in the coming weeks.
Saint Joseph Health System Nursing Scholarships
Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming leadership from Saint Joseph Health System to campus, where they recognized six of our nursing students with scholarships for their final semester and jobs with the health system upon graduation. We are grateful to Saint Joseph Health System and our Dwyer College of Health Sciences for their support of our students and our collective efforts to expand the health professions talent pipeline.
Professional Development Fund
To support individual growth and lifetime learning, IU South Bend is committing $50,000 in 2023 to support additional faculty and staff professional development. An application process for these funds will be shared via the Daily Titan next week. I hope you will consider applying for this new opportunity and we look forward to supporting you in your ongoing professional growth.
Leadership Updates
The search is officially underway for a Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement, formerly known as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. This new title is designed to better reflect the role on campus. We hope to have finalists on campus for interviews in April, with the new Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement starting the summer. Look for more details on this important search in the Daily Titan later this spring.
We are also excited to be launching the search for an inaugural Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, thanks to a $2 million grant from the Leighton Foundation to establish an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center on campus. Look for more updates on this exciting project and position in the months ahead.
As some of you know, Paige Risser, Director of Communications and Marketing, will be leaving IU South Bend at the end of the month. I would like to thank Paige for all her contributions to the IU South Bend community over the last several years. We will begin the process of launching the search for a new Director of Marketing and Communication right away.
Finally, I am excited to announce Elizabeth Bennion has taken on the role of Director for Community Engagement this year, in addition to serving as Director of the American Democracy Project. Elizabeth will build on the work of Gail McGuire who previously served in this role.
Food Truck Friday
This Friday January 20, we will be joined on campus by a popular local food truck, Junbuggies, from 11:30AM - 1:30PM in the east parking lot (near Greenlawn). Junbuggies specializes in authentic Mexican food, including tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas, and accepts all forms of payment. Stop by to pick up some lunch and share some good times with other students, faculty and staff.
Finally, I hope you will join me for the first Coffee with the Chancellor of 2023 on Thursday, February 16 from 3:00pm to 4:30pm in the University Grill!