IU filling key posts at all levels

It's not even spring yet, and IU is already cleaning the house.\nThe resignation of the Kelley School of Business Dean Dan Dalton Tuesday has brought the total number of open academic and administrative leadership positions to seven.\nOther positions currently being filled are the director of faculties, director of the Kinsey Institute, dean of the School of Journalism and new leaders for the Indiana Memorial Union, IU Auditorium and Indiana University Press.\n"We have changes all the time," said IU Board of Trustees President Fred Eichhorn. "We just have to make sure that those who come in to replace those who leave are highly qualified and continue to positively influence the University."\nTrustees will soon approve another change. Interim School of Library and Information Sciences, Dean Debora Shaw, is slated to be replaced by former SLIS Dean Blaise Cronin, Eichhorn said.\nSome may think the open positions may be the result of President Adam Herbert's attempt to restructure the University, but Eichhorn said, for the most part, this is not the case. Herbert was named president in June of 2003, replacing Myles Brand, who left IU to become president of the NCAA in October of 2002.\n"The resignation of the chancellor (Sharon Brehm, and subsequent naming of Ken Gros Louis as interim chancellor) was brought about by the new president because he wanted a new form of organization," Eichhorn said. "But I don't think the new president's influence had anything to do with the other positions."\nThe search for a director of IU Press was stalled because of questions regarding the future role of the chancellor position, but has now resumed.\nMost other positions need to be filled because of retirement. \nDean of Faculties Moya Andrews, Journalism Dean Trevor Brown, Kinsey Institute director John Bancroft, and Executive Director of the IMU and Auditorium Winston Shindell are all retiring at the end of this semester.\n"To me there's a difference between a planned and an unusual retirement," said journalism professor Bonnie Brownlee who serves on the dean search committee at the journalism school. "Our dean has been planning to retire, and we've known that for some time, but it's different in different places. There's always excitement when things change, but also a fear of loss of institutional memory."\nDalton is not retiring, nor was he pressured by the administration to resign.\n"I had the second-best job in the business school -- and that's dean," he said. "Starting in the fall, I'll have the best job -- professor."\nDalton also believes the University will pass through all these changes without any trouble.\n"We need to remember that IU has a very long history," he said. "We've had many changes in deans and other high-ranking officials. IU has provided opportunities to untold men and women over the years, and I'd be surprised if we lost any step during all these transitions"