New Administrative Positions in the Office of the Provost

One of the primary tasks I have set for myself this summer has been to study the duties of a newly established Office of the Provost at IWU and to make a proposal for the administrative staff that should make up this Office.

Following careful conversation and analysis, and with the support of President Smith, it gives me great pleasure to announce the creation of the following three new administrative staff positions.

ASSOCIATE PROVOST -- Dr. Don Sprowl
o Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance
o University Registrar
o Master University Calendar/Schedule
o Institutional Research
o Assessment
o University Libraries
o Faculty Handbook
o Oversight of University Rank and Promotion System

ASSISTANT PROVOST FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES -- Mrs. Karen Roorbach
o Special Projects: Assists Provost with Special Projects As Needed
o Academic Budgets: Assists Provost in preparation, implementation, and long-range planning of academic budgets
o Academic Buildings, Capital Improvements, Equipment: Assists Provost in gathering, planning, and implementing the infrastructure needs of IWU’s academic units
o State and National Relationships: Collaborative partnerships with state and national agencies such as Transfer Indiana
o Academic Events: Oversight of Planning and Implementation of Academic Events (e.g., graduations and convocations)

ASSISTANT PROVOST FOR SCHOLARSHIP AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT – Dr. Jerry Pattengale
o Scholarship: Planning and implementing University-wide initiatives to promote scholarship and academic quality
§ Assisting the Provost and Deans to find, recruit, and support a world class Christian faculty at IWU
§ Promoting student research and presentation
§ Promoting faculty research and publication
§ Pursuing the development Fulbright and other nationally recognized scholarships at IWU
o Public Engagement: Planning and implementing University-wide initiatives that allow IWU to engage the public sphere through research, scholarship, service
§ Development and management of academic research and service centers
o Academic Grants: Pursuing grants in support for scholarship and public engagement

These new positions represent some significant changes for our community. I am delighted that God has prepared such exceptionally gifted colleagues as Dr. Sprowl, Mrs. Roorbach, and Dr. Pattengale to hold these inaugural positions. I could not be more pleased with the team that will help me to establish a fully functioning Office of the Provost here at IWU.

These positions take effect August 1, 2008. Dr. Sprowl and Mrs. Roorbach, however, will coordinate a careful process of transition since their respective tasks involve rather major departures from their current duties.

For example, Karen Roorbach will officially remain University Registrar through the coming semester. She and Don will begin the process of hiring her replacement, and Don will “shadow” her and her staff for the semester. Then during the spring semester Don will take responsibility for the Registrar’s office, and Karen will “shadow” him. In this way, we will have a thorough process in place to insure a smooth transition for that office. Other similar transition processes will be put in place as needed.

Each one will be attending the upcoming Faculty Retreats (CAS, CGS and CAPS) and I will share more about their positions at that time.

Please join me in congratulating these three colleagues on their new positions. I trust you will give them your prayerful support, encouragement, and cooperation in the years ahead.

IWU Awards First Post Doctoral Fellowship

Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) has selected Ms. Lisa Toland as the inaugural scholar in its Post Doctoral Fellowship program. She comes to us from University of Oxford (Jesus College) where she will complete her viva (dissertation defense) on August 12, 2:00 PM. Her field is Early Modern British History. She also earned a Masters of Studies in Historical Research at Oxford, a M.A. in European History from Miami University of Ohio, and her A.B. in History and English Literature from Indiana Wesleyan University (2001), graduating Summa Cum Laude as the first John Wesley Honors College (JWHC) graduate (taking only three years). Lisa also served as the Junior Dean of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and a tutor at the center and at Worcester College, Oxford.

The Post Doctoral Fellowship program developed out of research and recommendations from the Scholarship Council under the leadership of Dr. Jerry Pattengale. It has come to fruition with the support of President Henry Smith for new levels of scholarly achievement at IWU. This program will be housed centrally in the Office of the Provost with connections to both the JWHC and the scholar’s academic discipline.

This initiative will afford Fellows the opportunity to learn from some of our excellent professors while simultaneously assisting the academic enterprise through teaching and research. Fellows will carry a small teaching load, will be expected to produce a major publication, and will assist the Scholarship Council in the development of national cross-disciplinary forums at IWU through which emerging scholars may collaborate and share their work. A full posting of the Post Doctoral Program will appear this fall. We are delighted to have a wonderful start to this promising undertaking.

Please pray for Lisa as she prepares for and completes her defense on August 12th. Her dissertation title is “Through the Eyes of Death: Kinship and Controversy in Two Lincolnshire Gentry Families.”

I think it appropriate to pause and express a special appreciation to her professors in the JWHC, Social Sciences and English for their solid roles during her undergraduate education. Also, thanks to the many of you who have participated in the numerous strategic planning and Scholarship Council meetings that helped to frame this and other emerging scholarship initiatives at Indiana Wesleyan University.

