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(07/22/13 1:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Memorandum of Understanding regarding the proposed merger with the IU School of Journalism and the departments of Telecommunications and Communication and Culture was recently released to inform concerned parties how the nationally accredited IU School of Journalism will maintain its reputation and academic integrity within the new school if the merger is approved by the IU Board of Trustees in August.As a number of concerns have arisen concerning the proposed merger, Interim Dean of the School of Journalism Lesa Hatley Major said she sees a more cutting edge school arising from the merge pending its approval. “There are so many opportunities for us,” Hatley Major said. “We keep doing all the things that we’ve always done well, but we’re obligated to make sure that our students get what they need when they leave. To me, that’s something we have to make sure we do. I think that with this move, and I think our faculty, staff, everybody wants to make sure that happens, that we can use this opportunity to create a school that is innovative.”One of the concerns Hatley Major addressed was the journalism school faculty who would be affected by this merger. The MOU, Hatley Major said, protects journalism untenured, tenured track, lecturers and associate professors being promoted to full. Faculty will be presented with the option to choose if they wish to go through the College tenure or continue under the School of Journalism.“It would be unfair and unethical if you had a junior faculty or associate who has been working under a certain system preparing their dossier and then all of a sudden you have a change in the way that was done,” Hatley Major said. “So they’re covered.”During the process of developing the MOU, Hatley Major said committees consisting of faculty and staff were put together and websites were created allowing comments to be heard from alumni, students, faculty and staff regarding both the MOU and the merger.Hatley Major said she and others working on the MOU looked at comments on the websites, from both student and alumni, and in order to organize the document looked back to the original accreditation standards. While working with the College, Hatley Major said those involved were respectful and positive about making sure journalism has the foundation it needs to be successful.“I think some people thought that this was going to be something where it was negotiation,” Hatley Major said. “It really wasn’t. The idea was always to have this kind of foundation document that would serve journalism and protect the foundation of journalism as we move forward.”The proposal revision remains the next step in the creation of the new school. The first opportunity the proposal has to be presented to the Board of Trustees is August, but Hatley Major said she does not know if this time has been confirmed. The next possible time would be in October. Hatley Major said the key components in making this merger a success are keeping up with what the School of Journalism already does well and opening up opportunities for improvement. “What I see right now are things being put in place to not only preserve what we are, but to make us better,” Hatley Major said. “I’m committed and so are the faculty and staff. I’m committed to making sure that this happens, meaning I’m not going anywhere. I love this school and the people and the students and our alumni ... I feel like I have a responsibility to make sure that happens.”
(07/18/13 12:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the IU Board of Trustees’ August meeting at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis is now less than a month away, a crucial decision will soon be made regarding the fate of the IU School of Journalism.In February 2013, Provost Lauren Robel recommended in her State of the Campus address that the School of Journalism merge with the departments of Telecommunications and Communication and Culture.On July 12, a letter addressing Alumni and a memorandum of understanding were released by School of Journalism Interim Dean Lesa Hatley Major. Major was appointed July 1 in place of exiting Interim Dean Michael Evans. The Memorandum of Understanding, a five-page document based on input from alumni, faculty, staff and students of the school and several others, is an outline of how the nationally accredited journalism school will maintain its reputation and academic integrity within the new school if the merger is approved. The MOU was drafted by the School of Journalism and the College of Arts and Sciences per request of the provost. “We have heard from hundreds of alumni about this recommended new school, and we are very grateful for your ideas and support,” Major said in the letter. “Your concern about the future of journalism at IU has helped underscore the passion and commitment we all feel toward journalism education and has strengthened our position as we move toward the creation of the new school.”JR Ross, president of the IU School of Journalism Alumni Board, voiced several concerns he and other alumni still have with the merger and the MOU.“The MOU shows how they’re going to protect journalism, but we still don’t know how they’re going to enhance journalism,” Ross said. “If you’re going to take one of the best schools in the country and essentially blow it up and start over, you have to kind of show that there’s going to be a benefit to this.”Ross questioned how big the budget is going to be following the establishment of the new school, what the curriculum is going to look like and even how the journalism schools’ namesake is going to be honored.“There are a lot of alums who their biggest issue is moving out of Ernie Pyle Hall,” Ross said. “They must not have been here the past twenty years to see how cramped it is, but they have an emotional attachment to Ernie Pyle Hall and that whole thing ... there are still significant concerns about what’s happening.”The next step in the creation of the new school lies in the revision of the proposal submitted to the provost last December. The School of Journalism and the College of Arts and Sciences will work together to revise the proposal, which was initially submitted by a committee of representatives from journalism, telecommunications and communication and culture.