Brand bids IU final farewell

After eight years at IU, Myles Brand has just over two weeks remaining as IU president before he takes over the helm in Indianapolis as the head of the NCAA. \nBrand not only leaves behind a string of accomplishments but also some memorable controversies.\nFrom his Strategic Directions Charter to the firing of former men's basketball coach Bob Knight, from the creation of the School of Informatics to the accusation of IU violating Indiana's open door laws, Brand has witnessed IU's ups and downs first hand.\nOn April 14, 1994, Brand began his eight and a half year tenure when he became IU's 16th president. In November of 1995, Brand's Strategic Directions Charter was developed to help recognize IU's need to invest resources in IU and to move the university forward without compromising its core mission.\nIn one of the largest consolidations the state has ever witnessed, Brand helped oversee the merger of the IU Medical Center Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children with Methodist Hospital to form Clarian Health. \nThe year 2000 witnessed Brand's announcement of a zero tolerance policy for Knight, resulting in the coach's firing just four months later.\nIn a precursor to his role with the NCAA, Brand gave a speech to the National Press Club in January of 2001 entitled "Academics First: Reforming Intercollegiate Athletics."\n"He's able to anticipate things. He's able to spot trends," said IU spokesman Bill Stephan.\nStephan said he thought Brand's most memorable accomplishment was his leadership of the university concerning his life sciences initiatives and in information technologies.\nDuring Brand's final trustees meeting this month, President of the University Faculty Council Bob Eno said he had many productive arguments with Brand, who has a doctorate in philosophy, but said he never won an argument with the philosopher because of his persuasive style.\n"My chief regret with Myles leaving is that we're going to suspend that conversation," Eno said during the meeting.\nNow, the house in the middle of campus and the office in Bryan Hall are witnessing a change as Brand packs up his memories and moves to a new position in Indy. But Brand will probably take the same philosophy to his new job with NCAA as he did at IU.\n"It's not a job, it's a life," he said in an Oct. interview in the IDS.