New Associate Dean for College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Darlene Bressler has accepted the invitation to become the Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Bressler currently serves as Associate Academic Dean and Professor of Education at Houghton College in Houghton, New York. She has been a member of the faculty at Houghton since 1981, and has also served as Chair of the Education Department. Prior to her arrival at Houghton Dr. Bressler served as a public school teacher and then as Assistant Professor of Education at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia.

She holds the B.S. degree from Geneva College, the M.S. from Wilkes University, and the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a cognate in History from the University of Rochester. In addition to an active publication and professional presentation agenda, Dr. Bressler has been honored as Teacher of the Year by the Houghton Student Government Association, has received the Gladys L. Mersereau Award from Delta Kappa Gama International, and was the May Eddy Butler Walker Scholar at the University of Rochester. She brings to her new position an unusually articulate grasp of, and commitment to, the liberal arts as the foundation for personal and professional growth, as well as an impressive personal record of excellence in teaching and administration.

Dr. Bressler will assume her new position in the middle of August in order to be ready for the start of the new academic year.

We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Charles Bressler as a Professor of English in the Modern Language, Literature, and Communication Division. Dr. Charles Bressler holds the B.A. in English from Wilkes University, the M.S. from the University of Scranton, and the Ph.D. in American Literature with a cognate in nineteenth-century British literature and English linguistics from the University of Georgia. He has been a member of the faculty at Houghton since 1980. In addition to a long record of excellence in teaching, he has amassed an impressive body of scholarly work.

Both Darlene and Charles are long-time active members of the Houghton Wesleyan Church. They will bring a wealth of personal knowledge of the Wesleyan heritage, and a deep commitment to the mission of Indiana Wesleyan University to their positions here.

Administrative Assistant Named for Office of Provost

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Ms. Lynn Munday has accepted my invitation to become the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Provost.

Lynn is an alumna of Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Science in Music and Christian Education. Following seven years of experience as a day care administrator, manager, and administrative assistant at various facilities in South Dakota, Lynn returned to work in the Admissions area at IWU. She worked for seven years in Admissions and is just completing four years of service as Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the Chapel. Next month marks her 11 year anniversary at IWU.

Her dedication, professional competence, and spiritual maturity, are wonderful assets that will be a tremendous blessing to the university community in this new position. I am personally delighted to have her assistance in creating IWU's first Office of the Provost. She will play a pivotal role in the success of this task.

We plan to open the Office of the Provost the week of July 14, housed in the suite now occupied by the Office of the President in the John Wesley Administrative Building. The new suite of the Office of the President will be across the hallway on the east side of the building.

Please join me in congratulating Lynn Munday on this new appointment.

Seven Key Duties of the Office of the Provost

One of the questions I am most often asked in the IWU community and beyond is, "What is a provost?" Since this is a new office for IWU the question is both understandable and important. As we work through the process of defining a new academic organizational structure it is important to note seven KEY DUTIES of an Office of the Provost.

MISSION/VISION: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the academic units of the university pursue a focused, consistent, and coordinated strategic vision that enacts the mission of the university.

PEOPLE: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the university finds, hires, develops, retains, and empowers an excellent Christian faculty and academic administrative staff.

STRUCTURE: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that an effective academic structure is designed and implemented that enables the university to continue on its trajectory of institutional growth.

POLICY/CURRICULUM/INSTRUCTION: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the academic policies, curriculum, and instruction of the university are properly created and implemented through the process of shared governance.

MONEY: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the academic units secure and properly use the funding they require to achieve the mission and vision of the university.

COMPLIANCE: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the academic units of the university maintain compliance with the requirements of all internal and external accreditors and regulatory bodies.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: It is the duty of the Provost to insure that the academic life of the university is properly represented to the internal and external constituents, stakeholders, and publics served by the university.

Office of the Provost Administrative Team

Here is the administrative team that makes up the Office of the Provost as of Summer 2008.

Dr. David Wright, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
(Open), Administrative Assistant to the Provost
Dr. Bradford Sample, Dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies
Dr. Dwight Jessup, Vice President and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Jim Fuller, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies
Dr. Jerry Pattengale, Assistant Vice President for Scholarship and Grants
Mrs. Karen Roorbach, University Registrar
Mrs. Sheila Carlblom, Director of Library Resources
Dr. Don Sprowl, Director of Institutional Research

Requisitions and Approvals Directed to Provost's Office

The following four areas/administrators who formerly reported elsewhere now report directly to the Provost: Assistant Vice President for Scholarship and Grants, Director of Institutional Research, University Registrar, Director of Library Services.

In order to insure the smooth flow of approvals, given this change, please direct all expense requisitions, hiring approvals, and any other required permissions/approvals for these offices to the Provost's office.