“The proposal will serve as a framework around which we will build the new school,” Major said in the letter. “It will be specific enough to support and enhance our research mission and ensure we have the means to advance such signature programs as the Ernie Pyle Scholars and our travel courses.”The Trustees’ approved renovations in Franklin Hall during their meeting at IUPUI in June. These renovations are being made to accommodate the school and student media, including the Indiana Daily Student, the Arbutus, Inside Magazine, American Student Radio, WIUX, IUSTV and other course-based media enterprises, according to the letter. “I’ve talked to the provost and I believe in her heart of hearts she thinks this is the best way forward with journalism,” Ross said. “I do not think she’s trying to destroy journalism at all. We just have a fundamental disagreement on how best to move forward with the school. I do believe the faculty, and Lesa, are doing their best to produce the best possible outcome and I just keep my fingers crossed that it works.”Memorandum of Understanding key pointsThese points taken from the Memorandum of Understanding will only take effect if the merger is officially approved in August by the IU Board of Trustees. Here is what you need to know from the MOU. • The newly merged school will be established effective July 1, 2014. • Journalism faculty and staff positions, services and programs will maintain their current forms for five years following the establishment of the new school. • Previous philanthropic gifts to the School of Journalism will transfer to and remain with the new journalism program. • Donors may continue to designate gifts specifically for journalism following the merger. • The merged school’s new location in Franklin Hall will accommodate student media, including the Indiana Daily Student, IUSTV and others. • Undergraduate students admitted to IUB in the Fall of 2013 and Spring 2014 will follow the 2013-14 SOJ Bulletin requirements for a degree. • Students arriving after Spring 2014 will follow requirements in place at the time of their arrival. Graduate students, both M.A. and Ph.D. will follow the same timeline. • The College stipulates that SOJ courses and faculty teaching public relations and advertising will remain in the DOJ. • The name of the department, formerly the SOJ, will be determined by faculty in the department in consultation with the Dean of the School.
(07/16/13 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Applegate recently announced Anne Massey has been named associate vice president for university academic planning and policy at IU, according to a press release.Her appointment will take effect Sept. 1. “Professor Massey is an experienced academic leader who will bring great skill and imagination to her new responsibilities in the Office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs,” Applegate said in the release. “I look forward to working with her as we continue the momentum started by Barb Bichelmeyer.”Massey will assume the role previously occupied by Bichelmeyer, who was recently appointed interim chancellor of IU Southeast, effective July 1, according to the release. Massey’s appointment is currently set for one year, but can be renewed by the recently renamed Office of the Executive Vice President for University Academic Affairs. Massey, Dean’s Research Professor of information systems at IU’s Kelley School of Business, serves as chair of Kelley’s Doctoral Programs, according to the release. Her service as the associate vice provost for faculty and academic affairs was recently completed. “I am delighted to work with Executive Vice President Applegate, colleagues and staff at Indiana University on issues of critical importance,” Massey said in the release. “I feel privileged to be involved with university-wide programs and projects that enhance a culture of excellence relative to discovery, learning and engagement.”Massey received her doctorate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in decision sciences and engineering systems and her research interests hone in on technology-based service innovation, computer-supported collaborative work, e-health and IT implementation, according to the release. She has had multiple articles published in journals such as MIS Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Decision Sciences, the Journal of Management Information Systems and many others, according to the release. Massey has received the IU Board of Trustees’ Distinguished Teaching Award, Kelley’s MBA Distinguished Faculty Teaching Excellence Award and was recognized as an Outstanding MBA Faculty Member by Bloomberg Businessweek, according to the release. – Makenzie Holland
(07/15/13 12:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At this summer’s 46th Education Leadership Summer Conference, the IU School of Education and IU School Administrators Association announced the annual event is being renamed for Professor Emeritus Martha McCarthy, according to a press release. Starting next summer, the conference will be the Martha McCarthy Education Law and Policy Institute.“Professor McCarthy has been a force behind the IUSAA Annual Education Leadership Summer Conference almost since its inception,” IU School of Education Dean Gerardo Gonzalez said in the release. “No scholar has had a greater influence on the field of education law and policy studies than she has. It is only fitting that this time-honored event should carry Martha’s name into the future.”McCarthy has served at the IU School of Education since 1975. She retired as a faculty member in 2011. She has authored or co-edited nine books and more than 200 articles, according to the release, and is nationally recognized as an expert in education law.She has served as an active participant in several professional organizations during the years. From 1984 to 1985 McCarthy was president of the Education Law Association, from 1985 to 1986 she was the president of the University Council for Educational Administration and from 1992 to 1994 she was Division A vice president of the American Educational Research Association. In 1991, IU honored McCarthy with the Sonneborn Award for distinguished teaching and research, and in 2004 she was honored with the Bowman Award for exemplary teaching pertaining to American civilization across the IU system, according to the release. McCarthy was named a “Living Legend” in 2002 by the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration and was presented with the McGhehey Award from the Education Law Association in 1992 for her contributions to the field of education law, according to the release. McCarthy is currently serving as the first Presidential Professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, according to the release. – Makenzie Holland
(07/15/13 12:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pending approval by the IU Board of Trustees, Karen Dace will be appointed as IU-Purdue University Indianapolis’ next vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion effective Sept. 3, according to a press release. The appointment was announced by IUPUI Chancellor and IU Executive Vice President Charles R. Bantz. “Having a senior-level administrator focused at the campus level on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion has already produced gains for IUPUI in recent years,” Bantz said in the release. “Professor Dace has 14 years’ experience as a chief diversity officer at two public universities, published research on diversity-related topics and demonstrated an exceptional ability to build relationships across constituencies. She is a thoughtful, experienced and dedicated leader whose definition of diversity is as broad as it is inclusive — just what a campus as large as IUPUI needs to advance our diversity goals.”Dace was chosen after an extensive national search chaired by IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Austin Agho, according to the release. Dace most recently served as deputy chancellor in the Division of Diversity, Access and Equity at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “I am excited about the opportunity to become part of the IUPUI effort to enhance diversity through collaborations on and off campus,” Dace said in the release. “My meetings with IUPUI leadership, students, faculty and staff; the diversity equity and inclusion professionals already in place; and members of the surrounding community demonstrated a great commitment and vision for this initiative, and I look forward to working with everyone as we, together, strive to make IUPUI a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion.” – Makenzie Holland
