IU PRESIDENT NAMES CHARLIE NELMS AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR DIVERSITY AND RETENTION ISSUES

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Myles Brand today (Jan. 22) announced the university-wide appointment of Charlie Nelms as special assistant to the president with responsibilities focusing on the areas of diversity and undergraduate retention. Brand will ask the IU trustees for their formal approval of the appointment at their meeting Friday (Jan. 23) in Bloomington.

Nelms, who announced Wednesday (Jan. 21) that he will retire on July 31 as chancellor of the University of Michigan Flint campus, will start his tenure at IU next August, but will begin Feb. 1 to serve as a consultant.

"This new position," Brand said, "is one that I have wanted to create for a long time because IU must not merely succeed at, but be a national leader in the areas of diversity and student attainment. It was critical that we identify the right person, and Charlie Nelms fills this role most appropriately.

"He is a national leader on issues of university administration with a particular interest in diversity. But his agenda is not limited to issues of diversity, but includes academic success of undergraduate students in general."

Nelms, who has been at the University of Michigan Flint campus since 1994, returns to Indiana with strong IU ties. Before leaving for Michigan, he was chancellor of the IU East campus in Richmond from 1987-94. He was also associate dean for academic affairs at IU Northwest in Gary from 1978-1984.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to return to a nationally renowned institution which I respect and admire," Nelms said. "I have spent more than half of my professional career at Indiana. This position affords me the opportunity to work with the eight campuses to increase the degree attainment rate of students and to help the university respond more effectively to the educational needs of under-represented groups."

Brand said that while he expects Nelms to work closely with all of IU's campus chancellors, his primary, first assignments will be at IUPUI in Indianapolis and at Bloomington.

Initially he will be based in Indianapolis where his major assignment will be working with community groups to enhance recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds, and to build the kinds of bridges between the community and the campus that are appropriate to a model urban campus.

In Bloomington, Nelms will work with the campus administration and faculty governance, as well as students, to review diversity efforts.

Brand stressed that this new position reports directly to the president. "It is not a Bloomington or IUPUI position," he said.

Nelms received his bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1968. From IU, he received a master of science degree in college student personnel and higher education administration in 1971, and an Ed.D. degree in higher education administration in 1977.

In addition to his IU service, Nelms was vice president for student services at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, from 1984-87, and associate dean for student development and assistant professor of education at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind.

Active in civic and community activities and the author of numerous papers and publications, Nelms is currently chair of the commission for leadership development for the American Council on Education and is commissioner for the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges.

At IU, he will also hold the position of professor of education.

(DeAnna J. Hines, executive director of Communications, 812-855-0850, djhines@indiana.edu)

Return to the Office of Communications Home Page