April 22, 2022

VINCENNES, Ind. - The Vincennes University Board of Trustees approved faculty and staff promotions and faculty tenure, effective with the 2022-23 fiscal year or 2022-23 academic year contract, when it met on Wednesday, April 20.

VU President Chuck Johnson congratulated the 14 faculty and staff members who were promoted or received tenure during his remarks at the Shake Learning Resource Center Innovation Room. He thanked them for their dedication to the VU mission and the VU community of students, employees, alumni, Board of Trustees, and the greater public.

In other Board business, the Trustees approved the hires of VU Police Department patrolmen Alex Ice and David LaCour. Both are VU graduates.

The profound impact of the University’s community services outreach programs was also among the highlights of the meeting.

Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Services David Tucker said, “When we talk about community services, this is our primary footprint. It’s pretty extensive. We have six primary areas and additional programs within those areas.”

VU’s Generations Area 13 Agency on Aging & Disability, WorkOne, Adult Basic Education, TRIO Programs, and Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) combined to serve nearly 40,000 individuals of all ages in 21 Indiana counties along with one Illinois county during 2020-21.

The Board heard from representatives of each program, including Laura Holscher, Rob King, Jamie Gribbins, Lisa Spivey, and Shaun Brames. They detailed the community services offered and how the programs enhance community building.

President Johnson praised the staffs of the community service programs for their efforts. He added, “It is one of the ways VU is recognized in many of the communities around the state. Thank you for your great work and your continuing contributions on behalf of our communities and VU.”

Director of Admissions Ryan Barbauld presented a report on enrollment and recruitment efforts for Fall Semester 2022. He provided encouraging numbers. He noted that the amount of admitted students at the Vincennes Campus and Jasper Campus has increased compared to the same time in 2021.

Barbauld said, “I’m cautiously optimistic we are going to have a really successful fall.”

Johnson updated the Board on the international online cohort which was established in October of 2020 to allow students - who were unable to travel to the U.S. because of pandemic-related restrictions and other issues - to engage with VU by taking online courses. He thanked those who worked to make this new model possible and praised the faculty for their commitment to student success. He also shared the University anticipates several of those students will enroll at the Vincennes Campus for Fall Semester 2022.

He also highlighted the many summer youth programs VU is hosting in the coming months, including Xmester; Techmester; STEM academies, and JAG Summer Academy.

The Board approved the following promotions and tenure:

2022-2023 Promotion and Tenure List           

INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES:                                                    NEW TITLE         

Business and Public Service

Charles “Tom” Cunningham, Law Enforcement                               Associate Professor

Jaci Lederman, Information Technology                                           Professor

Curriculum and Instruction

Jennifer (Kramer) Stafford, Student Success Coordinator                 Professional Staff Level II

Health Sciences and Human Performance

Stephanie Garrett, Practical Nursing                                                  Associate Professor

FINANCIAL SERVICES:

University Primary Care Center

Terri Vieck, Registered Nurse                                                            Professional Staff Level II

VU Bookstores

Karen Faulkner, Director                                                                    Professional Staff Level III

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT/COMMUNITY SERVICES

Generations

Amy Scott, Care Management Coordinator                                       Professional Staff Level II

Alisha Smeltzer-Patton, Options Counselor                                       Professional Staff Level II

Military Education Program

Megan Fackenthal, Senior Site Director, Southern California Region Professional Staff Level III

Glenn Karrmann, Regional Director                                                  Professional Staff Level III

Workforce Development Services

Roscoe Baugh, Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Specialist       Professional Staff Level II

Charles “Clay” Whitaker, Manager, Business & Industry South      Professional Staff Level II

FACULTY WHO RECEIVE TENURE

Jennifer Hensley, Sociology/Social Work, College of Social Science, Performing Arts, and Communication

Heidi (Wagoner) Tasa, English, College of Humanities

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