(07/14/13 7:28pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pending approval by the IU Board of Trustees, Karen Dace is to be appointed as IU-Purdue University Indianapolis’ next vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion effective Sept. 3, according to a press release. The appointment was announced by IUPUI Chancellor and IU Executive Vice President Charles R. Bantz. “Having a senior-level administrator focused at the campus level on matters of diversity, equity and inclusion has already produced gains for IUPUI in recent years,” Bantz said in the release. “Professor Dace has 14 years’ experience as a chief diversity officer at two public universities, published research on diversity-related topics and demonstrated an exceptional ability to build relationships across constituencies. She is a thoughtful, experienced and dedicated leader whose definition of diversity is as broad as it is inclusive — just what a campus as large as IUPUI needs to advance our diversity goals.”Dace was chosen after an extensive national search chaired by IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Dean Austin Agho, according to the release. Dace most recently served as deputy chancellor in the Division of Diversity, Access and Equity at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “I am excited about the opportunity to become part of the IUPUI effort to enhance diversity through collaborations on and off campus,” Dace said in the release. “My meetings with IUPUI leadership, students, faculty and staff; the diversity equity and inclusion professionals already in place; and members of the surrounding community demonstrated a great commitment and vision for this initiative, and I look forward to working with everyone as we, together, strive to make IUPUI a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion.” Dace received her B.A. in liberal arts and her M.A. in mass communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She received her Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Iowa.—Makenzie Holland
(06/27/13 1:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Affirmative action, a practice used to help benefit underrepresented groups and to promote nondiscrimination, is now the subject of a case that claims this practice does discriminate.In 2008, Abigail Fisher, a white honor roll student who had a 3.59 GPA and was in the top-12 percent of her graduating class, applied to the University of Texas at Austin.UT, a school with currently a little more than 50 percent of their student body consisting of people of color, automatically accepts Texas students who graduate in the top-10 percent of their class. Applicants like Fisher were then to compete against other students who didn’t place in the top 10 percent of their class “under a system in which UT expressly considered race in order to increase enrollment of Hispanic and African-American applicants.”Fisher was denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin, and filed a lawsuit against the university shortly after on the grounds it allegedly discriminated against her race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.The following year, District Court Judge Sam Sparks upheld UT’s policy as it met the standards of Grutter v. Bollinger, a 2003 Supreme Court case that upheld the University of Michigan’s affirmative action policy.Fisher’s attorneys then filed petition for Supreme Court review in September 2011.In a 7-1 vote, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin case was to be sent back to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals for reconsideration because the lower courts “did not hold the university to the demanding burden of strict scrutiny.”Justice Kennedy also said that schools must show “that no workable race-neutral alternatives would produce the educational benefits of diversity.”In a statement in response to the Fisher decision, IU President Michael A. McRobbie says IU “will analyze the decision carefully before taking any action.”“While we are disappointed that the court did not rule in favor of the University of Texas at Austin, we are pleased that the previously established principle of limited race-conscious admissions standards remains intact,” McRobbie said. “IU remains steadfastly committed to its longstanding goal of providing outstanding educational opportunities to students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.”This Supreme Court decision has sparked much debate among Americans and has some universities wondering about the future of their admissions policies. Beth Cate, an associate professor at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the court decision doesn’t require universities to make instant changes to their admission programs.The court decision allows further lawsuits to challenge universities that consider race.“Overall the Supreme Court’s decision will make it harder for schools to use race as a factor in admissions,” Cate said. “In the meantime, the Court’s prior opinions leave ample room for schools to try to boost minority enrollments through enhanced outreach and recruitment efforts, and nothing in its Fisher decision appears to disturb any of that.”Kevin Brown, a professor at the IU Maurer School of Law, says he believes the decision is likely to have little impact on how affirmative action functions in college admissions.“While the Supreme Court remanded the case, it reaffirmed its commitment to Grutter and to the use of race and ethnicity in the admissions process of selective higher education programs,” Brown said via email.Mark Land, vice president of IU communications, said race is one of the factors IU considers when accepting students, but it does not use a scoring system when weighing applicants, as quoted in the Louisville Courier-Journal.In his statement, McRobbie continued to say, “the perspectives and experiences a diverse student body brings to an IU education also represent a critical part of helping students be successful in the increasingly diverse and international 21st century. “IU will continue to be as inclusive as possible in its admissions decisions within the bounds of the law.”
