Indiana University’s nine-month search for new leadership in Bloomington ended with Thursday’s announcement that Purdue Vice President David Reingold will be chancellor.
Reingold starts June 2, a decade after he left his position as dean at IU’s O’Neill School for Public and Environmental Affairs.
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IU chose the search firm Isaacson, Miller and consulted with a faculty and staff search committee. Its mandate was to find a candidate ideally “familiar with IU Bloomington.” Unlike the other top pick, Carl Lejuez, Reingold has a history with the Bloomington campus, having worked there from 1997 to 2015.
University President Pamela Whitten had the ultimate authority to make the choice. In a press release, Whitten said, “David’s passion for our flagship campus was undeniable. His deep respect for our amazing faculty, dedicated staff and incredible students was clearly evident.”
In an email to the campus community, Reingold paid homage to the school's history.
"We are the benefactors of the hard work, dedication, and persistence of those who came before us to advance IU Bloomington," he said. "We have a duty to these colleagues and an obligation to each other to carry forward the IU Bloomington tradition to the best of our abilities."
Until now, the university’s flagship Bloomington campus was the only one administered by a provost rather than a chancellor. Under the new administrative structure, the provost’s responsibilities will be limited to academic affairs while the chancellor assumes leadership of all campus matters, including enrollment, research and student life. The provost will directly report to the chancellor.
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Faculty were initially confused by the trustees’ announcement about the new position, asking how it would differ from the provost and why a new leader was necessary.
At a listening session with the search committee last fall, respondents said they wanted a chancellor who felt empowered to stand up to state authorities and be responsive to the Bloomington community, a particular challenge given the tense climate on campus and increasing political pressure on schools.
The university said when it announced the role that a new chancellor would “enhance faculty and staff engagement,” and give President Whitten a chance to step back from IU Bloomington, citing the size and complexity of the campus. The announcement came in the wake of a 93 percent vote of no confidence and massive protests against the administration for its response to students demanding the university divest from Israel.
