Thursday, January 08, 2009
USI Trustees announce presidential finalists
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Three individuals are finalists in the presidential search being conducted at the University of Southern Indiana. A national search to replace USI President H. Ray Hoops, who will retire June 30, 2009, began last fall. John Dunn, chair of the Presidential Search and Screen Committee, announced the names of Linda L. M. Bennett, USI provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Robert W. Parrent, USI vice president for Student Affairs; and Timothy S. Todd, dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs at Murray State University as finalists at the Board of Trustees meeting held in Indianapolis on Thursday, January 8. Linda L. M. Bennett has held her current position since 2003. As provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, Bennett is responsible for the general administration, organization, and development of the academic and instructional services of the University. Her office also oversees the administration of the colleges of Business, Education and Human Services, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Professions, and Science and Engineering; Extended Services; University Division; Undergraduate Studies; Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research; Library; Institutional Research and Assessment; and Center for Academic Creativity. Before joining the University of Southern Indiana, Bennett was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of political science at Appalachian State University from 1999-2003. Her higher education experience also includes serving as chair of the Department of Political Science at Northern Kentucky University (1996-1999) and chair of the Department of Political Science at Wittenberg University (1994-96). She also held professorships in political science at both those institutions. She holds the Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Arts, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science from the University of Cincinnati. Bennett and her husband Stephen reside in Evansville, Indiana. For Bennett’s complete curriculum vitae, go to: www.usi.edu/presidentialsearch/lbresume.asp. Robert W. Parrent has served in his current post since 2002. As vice president for Student Affairs, Parrent is responsible for developing and implementing programs and functions to facilitate the academic and personal growth and development of students. He oversees the administration of the offices of Admission, Career Counseling, Career Services, Dean of Students, Financial Assistance, International Programs and Services, Multicultural Center, Recreation/Fitness/Wellness, Registrar, Residence Life, Student Development, and Student Health. Prior to joining the University of Southern Indiana, Parrent was chief operations officer for Sheldon Management & Consulting, which owned Batteries Plus franchises in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from 2000-2002. His higher education experience also includes serving as associate vice president for Enrollment Management at Southeast Missouri State University (1997-2000), vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services at Midway College (1993-1997), director of Admissions for School Relations (1986-1993) and associate director of Admissions (1984-1986) at University of Louisville, director of Student and School Relations/Admissions at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1983-1984), graduate assistant in the Educational Placement Office at Indiana University (1982-1983), and pre-admissions counselor at Western Kentucky University (1979-1981). Parrent holds a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration from Indiana University. He also holds a Master of Arts in college student personnel administration and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife Joni reside in Evansville. For Parrent’s complete curriculum vitae, go to: www.usi.edu/presidentialsearch/rpresume.asp. As dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs at Murray State, Timothy S. Todd gives leadership to strategic planning for the college, personnel decisions, tenure/promotion review, performance appraisals, faculty and student recruitment initiatives, curricula, and oversight for the college’s six departments. He recently led the initiative for AACSB accreditation renewal and the creation of a new Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) program and a new Executive Organizational Communication Master’s program. Before being named dean, Todd served Murray as associate provost (2003-2006), assistant provost (1998-2003), and as assistant professor and associate professor in the Department of Organizational Communication. He is a tenured full professor at Murray. He also has been a training and development specialist for ComSult Associates of Murray, Kentucky. While at North Carolina State University, Todd was director of Outreach and Development for the Graduate School (1994-95), graduate assistant for the ACCLAIM project of the W.K. Kellogg Educational Foundation (1992-94), instructor in the Department of Communication (1993-1994), and research assistant in the Department of Adult and Community College/Higher Education (1991-1992). Todd also has held positions at Western Kentucky University, including consultant/facilitator in the Center for Industry and Technology (1991), instructor in the Department of Communication and the Department of Communication and Broadcasting (1990-1991), and intern in the President’s Office (1988). He was special projects coordinator for Johnson/Rudolph Educational Resources (1990) and customer service representative at Kentucky Utilities Company (1988-89). Todd holds a Doctor of Education degree in organizational training and development/adult education from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Arts in organizational communication and a Bachelor of Arts in corporate and organizational communication from Western Kentucky University. He and his wife Shelley reside in Murray, Kentucky For Todd’s complete curriculum vitae, go to: www.usi.edu/presidentialsearch/ttresume.asp. Each finalist will meet with trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students in two-day sessions. Bennett will interview January 29-30; Parrent, January 20-21; and Todd, January 26-27. During the interview process, each finalist will make a presentation and open the session for questions from the audience during an all-University meeting for faculty, staff, and students. Complete interview schedules can be found on the presidential search web site at www.usi.edu/presidentialsearch/finalists.asp. Chairman Dunn thanked trustees Harold Calloway, Jamie Johnson, Jeff Knight, Amy Macdonnell, and Ted Ziemer, who served on the Search and Screen committee with him. Along with the trustees, the committee was composed of members of the USI administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community leaders. Dunn said, “The search and screen process has been excellent with each of the 19 members of the committee engaged in bringing us to this final phase of the search. The University community is indebted to the members of the committee for their careful and intentional work to match the talents and experiences of the applicants with the Statement of Leadership Qualities Desired in the Next President, as adopted last May by the trustees.” He added, “The committee reviewed all the applications, assessed the qualifications of the applicants, and the full committee interviewed a group of semifinalists, narrowing the group as we asked to no more than five finalists.” Sherrianne Standley, the coordinator of the search, told the trustees that the public session with each candidate is open to the entire University and community members. She said, “We plan videostreaming on the web for the public session so that those who cannot attend in person can learn the insights of each finalist. We are inviting wide comment on the finalists by posting an evaluation instrument online, which can be printed and sent to the Search office, giving the trustees further information on perspectives of the various constituencies.” Trustees plan to meet before March 1, 2009 to announce the name of the new president. That individual will be the third president of the University of Southern Indiana, succeeding Dr. Hoops, in office from 1994 to 2009, and Dr. David L. Rice, who served from 1967 to 1994. The new president will take office July 1, 2009. |
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