(06/23/13 11:09pm)
Starting July 1, one hour will be the only thing that will keep IU employees, as well as all employees in the U.S., ineligible for health care through their employer.
(06/23/13 11:07pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Board of Trustees convened at IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne Thursday and Friday to discuss and vote on the University budget and various construction projects, among other things.The next board meeting is set for August 8-9 at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. That meeting will mark the first time new trustees Randall Tobias, James T. Morris and student trustee Janice Farlow will join the board. All were recently appointed by Gov. Mike Pence. Tobias and Morris will take the place of outgoing trustees Bruce Cole and Bill Strong, while Farlow will follow in student trustee Cora Griffin’s footsteps.1. The budget A $3.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 was approved by the trustees.2. Old Crescent upgrades The board approved the estimated $21 million Franklin Hall renovation project, part of a probable merged journalism, telecommunications and communication and culture unit to be housed in the building. Asbestos and lead paint removal, roof upgrades, classroom renovations including new digital equipment and entryway and restroom updates for accessibility will all be a part of the “complete renovations.” The vote for the proposed merger is slated for the next board meeting in August, Board of Trustees Chair William Cast said. “It’s not the notion of the trustees in any way that journalism would loose its self-determination,” he said. 3. Wells Library research areaOld card catalog areas in the East Tower of the Herman B Wells Library will be converted to a research commons for graduate students and faculty, to a tune of $2.4 million, $1.2 million of which was already approved. The project also includes fire sprinkler installation to certain parts of the building. 4. Kelley School of BusinessPhase II of the Kelley School of Business renovations and expansions were greenlit by the board. The $29 million project, funded through gifts and grants, will include Hodge Hall administrative and academic space renovation where aging mechanical systems will be replaced and classrooms will be updated. 5. New degreesA Bachelor of Science in animal behavior, a BS in international studies and a Bachelor of Arts in central eurasian studies will now be offered on the IU Bloomington campus. 6. Repair and rehabilitation Board members approved the 2013-2014 Repair and Rehabilitation Plan. Currently just more than $700 million, the deferred maintenance total will lessen to around the mid-$500 million mark in the next two years. “We’re grateful to the legislature for funding some important items,” Cast said. The temporary repair and rehabilitation fee students have seen on their bursar bill in recent cycles is something of a user fee, Cast said.“It’s a way to keep the legacy of IU going,” he said.
