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News Release

Last modified: Friday, June 7, 2013

Barbara Bichelmeyer appointed interim chancellor at IU Southeast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2013

NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- Indiana University administrator and IU Bloomington education professor Barbara A. Bichelmeyer has been named interim chancellor at IU Southeast, effective July 1, the university has announced.

In addition to her faculty role in the IU School of Education's Department of Instructional Systems Technology, Bichelmeyer currently serves as associate vice president for university academic policy and planning and is director of IU's Office of Online Education. She succeeds Sandra Patterson-Randles, who retires as chancellor June 30 after 11 years in that role.

Bichelmeyer's appointment will be for one year, as the university searches for a permanent chancellor for the campus that serves nearly 7,000 students, said John Applegate, IU's executive vice president for university regional affairs, planning and policy.

The university is in the process of creating a search committee that will include members of the IU Southeast community. Bichelmeyer has indicated she will not be a candidate for the permanent chancellorship, Applegate said.

"Barb's appointment rounds out a strong cadre of senior leadership at IU Southeast and allows us the stability necessary to make a smooth transition to a permanent chancellor at the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic year," Applegate said. "Barb is an outstanding teacher and a skilled administrator, who has a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing all our regional campuses. I have every confidence she will ably guide IU Southeast through the upcoming academic year."

Applegate also praised Patterson-Randles for her commitment to the university and IU Southeast during her tenure as chancellor.

"Sandra has led IU Southeast through a period of exciting change and growth and has positioned the campus well for the future," Applegate said. "I want to personally thank her for all that she has done as chancellor and wish her well in her future endeavors."

Bichelmeyer will retain some of her duties as director of IU's Office of Online Education but will step away from her associate vice president's role while serving as interim chancellor. She will live in the New Albany area during the term of her appointment at IU Southeast.

"I am honored to serve as interim chancellor of IU Southeast," Bichelmeyer said. "Over the past five years, I have come to know and respect many faculty and administrators at IU Southeast, and I am excited about spending the next year living in New Albany.

"I look forward to working more closely with my colleagues at Southeast as we build on the successes of Chancellor Patterson-Randles and strengthen partnerships between the campus, the university and the community to create an even brighter educational and economic future for the citizens of southeast Indiana."

Bichelmeyer joined IU Bloomington in 1996 as an assistant professor in the School of Education. She became an associate professor in 2002 and a full professor in 2009. From 2007 to 2009, she served as associate dean of faculties for IU Bloomington, a role in which she was responsible for implementing the first campus-wide general education curriculum, as well as for establishing transfer agreements with Ivy Tech Community College.

In 2009, she accepted her current role as associate vice president. She was tapped in April 2011 to lead a university-wide effort to elevate and align IU's online education offerings across all campuses.

In her academic planning role, Bichelmeyer was instrumental in the creation of a central administrative operation responsible for academic planning and policy across the entire university. She also played a leadership role in the development of IU's Blueprint for Student Attainment, an initiative designed to create a shared vision for student success across IU's regional campuses.

A Kansas native, Bichelmeyer earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and English from the University of Kansas. She also earned a master's degree in educational policy and administration and a doctorate in educational communications and technology from Kansas.

About IU Southeast

IU Southeast, 15 minutes north of Louisville, Ky., in New Albany, Ind., is one of seven IU-managed campuses across Indiana. It is one of the largest university campuses in the greater Louisville area, serving nearly 7,000 students.

The campus offers more than 50 degree programs across six schools: Arts and Letters, Business, Education, Natural Sciences, Nursing, and Social Sciences. Nearly 90 percent of IU Southeast graduates remain in Indiana and Kentucky after earning their degree.

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