Senate Reference No. 05-21

Preliminary Report of the Call to Action

Committee Assessing the Costs and Benefits

of Independence for IPFW

March 24, 2006

Background History

          On March 15, 2005, a “Call to Action” was promulgated to the IPFW community. The Executive Committee members of the Fort Wayne Senate created four study groups to investigate the following issues at IPFW:

                     ●         the role of IPFW faculty in governance;

                     ●         the costs and benefits of independence for IPFW;

                     ●         an assessment of the value of institutional names on undergraduate and graduate degrees; and

                     ●         an examination of financial revenue and expenditures at IPFW.

IPFW faculty, staff, and community members were invited to participate in one of these groups. The following individuals volunteered to serve on the committee assessing the costs and benefits of independence for IPFW:

                     George Bullion, Associate Professor of Economics

                     Brian Fife, Professor of Public Affairs

                     George Mourad, Professor of Biology

                     Alan Sandstrom, Professor of Anthropology

                     Dimples Smith, Recruiter, Human Resources

                     Joel Wenger, Director of Financial Aid

On April 25, 2005, Brian Fife was elected chair of the committee.

The Education Process

          In order to familiarize themselves with policy issues at IPFW as well as in higher education in Indiana, members of the committee read the following documents:

          1.       the current “Management and Academic Mission Agreement” between Indiana University and Purdue University (July 1, 2003-June 30, 2008)–

                     available at www.ipfw.edu/senate/ ;

          2.       “Report of the Subcommittee on Higher Education,” submitted to the Indiana Government Efficiency Commission in November, 2004 (commonly referred to as the Reilly Report)–available at

                     www.inaaup.org/ ; and

          3.       “Budgetary Affairs Subcommittee Biennial Report to the Senate,” February 21, 2005–available at

                     www.ipfw.edu/senate/referenc/2004-05/SR04-15.html .

Upon engaging in deliberations about the costs and benefits of independence for IPFW, committee members invited the following executive leaders to appear for an informal discussion and exchange of ideas concerning the costs and benefits of independence for IPFW:

                     Michael Wartell, Chancellor

                     Susan Hannah, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

                     Walt Branson, Vice Chancellor for Financial Affairs

                     Jim Ferguson, Director of Human Resources

                     Judith Violette, Director of Library Services

All graciously attended for separate meetings with the Committee members. Given the sensitivity of the issues involved, each was assured that individual opinions would not be part of any public report.

A Work in Progress

          A majority of the members of the committee have concluded that it would be premature to issue a final report to the Fort Wayne Senate at this time. Clearly, there are costs and benefits associated with a shift away from Purdue University and Indiana University in favor of a publicly-supported, independent campus. More data collection and analysis will undoubtedly enhance this ongoing investigation. Thus, the members of this committee pledge to continue their charge and will not disband. Furthermore, a thorough evaluation of past precedents is an essential component of this mission. One such example exists in Indiana. In 1965, a regional campus of Indiana State University began operations in Evansville. Twenty years later, the University of Southern Indiana was established as a separate state university (see www.usi.edu/facts/history.asp ). In the commonwealth of Virginia, the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia was established in 1957. In 1972, George Mason University was created as an independent member of Virginia’s public system of higher education (see www.gmu.edu/vcenter/history.html ). Perhaps some relevant lessons can be extracted from these experiences which may have utility for the situation at IPFW. Thus, citizens in the IPFW community can expect a more detailed account and highlight of projected costs and benefits of moving away from the status quo and toward a more autonomous existence.