(06/21/13 9:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fritz Breithaupt, professor of Germanic studies, adjunct professor in comparative literature and affiliated professor of cognitive science in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been appointed by Provost Lauren Robel as interim dean of the Hutton Honors College, according to a press release.Breithaupt will serve as interim dean during the search for a permanent dean, which will occur this fall. His appointment was approved today by the IU Board of Trustees and will take effect July 1.“Fritz has been a stalwart champion of the Hutton Honors College and its faculty,” Robel said in the release. “He brings not only his record as an exemplary scholar and teacher but also his success as director of the West European Studies Institute and co-founder of the European Union Center for academic excellence at IU. I am delighted that he is willing to serve as interim dean of this extraordinary honors college.”Breithaupt will succeed Matthew Auer, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, who has served as dean of the Hutton Honors College since 2008. Auer has been named dean of the faculty and vice president of academic affairs at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.An IU faculty member since 1996, Breithaupt has been acting director of several institutes, such as the Center for Eighteenth-Century Studies, in addition to directing the West European Studies Institute and co-founding the EU Center, according to the release. He has also published four books, co-edited four volumes and published about 40 full-length articles.– Makenzie Holland
(06/13/13 12:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On June 7, IU announced IU administrator and education professor Barbara A. Bichelmeyer has been named interim chancellor at IU Southeast, according to a press release. Her new position will take effect July 1.“Barb’s appointment rounds out a strong cadre of senior leadership at IU Southeast and allows us the stability necessary to make a smooth transition to a permanent chancellor at the beginning of the 2014-15 academic year,” John Applegate, IU’s executive vice president for University regional affairs, planning and policy, said in the release.Bichelmeyer succeeds Sandra Patterson-Randles. She will retire as chancellor June 30 after serving 11 years in that role, according to the release.“Sandra has led IU Southeast through a period of exciting change and growth and has positioned the campus well for the future,” Applegate said in the release.Bichelmeyer will remain in the position for one year as the university searches for a permanent chancellor for IU Southeast, a campus that serves nearly 7,000 students. The University is currently in the process of forming a search committee.“I am honored to serve as interim chancellor of IU Southeast,” Bichelmeyer said in the release. “Over the past five years, I have come to know and respect many faculty and administrators at IU Southeast, and I am excited about spending the next year living in New Albany.”Bichelmeyer joined the Bloomington faculty in 1996 as an assistant professor in the School of Education, becoming an associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2009. She served as associate dean of faculties for IU Bloomington from 2007 to 2009 and accepted her current role as associate vice president for university academic policy and planning in 2009, according to the release. She is also currently director of IU’s Office of Online Education.“I look forward to working more closely with my colleagues at Southeast as we build on the successes of Chancellor Patterson-Randles and strengthen partnerships between the campus, the university and the community to create an even brighter educational and economic future for the citizens of southeast Indiana.”While Bichelmeyer is serving as interim chancellor, she will step away from her role as associate vice president but will retain some of her duties as director of IU’s Office of Online Education. -Makenzie Holland
(06/05/13 11:33pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tuition and fee rate increases for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years have been approved by the IU Board of Trustees after a public forum held at IUPUI yesterday.IU President Michael McRobbie said a key question facing IU has been, and will continue to be, “how do we balance the financial needs of students and their families against the need to maintain the affordability and accessibility that is expected of a leading public institution such as IU.”Resident tuition and fee rates will increase by 1.75 percent for residents and 2.75 percent for non-residents each of the next two years at IU Bloomington and IUPUI. Though the increases for resident undergraduate students are below the non-binding target of two percent recently recommended by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the lowest at the university since the late 1970s, they are still increases.“As we developed our budget for the coming biennium, we considered every option that would allow us to recommend to our trustees the lowest possible tuition increase over the next two years to ensure the continuing affordability of an IU education,” McRobbie said. McRobbie continued, saying “we believe this modest increase — when coupled with the increase in funding from the state, for which we are extremely grateful, and the generosity of our donors — will allow us to meet our goals of affordability, while continuing to provide world-class educational opportunities for our students.”McRobbie also mentioned the Finish in Four On-Time Completion Award, which will cover all increases in tuition and fees during students junior and senior years if they graduate in four years. Students will not have to pay more than they paid during the 2012-2013 academic year, provided they achieve junior status (60 hours after two years) or senior status (90 hours after three years) by Fall 2013 and stay on track to graduate in time. Tuition and fees for resident students at IU Bloomington will increase from $10,033 in 2012-2013 to $10,209 in 2013-2014, according to a press release. Resident tuition and fees will increase from $8,605 to $8,756 at IUPUI. Resident graduate students will see a tuition increase from zero to three percent over the next two years and non-resident graduate students will see an increase from zero to six percent. Another cost discussed during the public forum was rising health costs. An estimated guess put the costs around $15.2 million, which was a low estimate. Health costs are likely to be much higher.
