Tom Morrison on board as chief liaison

After a 17-year career at Ball State, it would take a unique opportunity for Tom Morrison to leave his alma mater.

He found that opportunity at IU as chief liaison and Indiana General Assembly representative this month.

“It’s an excellent opportunity,” said Morrison, who is a senior administrator at Ball State. “It’s a decision that we, my family, didn’t take lightly. I had been at Ball State, and I love Ball State and always will, but this was an opportunity to be a part of IU’s senior team. One of the biggest reasons is I’m excited in the directions IU’s going under President (Michael) McRobbie. It’s an exciting time to be at IU.”

As IU’s contact with the state government, Morrison will work as a lobbyist for the University.

IU is partly funded by the state, and because a great deal of IU’s success leans on research, policy issues and funding, IU communicates frequently with state government, he said. Morrison will begin his position at IU on Oct. 13, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.

The hiring of Morrison comes at a crucial time for IU. For one, the tough economic times the country is facing directly affect IU’s students and faculty. Morrison said the challenge is ensuring IU receives adequate funding for its initiatives while simultaneously keeping tuition affordable.

Secondly, IU will have an important legislative session at the beginning of the year after the election. This particular legislative session will hold a budget session, meaning IU will need to be ready for issues dealing with its own funding from the state. In addition, IU has a special request for funding of a $35 million research project that is part of its research coalition with Purdue University.

Morrison’s experience at Ball State stood out to McRobbie and Mike Sample, vice president for public affairs and government relations. McRobbie and Sample were mainly in charge of appointing the new chief liaison after J. Thomas Forbes left in July to represent Cummins Inc. in the State House, MacIntyre said.

Morrison is extremely knowledgeable of the legislative process and issues at the higher education level, Sample said. Morrison served as Ball State’s interim chief financial and administrative officer during the 2007-2008 school year. He also was responsible for facilities, management and strategic planning, development of a capital budget, government relations, auxiliary services and human resources at various times in his career at Ball State. In addition, Morrison worked with the General Assembly to secure funding for major projects totaling more than $150 million, he said.

“Tom brings tremendous experience,” Sample said. “He’s very knowledgeable of the legislative process. He knows the key players in that legislative process, and they know him. He’s well- known and well-respected at the legislature and in the State House. He also has strong knowledge of universities and higher education that come up at the legislature.”

Morrison said he knows the IU legislative and budget processes well and is knowledgeable in the issues dealing with higher education.

“It’s an honor that IU entrusts me with this responsibility, and I’m going to try to do my best because at the end of the day, the job that we do is important for students,” Morrison said. “It’s an honor to do that, and it’s not a responsibility I take lightly, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.”