Faculty to consider splitting positions

"I think it's really important to split that into two jobs," said law professor Fred Cate in an interview last week. "There's no question that there's a conflict of interest."\nProfessors say the IUB chancellor should be focused completely on Bloomington. Advocating for other campuses can detract from Bloomington's best interests, they say.\n"This campus gets handcuffed by the fact that our chancellor has to represent the whole IU system," said chemistry professor Ted Widlanski in an interview last week.\nInterim IUB Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, who held both positions as full time chancellor for 21 years, said there is no need to split the positions.\n"The vice president's position probably takes no more than 10 percent of my time, and that includes things for Bloomington," he said. "If there were a vice president for academic affairs, the only way it could be a full-time job is if the person really meddled in everybody's business, including the Bloomington chancellor's."\nGros Louis said there are other advantages of having the jobs merged. As vice president for academic affairs, he said, he is a member of IU President Adam Herbert's cabinet.\nIU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said Herbert is not considering splitting the jobs.\nThe chancellor's primary responsibility is to coordinate most parts of IUB.\n"Everything except the physical plant and athletics is my responsibility," Gros Louis said.\nCampus leaders report to the chancellor, who oversees academic programs, special programs like the honors college and other administrative offices. There are a series of vice chancellors, in charge of smaller segments of the University, that report to the chancellor.\nThe chancellor is also responsible for conducting the searches for any vacant deanships or vice chancellorships.\nGros Louis, along with Dean of Students Richard McKaig, attends a lunch every three weeks to meet with student leaders. Students are able to voice concerns they have, and Gros Louis said if he or McKaig can't help them, students are directed to appropriate departments.\nThe chancellor also represents IU at various groundbreaking ceremonies, naming ceremonies and official functions.\n"From my perspective, the worst thing for the Bloomington campus is to have the vice president for academic affairs not also be the chancellor," Gros Louis said.\nFor the full text of all five resolutions to be considered at today's faculty meeting, visit www.idsnews.com.