(06/02/13 10:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This past spring, IU became a member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, an independent professional development, training and mentoring community for more than 18,000 graduate students, faculty members and post-doctoral students, according to a press release.Provost Lauren Robel announced IU Bloomington’s NCFDD membership in her State of the Campus address in February.“We invested in an institutional membership after hearing from faculty members who had found NCFDD on their own and benefited enormously from it,” Robel said in the release. “We are committed to supporting our faculty members throughout their academic journeys and recognizing the particular needs that accompany each stage of an academic career. The center’s expertise in supporting minority faculty members made the service especially attractive.”Now, more than 20 IU Bloomington faculty members are participating in the community’s Faculty Success Program, a summer “boot camp” that helps faculty launch and maintain successful academic careers, according to the release.The Faculty Success Program is the NCFDD’s signature program, according to the release. The program aims to teach participants “strategies for increasing research productivity, building academic networks and reputations, and balancing work with personal and family life,” according to the release.The Provost’s office and several academic units will provide scholarships for Program participants, according to the release. “The administration is deeply committed to enabling our young and mid-career faculty to succeed,” Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Tom Gieryn said in the release. “The Faculty Success Program builds on tested methods to help faculty with the challenge of balancing many priorities and excelling as scholars and teachers.” \-Makenzie Holland
(06/02/13 10:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Not only does June 7 mark the beginning of Cream and Crimson Alumni Weekend and the Alumni Leaders Conference, but five individuals will also be awarded that evening for their volunteer and service leadership to the IU Alumni Association.Recipients of the 2013 IUAA President’s Award include Marjorie Smith Blewett, Bachelor of Arts ’48; Jerry W. Logan, Bachelor of Science ’67, Doctor of Optometry ’69; Leland E. Tanner, B.S. ‘55 and Shirley A. Manning, according to a press release.Though the IUAA began recognizing alumni volunteers in 1990, the President’s Award was first established in 1993, and it is the highest award given to a volunteer leader, according to the press release.The Gertrude Rich Award is given to the spouse or partner of an alumni leader who embodies qualities of the wife of Claude Rich, who served as director of the IUAA from 1948 to 1968.More than 300 attendees from all over the country will gather in Alumni Hall, including IUAA volunteers and spouses, past chairpersons, past award recipients and University officials.Rebecca Keith, director of talent management and operations for IUAA, is responsible for assisting in volunteer recognition and putting together programs and award ceremonies for these alumni leaders.“We have a really rich class for the honorees of the President’s Award this year,” Keith said. She said the number of recipients varies from year to year. While some years have seen as few as two, others have had as many as 14 at a time.Smith Blewett is receiving recognition for her work with the IU School of Journalism, Keith said. She served as placement director from 1969 to 1990 and still provides services as the school’s historian. She established the Marjorie Smith Blewett Scholarship, and founded the Ernie Pyle Society for retired alumni of the school, according to the press release.A member of the IUAA Executive Council, Logan has remained active in three distinct aspects of the IUAA proper. This includes his three-year term on the IU East board of advisors, his service to the School of Optometry alumni board, and his involvement with the Whitewater Valley Chapter of the IUAA since 1985, Keith said.According to the press release, Manning has been influential as president of the Lakeshore Chapter of the IUAA in northwest Indiana. This has included diverse programming and the 2008 IU Cares book drive, when hundreds of books were donated to area charities.As a member of the IUAA investment committee from 2004 to 2012, Tanner helped to decide how to spend funds the IUAA received for dues and how to invest that money efficiently. Keith said he is distinct due to his service in corporate office rather than with service to an IUAA chapter.Additionally, Barbara Baker, wife of Central Carolina Chapter president Donald Kritsch, will be recognized as the recipient of the Gertrude Rich Award.“Lots of people work really hard for the IU Alumni Association, and I was certainly awestruck for being singled out for an honor among that group,” Baker said.Every year, only one woman receives the Gertrude Rich Award.“She is such a perfect embodiment of the award,” Keith said of Baker. “She is the wife of a really strong leader in our Central Carolina Alumni Chapter, and exactly the type of awardee we look for for this particular honor.”Baker, from Durham, N.C., did not attend IU, but said there are about 2700 IU alumni in central North Carolina.“At a community service event, it is really interesting to see this group of people come together,” Baker said. “You have a diverse group that works at a lot of different jobs, and in the name of Indiana University they come together for service.”Events that bring them together include working for projects for Habitat for Humanity and adopting a family from a social services agency during Christmas time.“We are really a long way from Bloomington or another campus, and to still have that kind of loyalty in the name of that institution is inspiring,” Baker said.After attending the banquet for the past several years, Baker said she admired the distinctiveness of recognizing the spouse of an alumnus, and said it would be nice to receive such an acknowledgment.“I am honored to get it, but I don’t perceive I will reduce my participation at all,” Baker said. “I’ll continue to be involved.”
(05/30/13 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Friday, May 24, IU President Michael McRobbie recommended that the University’s Board of Trustees increase tuition and fee rates for Indiana resident undergraduate students by an average of 1.75 percent each of the next two academic years, according to a press release.Non-resident tuition and fees would increase 2.75 percent each of the next two academic years at IU.Tuition and fees will also increase at IU’s five regional campuses and will also average an increase of 1.75 percent each of the next two years. Individual campus increases will range from 1.3 to 2.2 percent as IU moves toward standardized tuition rates at its regional campuses, according to the release.Tuition and mandatory fees for Indiana residents at IU Bloomington will increase from $10,033 in 2012-13 to $10,209 in 2013-14.Under these recommendations, non-resident tuition and fees would increase 1.75 percent at IUPUI and from 1.5 to 2 percent at IU’s regional campuses. Resident tuition and fees would go from $8,605 to $8,756 at IUPUI. IU’s tuition recommendations also call for increases across most of IU’s graduate programs, according to the release. Depending on the program, tuition for Indiana resident graduate students will increase from 0 to 3 percent each of the next two years and 0 to 6 percent for non-resident graduate students.Though tuition and fees are increasing, IU’s recommended increases for resident undergraduate students fall below the non-binding target of 2 percent recommended by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education this month, according to the release. The increases recommended by McRobbie are the lowest rate increases since the late 1970s, according to the release. “Indiana University has consistently demonstrated in recent years its commitment to providing a world-class education to our students at as affordable a cost as possible,” McRobbie said in the release. “The modest increases recommended for the next two academic years, along with programs such as our on-time completion award and our summer tuition discount, will allow IU to remain one of the best educational values in the Big Ten and across the nation.”McRobbie expressed gratitude in the release to the Indiana General Assembly’s decision to appropriate additional funds to the University during the next two years, alumni and donors and to employees at IU. June 5 at the IUPUI Campus Center in Indianapolis, the IU Board of Trustees will hold a public meeting to hear comment on the University’s recommendations. The meeting will be streamed live online at broadcast.iu.edu.
