I trust that everyone had a wonderful and productive summer.  This academic year is off to a grand start.  Enrollment is healthy, possibly the largest in IUSB's history.  Two years ago we embarked on a revitalization of student services and began to look critically at how we might bring about closer alliances between student services and academic affairs.  Many individuals across the campus, both faculty and staff, gave creative input to a deliberate process of change. 

Beginning this fall, Darrell Sanders and Karen Christopher of Student and Academic Support Services will be re-assigned to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and will partner with the faculty in providing individualized advising and mentoring. These efforts are consistent with the Lily initiatives on student retention and will add immeasurably to our renewed Trustee initiatives mentioned below.  I am encouraged that through the joint involvement by faculty and staff we will enhance our retention.  I am equally confident that IUSB will become a leader in the integration of academic and student services.  LAS and Dental Education join Nursing and the Arts in this important initiative. I applaud the faculty for their eager and energetic participation as the university moves to more direct faculty involvement in recruitment, admissions, placement, and advising.  By Fall 2002, all of the colleges will be involved.

ENROLLMENT: Fall Semester enrollment stands at  7,419 students in  65,900 credit hours. This equals 102.25%  of students and  104.65% of credit hours when compared to the Fall 2000 Census, and 95.14%  of students and  101.98% of credit hours when compared to the Fall 1992 Census. There may be a modest difference in the student count due to where and when the data are pulled for these reports.

The Drop/Add (75% refund) period continues through Monday, September 10. The Office of the Registrar is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. All registration, schedule adjustment, and withdrawal activities take place in the Office of the Registrar after the student has obtained the proper signatures.

TRUSTEE INITIATIVES: Three percent of this year's tuition increase is dedicated to trustee mandated initiatives: two percent to convert adjuncts to lecturers and 1% for student retention. Over the next three years we will hire 29 lecturers.  With the 1% increase for student retention, our  goals will be to increase beginning student first to second year average persistence rate, increase half-time student first to second year average persistence rate,  and increase Hispanic student first to second year average persistence rate. In order to accomplish these goals, we will establish an academic support center consistent with the restructuring of Student Services, increase support for learning disabled students, continue to focus on programs that use the "Students Assisting Students" programs such as peer mentors, supplemental instructors and tutoring services.  An additional focus is to provide support for program development in the new Student Activities Center.  Finally, we will target initiatives that will focus on minority student programs.

BUDGET: Last spring the Senate Budget Committee submitted several recommendations for this year's budget allocations.  These recommendations were extremely helpful.  Chancellor Perrin, Vice Chancellor Zemke and I will be meeting this week with the Senate Budget committee to discuss the university's responses to the recommendations.  I am very encouraged by the collaborative budget process that we began two years ago.  Our aim is to involve all of the deans in shared decision-making about budget priorities.  Our meetings are open to the entire university and are attended by members of the Senate Budget committee.  Throughout the process, Vice Chancellor Zemke and I met regularly with the senate committee and budget discussions were a regular item in my meetings with Senate President Vollrath.  Although I am pleased with this democratic approach to budget construction, there is still work to be done.  I am not yet satisfied that we have sufficiently reconciled the pro forma budget with senate recommendations.  It is an issue of timing that we will address this year.  In our meeting this week, we will report to the Budget Committee which recommendations were accepted and are now in this year's budget.  Additionally, Vice Chancellor Zemke and I will be preparing a formal report for the Senate Budget committee.

APPOINTMENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Congratulations to Lisa Shaffer, Acting Dean of Enrollment Management, who received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Purdue University this summer. 
• Larry Garber has moved from his position as Acting Dean of Business & Economics to Acting Dean of Nursing Health Professions.
• Gwynn Mettetal will be the acting Dean of Education
• Professors Gary Kern and Randy Issacson are co-chairs for the academic year 2001-02 for UCET.
• Ken Bartkowiak will be joining us as the new Director of Financial Aid. Ken comes from the State of Indiana Division of Disability, Aging, and Rehabilitative Services.
• Jeff Johnston, formerly with Continuing Education at IUSB, has been appointed Director of Recruitment and Admissions.
• Gabrielle Robinson has been re-appointed as Director of International Programs.
• Brenda Knowles has been re-appointed as Director of the Honors Program.
• Bev Church has been appointed Acting Director of OIT.
• Matthew Thielen has been hired as the executive director of the Student Activities Center.

1. Foster student learning, access and success (Cynthia Sofhauser);
2. Encourage and maintain academic excellence (Rebecca Torstrick);
3. Enhance diversity in the curriculum, classroom and campus (Mike Keen and Charlotte Pfeifer);
4. Strengthen partnerships with the community (Joanne Phillips); 
5. Reflect and expand a global perspective (Gabrielle Robinson);
6. Heighten the recognition of IUSB's resources and achievements beyond the campus (Steve Heim and Paul Joray).

Research Award: As was announced at the May Senate meeting last year Dr. Margaret Scanlan and Dr. Michael Darnel were the co-winners of the IUSB Distinguished Research Award. Part of this award stipulates that the winners will give a public lecture in the following year.  Darnel's lecture entitled "Finding Some Order in Algebra," will be held on November 1, 2001 at 7pm in DW1001. Scanlan's lecture will be scheduled in the Spring.

The following academic programs will be reviewed 2001-02: Music, Theatre, Biology, English, Foreign Languages, Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Public Affairs.  An external review of Continuing Education will also be done.

Members (to date) of the Search and Screen Committee for Dean of Nursing and Health Professions: 
Tom Miller-Chair, Mary Basolo Kunzer, Pat Pierce, Marta Makielski, Nanci Yokom, Jim Howard, Janet Gilroy, George Nazaroff, and one representative form another IU campus.

Members of the Search Committee for Dean of the School of Education are: 
Miriam Shillingsburg- Chair,  Marcia Sheridan, Sara Sage, Randy Isaacson, Joy Shaw, Cristina Rios, Al Large, Marcia Wiseman, Max Bailey, Morteza Shafii-Mousavi, Merribeth Bruning and Myrtle Wilson (community member)