Candidates look to future

Welker focuses on athletic improvement\nDavid Dan Welker thinks today's morals "aren't what they should be." \nThe 1963 graduate of the Kelley School of Business has examined the profiles of members of the IU Board of Trustees, and he thinks it consists of "too many lawyers and not enough businessmen." \nAnd if elected to the Board, he plans to increase awareness of the sort of values and ethics with which he's been raised, with which he's reared his own children. \nA main concern, he said, is rebuilding the IU football program. An experienced football player, coach and referee, Welker believes he can use his sports expertise to improve recruiting efforts. \n"It's pretty simple, really," Welker, CEO of David Dan's Stores in Fort Wayne, Ind., said. "It's about getting back to better recruiting and sticking to the old rules."\nThe trustees, he said, lack the business and sports knowledge necessary to hire coaches and deal with agents. He says these are necessary skills to effectively manage top-notch athletic programs. He acknowledges his lack of legal experience. Yet Welker, former owner of the Fort Wayne Komets hockey team, thinks he can bring a solid understanding of sports and sports psychology to the table. \nHe says he's heard tailgating -- an activity he deems a "student's right" -- has been banned at IU. If elected, he wants to lift that ban.\nWelker specifically mentioned his disapproval of President Brand's comments in January at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in which he pledged to "de-emphasize" IU athletics. \n"I realize teaching kids is important," Welker said, "but looking back on my college experiences, if a coach shows up at an event, more kids are likely to come than if a favorite teacher were there."\nWelker also said many alumni he's talked with have indicated they'd like to see changes in administration. He's pledged to try and initiate such changes, and claims he's been met with considerable support.\n"Basically, everyone wants a different president," Welker said. "I don't know Myles Brand personally, but when I heard the concerns of the people, I came right out and said I'd help change the administration."\nHe said he feels the Kelley School of Business and the School of Music have been declining somewhat during the past few years and aims to restore those programs to their previous caliber.\nWelker said he's been receiving overwhelming support from all over the country and believes his strong morals and Christian foundation allow him to identify with many types of people.\n"I've had a lot of experiences in life, but I've learned from my mistakes, too," Welker said. "I don't quit, and maybe that's my best virtue."\nGiaquinta cites retention as key issue\nMark Giaquinta said he understands the precarious position of a public university.\nHe knows state-funded institutions must "keep the doors open" to a diverse blend of students. He realizes budgets are limited. \nAnd while he believes IU has made considerable efforts to increase student and faculty retention, he said the road ahead is long. \n"We can't really separate quality academics into distinct parts," Giaquinta said. "To me it's all inextricably bound. Retaining top students and faculty is all part of the same issue."\nTo achieve this end, Giaquinta claims academic standards must be maintained to attract both groups. Whereas private universities can afford to pick and choose, to establish a mission and adhere closely to that vision, public universities are faced with the contradictory goal of increasing accessibility and attracting the nation's most gifted graduating seniors. \n"There's real competition among institutions of higher learning to get top students," Giaquinta said. "Universities are beginning to see themselves as selling a product, and these kids are able to pick and choose." \nTo compete, IU must make certain standards in admissions and in the classroom do not neglect retention standards for both faculty and students, groups Giaquinta feels are intertwined.\nHe cited newspaper articles within the past year detailing the "exodus of much of IU's top faculty" as warning signs. The solution, he claimed, is to include faculty in the administrative process.\n"We've got to go to them and say, 'OK, why are your colleagues leaving?' he said. "If it's salary, go to the legislature. At this point, it's essential to really begin encouraging a very active dialogue with faculty to spot these kinds of warning signs before and not after the decision to leave is made."\nLoss of faculty sends a message to graduating seniors investigating schools, Giaquinta said. IU's position in university ranking systems factor in as well. He said that while he realizes ratings systems are often "numbers games," IU's position as a middle-tier institution is "unacceptable."\n"I do think Board members need to resist the urge to micro-manage the University," Giaquinta,\na 1979 graduate of the School of Law, said. "We're not there for that."\nGiaquinta has served on numerous boards, including the Fort Wayne Common Council, the St. Joseph Hospital Board and state bar association committees, and said he's "always fought for principles"