State of the Campus: Chancellor Wallace’s strategy focuses on non-traditional, graduate students

17th October 2016
Chancellor Ray Wallace delivers the 2016 State of the Campus address.

Chancellor Ray Wallace delivers the 2016 State of the Campus address.

NEW ALBANY, Ind. — Increases in new student enrollment, volunteer hours and academic programs offered were highlights of Chancellor Ray Wallace’s annual State of the Campus address Friday, Oct. 14.

“IU Southeast has had a very good year, and we will continue to improve,” Wallace said. “We are more than moving in the right direction. We are building a new, streamlined, progressive and proactive university.”

In order to continue moving in the right direction, Wallace said that the university must prepare to divert from its traditional course.

“Any demographer worth his or her salt can look ahead to a point in the next few years when the number of traditionally-aged students will begin to decline,” he said.

Looking toward the future, Wallace emphasized forging stronger relationships with non-traditional/adult students and graduate students. In order to meet the needs of adult students, Wallace emphasized offering undergraduate and graduate degrees on a working student’s schedule.

“We need to offer more to fit their schedules and we need to look at how we attract and retain these new populations,” he said. “This will be a game-changer for IU Southeast, so stay tuned.”

Wallace highlighted several areas of development throughout his address:

  • Fourteen new programs have either been fully approved or are awaiting off-campus approvals.
  • The IU Southeast Student Conference in April was the biggest ever, with more than 275 presenters and 60 faculty mentors.
  • A 2.4 percent increase in new students for fall 2016. Among new beginning students, IU Southeast saw a 2 percent increase in non-Indiana residents and an 11 percent increase in students of color.
  • Campus Life added five new student organizations and volunteer hours have increased by 44 percent.
  • The IU Southeast residence halls were again at 100 percent occupancy this semester. Accounting services have begun work on the financial proposal to add a sixth lodge to the housing program.
  • Facility Operations efforts to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems for the Activities Building and Hillside Hall will reduce utility expenses by $300,000 per year.
  • During fiscal year 2016, more than $2 million was raised for IU Southeast, the third largest fundraising year in a decade.
  • Five retired faculty members have committed a total of $300,000 to the Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign, continuing their dedicated support to the university.
  • Grenadier student-athletes combined to average an overall 3.0 GPA and were recognized as gold-level Champions of Character by the NAIA

“I am so pleased to be the chancellor at this fine institution,” Wallace said. “We are on the right track, and we will only get stronger.”

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Chancellor Ray Wallace (front, left) and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Uric Dufrene (back, left) with the recipients of the 2016 Distinguished Teaching and Service awards.

Prior to his address, Wallace and vice chancellors Dana Wavle, Uric Dufrene and Jason L. Meriwether honored the 2016 Distinguished Teaching and Service Award recipients for their service to the institution. They are:

  • Distinguished Teaching Award — Full-time faculty: Faye Camahalan, professor of education.
  • Distinguished Research & Creativity Award — Senior recipient: Bernardo Carducci, professor of psychology.
  • Distinguished Research & Creativity Award — Junior recipient: Melissa Fry, assistant professor of sociology.
  • Diversity Award: Shifa Podikunju-Hussain, associate professor of education counseling.
  • Distinguished Service Award — Clerical: Amanda Daily-Weaver, office services assistant senior, athletics.
  • Distinguished Service Award — Service/Maintenance: Sean Engleman, carpenter/painter.
  • Distinguished Service Award — Professional/Technical: Kim Pelle, non-traditional students program coordinator.

(Click the thumbnail for the full-sized photo)

Further reading: Non-traditional students part of IUS strategy (News and Tribune, Oct. 14).

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