(05/22/13 11:08pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Vice Provost Tom Gieryn named Shannon E. Martin, professor in the IU School of Journalism, associate vice provost for faculty and academic affairs at IU Wednesday, according to a press release.As associate vice provost, Martin will work on developing faculty workshops and the New Faculty Orientation program and serve as liaison for the campus-level Promotion Advisory Committee. She will also meet with individual faculty members to discuss career development, according to the release.“I am honored to be given an opportunity to serve IU, in particular the vice provost’s office, in this role,” Martin said in the release. “I look forward to meeting the new faculty as they join our ranks, and to providing support in the advancement of every member of our academic community.”Martin succeeds Anne Massey, Dean’s Research Professor at the Kelley School of Business, who has been associate vice provost since 2009. Martin has been an IU Bloomington faculty member since 2008 and has served as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the School of Journalism. While associate vice provost, she will continue to teach journalism, according to the release.“Professor Martin has an outstanding record as a scholar and teacher and a strong commitment to the mission of the university,” Gieryn said in the release. “She will provide invaluable experience and leadership, and will contribute a great deal to our efforts to serve the IU Bloomington faculty.”Martin chaired the communication and journalism department at the University of Maine, Orono, and was on the faculty at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. before coming to IU. She earned her Master of Arts at IU’s School of Journalism and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, according to the release.Martin recently authored “Freedom of Information: The News the Media Use” and is currently working on “Social Media and Participatory Democracy in the 21st Century: Public Notice and the World Wide Web,” to be published in 2014, according to the release. - Makenzie Holland
(05/22/13 11:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana University bid farewell to yet another leader in higher education May 20 in the IMU. Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Sonya Stephens, who served since January 2009, has been selected to become the next vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty for Mount Holyoke College. She will assume her new role July 1. “Sonya’s extensive record of successful leadership in a range of institutional contexts, her deep understanding of liberal education and her commitment to the liberal arts, her understanding of educational strategy and the thoughtful management of change, and above all, her success in recruiting, developing, and retaining an outstanding faculty, will be crucial to Mount Holyoke’s continued strength in the years to come,” Mount Holyoke President Lynn Pasquerella said in a press release issued in March. While Mount Holyoke anticipates Stephens’ arrival, the departure remains bittersweet for the faculty, students and staff at IU. Several friends of Stephens, including Provost Lauren Robel, spoke at the reception held in her honor, bidding her a fond farewell and thanking her for her many years of valuable service. “She is so effective and so visionary,” Robel said. “In the short time this office has been in existence, she has created an astonishing legacy of excellence for the position.” Robel listed several of Stephens’ accomplishments and talked of the major role Stephens played in the recent development of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Associate Professor of French Margaret Gray read a message sent to Stephens from Andrea Ciccarelli, chair of the department of French and Italian, a position previously held by Stephens. Ciccarelli is currently overseas and was unable to attend.“She is a beloved, dedicated, fair and tough teacher,” Ciccarelli’s message read. “Beyond all joke, she has been a great vice provost for undergraduate education. We will all benefit from her work for years to come.”Stephens made her way to the podium near the end of the reception. “Thank you all, thank you all for coming,” Stephens said. “I am really grateful to see so many friends and to tell you how much you’ve meant to me during my time here.” Stephens went on to talk about some of her first experiences at IU, which included getting sunburned in Dunn Meadow, spending hours in record stores and proudly wearing her IU shirt. “The grace of the buildings, the ever-changing landscapes and most importantly the grace of my colleagues have really shaped my love of IU,” Stephens said.Although she hails from London, Stephens was not immune to the all-encompassing embrace of IU’s spirit.“Don’t let the relative shortness of my time here or the accent fool you,” Stephens said. “I have become a Hoosier at heart.”Before leaving the podium, amidst the loud applause of her colleagues, Stephens once again thanked everyone for coming and for the friendship they offered her during her time at IU.“I shall always, always watch your successes with tremendous interest,” Stephens said. “Thank you all.”
