'Business as usual is out the window at IU'

With IU president Adam Herbert set to leave IU in 2008, the trustees voted Saturday to approve his recommendations in a dramatic restructuring of the University's administration. \nTrustee president Stephen Ferguson said Saturday the University will now conduct business "in lightning speed." \n"Business as usual is out the window at IU," Ferguson said at Saturday's special meeting.\nThe trustees voted to name Ken Gros Louis IU's University-wide chancellor, a position that has only been held by Herman B Wells.\nThey also, at Herbert's request, named current Vice President for Information Technology Michael McRobbie IU-Bloomington's new interim provost, a position that will replace the IUB chancellorship.\nThe changes are set to take effect Feb. 1. \nThe trustees also refused to a formal review of Herbert, saying the process would only continue an "animated" environment at IU.\nAfter months of faculty outcry over a failed chancellor search, Herbert announced in a letter Friday afternoon that he will not serve as president beyond his current contract, which ends July 2008.\nHerbert also submitted an extensive report about restructuring several positions in the University, including the chancellors of both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.\nIn his plan, Herbert advocates changing IU-Bloomington chancellor and vice president for academic affairs to the title of provost and vice president for academic affairs and IU Purdue University-Indianapolis to executive vice president and chancellor. \nHerbert announced that he felt "an obligation to the University to give the board of trustees as much advance notice as possible" regarding his decision to retire in 2008.\n"I also have talked with prior IU presidents about their experiences and given considerable thought to the current state and needs of the university and to recent events on the Bloomington campus," he said in the letter. "In addition, Karen and I have given extensive consideration to our family needs and plans for the future. These thought processes have been guided by our deep affection for Indiana University and a strong belief that the long term best interests of the institution always must be the primary focus of the president and trustees." \nThough Herbert admitted in his letter he is assuming the risk of becoming a "lame duck" president, Ferguson assured those in attendance Saturday that would not be the case.\nDespite his retirement, Herbert still wants the trustees to initiate his plan of restructuring the University system, which includes changing who many vice presidents report to and moving the School of Optometry from the Bloomington to the Indianapolis campus. \nHerbert announced in November he would restart the chancellor search after he felt the candidates weren't right for the University. Faculty members passed a resolution with a 2/3 vote recommending changes to the chancellor position to make it more attractive. In his first year as president, Herbert denounced creating a provost position, though now he is advocating one. \nHerbert will take questions at 3 p.m. Saturday at the business meeting of the IU board of trustees which follows the trustees' executive session to discuss the chancellor position and presidential performance.\nCheck idsnews.com Saturday for more updates.