Colleagues, it is a pleasure to connect with this group in my capacity as Chancellor of Indiana University Bloomington, our state’s only comprehensive research university and the campus that means so much to us all.
As I presume most of you know, I began my career here as a newly-minted PhD as a faculty member in SPEA, before it became the O’Neill School.
After 18 years at IUB, I moved up north for a decade to serve as Dean of Liberal Arts for that other public university in the state.
In the months since I have been back at IUB, I have spent many hours in meetings with faculty, staff, and students here to reacquaint myself with our campus and to meet some of the people who joined the campus in the years while I was away.
I am grateful to all of the individuals who have helped bring me up to speed on the work taking place here today. The Provost and the Deans have been particularly helpful over the summer. My listening and learning tour will no doubt continue for weeks and months to come.
I am grateful as well to all of you who serve as members of the BFC. Having been a faculty member for almost 30 years, I know how many obligations you have as leading scholars, educators, and citizens of your professions.
All organizations, including universities, depend on cooperation among individuals engaged in the pursuit of a common purpose and the BFC has provided an important venue for this at IUB over the years. I look forward to engaging the BFC in a spirit of cooperation while working to advance the campus as the preferred destination for all Indiana students qualified to study at a place like IUB and advancing the campus to be within the top third of the Big Ten (now numbering 18) placing us among the most competitive part of this academic conference.
I have enjoyed spending time with Bill Ramos and Danielle DeSawal. And it was also a pleasure to visit with all of the new BFC members during orientation last month.
IUB is fortunate to have colleagues who are thoughtful, practical, smart, and most especially, who are willing to serve as leaders through BFC.
As Chancellor, I am committed to supporting the three pillars of our work – teaching, research, and engagement – all of which are foundations of the IU 2030 strategic plan.
We will address these in many ways. Here are a few I am focused on for the coming year:
- We will reimagine new, forward-looking degrees to attract students and prepare them for life and career success, while orienting our disciplines for 21st century inquiry;
- We will improve our research standing around our particular human-centered approach to invigorate the historic academic strengths of IUB and develop new approaches to our scholarship that can flourish in our technology-driven times;
- And we will continue to add value for our Bloomington community and fulfill our obligation to the state that gives us our name as we serve the people of Indiana and our south-central region of the state.
As we focus on the year ahead, there are two particular areas in which I will ask the BFC to offer its help.
First, I would ask that you give some thought to how we ensure that our students are benefitting from the wisdom and mentorship of our faculty. We all can point to the mentors who shaped our academic journeys and our professional lives. We have an obligation to pay it forward to our students today.
With that in mind, I ask that you help me understand the opportunities – and the challenges – as we recommit to seeing that every IUB student benefits from a meaningful faculty mentoring relationship.
Second, I would ask that you consider how we ensure that our students are adequately prepared to participate fully as engaged, responsible, and informed citizens who contribute in their careers and in their communities.
While we are preparing students for productive careers, we also must recognize our duty in educating the next generation of leaders who understand both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Every graduate should leave IUB Life Ready, Career Ready, and Citizen Ready.
Let me conclude by noting that it is a highlight of my career to have the opportunity to give back to the university that has given me so much. I am committed to leading the IU Bloomington campus to new heights in education, scholarship, creative activity, and service to the state and beyond.
I appreciate your partnership in those efforts.