2nd dean candidate to visit IU today

The second candidate for the dean of students position will attend an open forum to introduce himself to the IU family.

IU alumnus Pete Goldsmith currently works as the vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, a position he has held since 2003.

Students can meet Goldsmith at 5 p.m. today in the Wells-Metz Theatre.

Goldsmith received his undergraduate degree from IU in 1968 and also completed his doctorate in education at IU in 1975.

He said being a former student attracted him to the position.

“It makes the job very exciting to think about,” Goldsmith said.

To brush up on his current IU events, Goldsmith said he prepared for his visit by looking at the campus Web site and reading the Indiana Daily Student. He said he has many memories of his time as an undergraduate, including attending Little 500. However, one of the most memorable was the start of his freshman year.

“I flew into campus, because I was coming from Maryland, and my luggage didn’t arrive,” Goldsmith said. “For the first days of orientation, I just had the clothes off my back. That was my introduction to IU.”

At Kent State, Goldsmith oversees 14 units, such as the dean of students and the admissions and financial aid offices. Goldsmith has worked in student affairs at six universities since the 1970s. He said he has committed his career to the field because he likes to contribute to the “student experience.”

“I really like working with students,” Goldsmith said. “I really like helping students be successful.”