James Wimbush, IU dean of the graduate school, is stepping down from that position to focus on his other role: Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs. His move comes at the beginning of talks between the administration and the Graduate Workers Coalition.
In a press release, President Pamela Whitten said the position is undergoing changes, including a separation of duties between campuses.
"We will appoint separate campus-based leaders to oversee a graduate school dedicated to Bloomington and a separate graduate school dedicated to Indianapolis," Whitten said. In the meantime, interim deans will be appointed for each school.
David Daleke, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, will be stepping in as Bloomington’s interim dean.
Whitten said the current setup is unsustainable, and that a separation of the roles is critical to stay committed to the goals of their respective schools.
A change in graduate leadership does not have a large impact on the mission of the Graduate Workers Coalition, according to representative Katie Shy.
“I anticipate that we will continue to find new mechanisms to interface with the administration,” Shy said.
This change continues a trend of staff changes at the university, including the stepping down of two other deans.
IU Provost Rahul Shrivastav will talk in the coming weeks about the selection process for a new permanent dean.
