It’s not just Indiana University President Pamela Whitten who makes important decisions about the future of the university. IU employs 12,500 people in non-academic positions, many of whom work in administrative roles.
The direct administrative hierarchy starts with the Board of Trustees. Indiana's governor has the power to appoint all nine of the university's trustees In June, Gov. Mike Braun removed three alumni-elected trustees — Vivian Winston, Jill Maurer Burnett and Donna Spears — after a last-minute addition to the state budget bill gave him the power to do so.
The trustees are the legal owners and final authority of the university. Each trustee traditionally serves a three-year term, except the student trustee, who serves for one year. Trustees cannot serve more than three terms.
Whitten works directly with the trustees. She oversees all nine IU campuses, each of which has a chancellor position. Chancellors serve as leaders of their respective campuses.
Whitten also serves on the Board of Directors of IU Health and the IU Foundation.
President Pamela Whitten
Whitten was appointed to her position in 2021 after a controversial search process in which she did not make the short list of presidential finalists the search committee provided to the Board of Trustees.
Whitten is the university’s first female president. Before coming to IU, she was president at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She has also held senior administrative roles at the University of Georgia and Michigan State University and worked as a professor in the field of telemedicine.
One of her most-touted achievements as president has been the creation of IU Indianapolis, following the separation of the campus from Purdue, and its classification as an R1 research university.
Whitten’s time as president has also been mired in controversy. Her administration’s handling of free speech concerns and response to IU Bloomington’s pro-Palestinian encampment has faced criticism. In April 2024, 93.1% of over 900 faculty members voted no confidence in Whitten. In January, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that portions of Whitten’s dissertation appeared to have been plagiarized. An independent law firm investigated in August 2024, an IU spokesperson said, and found the plagiarism allegations to be “meritless.”
The university has not released the firm’s findings. David Hormuth, the board of trustees’ chair, told the IDS in September that “no further action will be taken” in investigating the allegations or releasing more information.
Whitten makes a base salary of $900,000. In June, the board approved a bonus of $225,000.
Chancellor David Reingold
IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold came to IU from Purdue in March. Prior to his time at Purdue, Reingold was a professor of public policy and executive associate dean of O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. IU Bloomington had not had a chancellor since 2006, when Kenneth Gros Lewis held the position. Reingold began his role June 2.
In his introduction to campus video, Reingold described the chancellor position as the “CEO of this campus.” In a March press release announcing his hiring, Whitten said Reingold will oversee finance and administration, student life, community engagement, campus research, creative activities and enrollment management.
She also said he would oversee the Office of the Provost, which would continue to handle academics. Reingold functionally serves as the head of the flagship location, only underneath Whitten and the Board of Trustees.
Reingold said in the introduction video that he would spend his first few months back at IU learning about the campus and familiarizing himself with faculty, staff and students.
Reingold recently replaced the head of the Jewish Studies Program without faculty input, which one professor described as “unprecedented.” He has also faced scrutiny for his involvement in the decision to halt production of the print edition of the Indiana Daily Student. In an October letter to the IDS editors, Reingold announced he reversed his decision and would allow the IDS to continue using its “established budget through June 30, 2026, as the editors see fit” — which allows the IDS to continue printing through the remainder of the school year.
He makes $655,000 a year, according to a letter obtained by the IDS in May.
Five administrators also serve in the Chancellor’s Cabinet: Rahul Shrivastav, Katie Walker, Lamar Hylton, David Johnson and Scott Shackelford.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Rahul Shrivastav
Shrivastav serves as the academic leader of the Bloomington campus. He presides over the Bloomington Faculty Council and works with the deans and faculty of all IUB colleges in all academic affairs. He also serves as the executive vice chancellor, effectively second in command to Reingold.
Shrivastav earns a salary of $568,113 per year.
Under Shrivastav, in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, there are three vice provosts.
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor:
- Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty
Docherty makes decisions on policies that define the rights and responsibilities of all IU Bloomington academic appointees. She oversees tenure and promotion, faculty records and data management, new faculty orientation, strategic faculty hiring initiatives, emeriti faculty, the Patten Lecture series and facilitation of faculty awards.
Before assuming her role, Docherty spent 20 years with IU as a professor and executive associate dean of the School of Public Health. Doherty is paid a salary of $315,528 per year.
- Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Luoheng Han
Han oversees all IU undergraduate programming, including general education programming, innovations in curriculum, faculty development and student support initiatives. Han works closely with academic deans, the Bloomington Faculty Council and student and faculty leaders.
He oversees a team of over 400 and a $14 million portfolio. Han is paid an annual salary of $325,000.
- Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of Graduate School David Daleke
This role was created in 2023 and followed the decision to create graduate schools based on each of IU’s campuses. According to a press release when he was first appointed, Daleke will work to strengthen student success and advocate for graduate education across all disciplines. Daleke is paid a salary of $310,400 per year.
- Senior Executive Advisor to the Provost Matt Waller
Waller serves as the head of the provost’s office and facilitates communication between vice provosts, deans and other senior leaders at IU. Waller is paid $214,098 per year.
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Katie Walker
Walker has financial oversight over IU Bloomington and its approximately $2 billion budget. Previously, she served as associate vice president and chief budget officer at the University of Virginia.
Vice Chancellor for Student Life Lamar Hylton
Hylton oversees 21 departments within the Office for Student Life, a division dedicated to improving the experience of students. Departments are divided into health and well-being, student care and advocacy, and involvement and belonging.
A July 2023 press release announcing his hiring said his responsibilities include creating a positive campus culture, cultivating an equitable and inclusive living and learning environment, maintaining relationships with alumni and donors and advocating on behalf of students.
Hylton is paid an annual salary of $330,939.
Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management David Johnson
The Office of Enrollment Management facilitates the recruitment and admission of students to the university. Enrollment Management includes the Offices of Admissions, Scholarships, Student Financial Assistance, the Registrar, Student Central and First Year Experience Programs.
Johnson is paid a salary of $278,409 per year.
Associate Vice President and Vice Chancellor for Research Scott Shackelford
Shackelford serves on the IU Research leadership team, reporting to IU’s broader Vice President for Research Russell J. Mumper in addition to Chancellor Reingold. His responsibilities include fostering large-scale research, guiding updates to tenure and promotion guidelines and participating in decisions about use of research space.
Shackelford is paid an annual salary of $251,638.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of an administrator’s name and to correct two dates.
