Bepko's presidency almost over

Gerald Bepko is not completely sure of what is going to happen next -- heck, he's not even sure if he's gonna keep the 'stache.\nBepko sat down gently into a very comfortable looking chair across from a table with a big picture-filled book called Lasting Legacies. He is a soft-spoken man with equally soft eyes and, of course, the mustache.\n"I've thought about (shaving) it," he said. "I've had it for 33 years. Grew it in 1970 -- just about this time of year. Don't know if I would know myself." \nEven with his mustache, he is still unrecognizable to some students.\nBepko's tenure at Bloomington will be relatively short. He was named IU president in November 2002 by the board of trustees, but his term as interim president ends in August when Adam Herbert officially takes over. \nBepko said the biggest challenge facing Herbert is using what the University already has to its fullest extent. \n"The University is filled with potential for new successes," he said. "The challenge will be trying to take full advantage of those opportunities."\nBepko said he is not envious that Herbert will be sitting in his old office this August. Being president of a major university is not something he would want to do regularly.\n"I was asked to do it. I've always done everything the University asked me to do, within limits," Bepko said, as he thought for a second. "No, I've always done everything the University asked me to do."\nEight months as president is more than enough, he said.\n"I did not want to consider this more than interim," Bepko said.\nBeing president of IU has kept Bepko busy. On this day, he left Indianapolis, where he lives, at 8:15 a.m. He then had meetings all day in Bloomington and headed back to Indy that afternoon to make it to a dinner for financial analysts in the Indiana General Assembly.\nRepresenting IU outside of the eight campuses is an important part of the job. Keeping in touch with the General Assembly is especially important since they decide whether to increase or decrease IU's funding. The same goes for Washington D.C.\nThe federal government "gives us a lot of money," he said. "Making sure they understand us is one of the roles of the president."\nHowever, being president of IU has afforded him no time to teach, which is something he said he is happy to have a chance to do again.\n"I'm looking forward to it very much," Bepko said. "I've been a teacher my happiest moments, and the moments when I thought I contributed most to society came when I was teaching."\nBepko said he plans on teaching again at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis. He teaches business law and commercial transactions.\n"Learning may be the most important human function," Bepko said. "The excitement of learning is one of the greatest joys of life."\nHe said he became interested in teaching in college. "I was a young person when law was becoming more pre-eminent for making the world a better place," he said. "Seeing the law make changes in society attracted me a lot to law school."\nBepko is very involved with the law, especially with trying to stabilize uniform state laws across the country. He is a member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, a permanent editorial board of the Uniform Commercial Code, and is also involved with the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges Commission on the Urban Agenda.\nHe also is planning on doing research this fall on the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the 40th anniversary of the James Meredith March, "which I had the pleasure of being involved with," he said.\nWhile Bepko plans on staying busy, he said he and his family will go on their usual vacation to the island of St. Croix for Christmas and New Year.\nBepko's said his best memory was of commencement, where he presided over nine commencements in seven days.\n"It's a grueling week, but the joy of seeing 15,000 students get degrees, seeing how happy they are and how proud their families and friends are makes up for it," he said. "There are some events in life that are so full of joy and hope that they radiate excitement, and this commencement did it for me."\nEven though Bepko will no longer be president of IU, he said his feelings for the University won't diminish any.\n"I love IU," he said. "My wife of 35 years and I have given most of our 35 years to it, and we wouldn't have it any other way"