(05/20/13 6:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Following the departure of Vice Provost Sonya Stephens, Dennis Groth has been named interim vice provost for undergraduate education, IU announced Monday afternoon.Provost Lauren Robel announced the appointment, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. A search will begin this summer for a long-term vice provost for undergraduate education, according to a press release.Groth, who has served as associate vice provost for undergraduate education since 2009, oversaw general studies, service-learning, administration of placement and high-stakes exams, lifelong learning through non-credit professional and liberal arts classes, community outreach and information technology support. While associate vice provost, he was also associate dean of undergraduate studies for the School of Informatics and Computing on the Bloomington campus. Earning a doctorate degree in information sciences from IU in 1997, Groth has more than 15 years of experience in the software development industry and has designed and developed systems for health care, pharmaceutical sales and financial services, according to the release. Groth has been recognized by students and colleagues as an outstanding teacher and has received the Trustees Award for Teaching Excellence and teaching awards in informatics and computer science. A farewell reception for Vice Provost Sonya Stephens is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday in the Frangipani Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.– Jeff LaFave
(04/25/13 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Linda Smith, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, was awarded the 2013 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions, one of the highest honors for scientific achievement by psychologists. Smith is one of three scientists in the nation receiving the annual award, and the third IU faculty member to be given the honor. Richard Shiffrin was the last IU faculty member to receive the award, in 2004. William Estes won the same honor in 1962. The APA is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the U.S, according to a press release. The award, introduced in 1956, recognizes senior scientists for distinguished theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology. The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences announced the award Wednesday, but Smith said she first heard the news in December. “I had not known I was nominated, so it was a surprise,” Smith said. “I had already been announced as the Rumelhart Prize winner for 2013, so it was a bit of feeling that I was definitely having a good run.”Smith is only the second woman to earn the Rumelhart Prize, a $100,000 award honoring research in human cognition. Whereas the Rumelhart Prize is strictly for cognitive science, the APA award is for research in psychology, Smith said. Smith was also featured in an inaugural TED-style video talk for a new APA video series by major figures in the field, according to a press release. Her book, “A Dynamical Systems Approach to the Development of Cognition and Action,” has become an influential piece of literature for today’s generation of cognitive scientists, according to the release. Robert Goldstone, also a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences nominated Smith for the award, he said. “Dr. Smith is one of our local treasures at Indiana University,” Goldstone said. “Her research on the development of cognition has transformed both developmental and cognitive psychology.” In their cognitive lab, Smith and her team of researchers have invented engaging tasks that allow toddlers to demonstrate what they know and how they know. The researchers also attach small cameras to the heads of toddler subjects, of ages 1 month to 2 years, in order to observe his or her visual environment. Smith’s findings indicate that a baby’s point of view changes dramatically with development, filtering what the baby learns, she said. “All my work is trying to understand this process, the pathways in which development builds on itself, particularly with respect to those very human abilities related to language,” she said. Other 2013 recipients of the award are Stanford professors Ian Gotlib and Robert Sapolsky. A formal announcement of the award will appear in the April 2013 issue of the American Psychologist and the May 2013 issue of the APA Monitor.The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences faculty and staff are thrilled to have Dr. Smith’s accomplishments recognized by the APA, Goldstone said. “We’ve known for several decades now how important Dr. Smith’s research is,” Goldstone said. “It’s good to see other national and international groups recognizing this too.”
(04/23/13 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU has saved nearly $20 million with an open source financial system by joining with other universities to reduce administrative costs, according to a recent press release. Open source software is free to use, distribute and modify, which in this case allowed IU to avoid the costs of licensing commercial systems that often cost much to buy and install.“These major savings are a result of Indiana University identifying and pursuing opportunities, designed specifically for the precise needs of higher education, that have enabled us to manage our administrative functions more effectively, efficiently and at a lower cost,” IU President Michael McRobbie said. In February, IU implemented the Kuali Financial System. This system allows IU faculty and administration to go to one common place to monitor and approve purchases, research grants, human resources transactions, compliance and other administrative tasks. Because of this streamlining, IU will approve and act on more than 3 million electronic documents this year, according to the press release. “The Kuali Financial System is just another example of IU’s continued mission to be on the leading edge of using technology to streamline functional operations,” MaryFrances McCourt, interim vice president and chief financial officer at IU, said in the release. Fifteen colleges and universities are expected to switch to the Kuali Financial System by the end of 2013, including Cornell University, Michigan State University, University of Hawaii, University of Arizona and University of California, Irvine.— Hannah Smith
