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Indiana University will re-establish a chancellor position for leading the Bloomington campus, following a board of trustees vote on Friday.
The role was previously absorbed into the IU president’s duties. However, IU President Pamela Whitten said in a news release on Friday that recent campus conversations have made clear the necessity to reinstate the role.
“Indiana is a university simultaneously respectful of its proud traditions while addressing a series of critical issues to ensure upward momentum,” Whitten said in the news release. “These important leadership changes reflect our ongoing commitment to listen, learn and lead as we endeavor to do what’s best for our students and the people of Indiana.”
The search for a Bloomington chancellor will begin immediately, and a search committee with the Bloomington Faculty Council will convene within the next few days, according to the email.
The campus has been embroiled in tension regarding academic freedom, shared governance and free speech concerns over the past year. In April, faculty members at the Bloomington campus voted to approve votes of no confidence for Whitten; Rahul Shrivastav, IU Bloomington’s provost and executive vice president; and Carrie Docherty, IU Bloomington’s vice provost for faculty and academic affairs.
Faculty members also have expressed concern about budget cuts, as well as an overall dissatisfaction with administrative decisions and communication with faculty, according to the Indiana Daily Student.
All other IU campuses have a chancellor who oversees operations and strategic planning. The university said in the news release it is seeking a Bloomington chancellor focused on growing faculty participation in university decision-making and addressing systemic challenges and opportunities.
The role has long been intertwined with the president’s duties. Former President Herman B Wells served in both roles during his tenure in the mid-20th century in what’s been considered the most transformational period in the university’s history.
The last person to serve as chancellor was Kenneth Gros Louis from 2004 to 2006 under former President Adam Herbert. Former President Michael McRobbie then assumed both roles when he was hired in 2007.
The board of trustees also approved hiring a faculty fellow within the president’s office to assist with ensuring principles of shared governance are followed.
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