Building relationships, making new friends, improving student success, and transforming the region are just a few of Chancellor Harris’ goals for IU Kokomo. While having been a part of the IU Kokomo family for just over eighteen months, Chancellor Harris has raised the standard for this campus, so it should not surprise us to hear that he was named Kokomo Perspective’s 2011 Person of the Year!

Chancellor Michael Harris

He is a visionary who looks towards the future of what IU Kokomo can become. He is innovative with the accomplishments he holds. The establishment of the Nursing Simulation Lab is an accomplishment that aids in the success of the nursing students in the IU Kokomo’s School of Nursing, the third largest nursing school in the state.

His leadership has directed the record fundraising that IU Kokomo has experienced for the Wellness and Fitness Center. Fundraising was a major aspect of IU Kokomo’s ability to have this wonderful facility that we will see in the near future, and Chancellor Harris has demonstrated tremendous effort in the fundraising process.

He has also established club sports. Women’s volleyball and men’s basketball are just the beginning of what IU Kokomo’s athletic program can contain. His future plans involve IU Kokomo joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics League (NAIA).

Aside from the athletics, Chancellor Harris has a vision for his students. He wants us to succeed and become the best we can be, both individually and as a community. With his vision for his students, Chancellor Harris added twelve new academic programs, allowing students the opportunity to succeed even more.

Enrollment for the fall 2011 semester increased by 6.7 percent, which included the largest freshman class in IU Kokomo’s history. Along with this, our campus has experienced the largest number of full time students ever seen during IU Kokomo’s existence- 70 percent!

I am honored to be a part of the IU Kokomo family with Chancellor Harris leading the way to a brighter future. When looking back at his previous eighteen months, he has truly made a difference in the lives of those around him. By making his dreams of what our campus can be come true, Chancellor Harris has paved the way for what’s to come. He wants IU Kokomo to be “the best regional campus in the world.” He wants everyone to follow him as he makes history. He believes that we can be the best. Do you?

Hollie Boyles

On November 21st, the results of the Regional Benchmark study were released to the public. The project, commissioned by Chancellor Harris, is aimed at identifying strengths and opportunities of the surrounding region in order to determine a best course of action for future success and development. The release was well attended by business and community leaders from our region, as well as prominent members of the University administration, Mayor Goodnight, and State Rep. Mike Karickoff. Full results of the study are available online at www.iuk.edu.

Photo: Hunt Hall, provided by Micah Taylor

The first question that might come to mind is what the point of all this was. Refer to the second tenet of Chancellor Harris’ mission: regional transformation. The statistical analysis presented, which you can explore more fully online at http://www.stats.indiana.edu, follow the link at the top of the results page, tells a grim story. People and jobs are leaving our area. Wages are lower and poverty is higher. But this probably wasn’t something you needed an in-depth study to tell you. The empty houses, commercial sites, and manufacturing plants are probably all the data you would need to understand that things aren’t what they were in Kokomo or the surrounding counties. Consider this analysis, then, as the groundwork for bigger things to come.

The historical and peer community component of the study compares the region to a number of similar communities around the country. The peer communities include Anderson, SC.; Decatur, AL.; Rocky Mount, NC; Morristown, TN.; Battle Creek, MI; Lebanon, PA; Sheboygan, WI; Cleveland, TN; Danville, VA.; Jackson, TN; Lima, OH; Fond du Lac, WI; and Rome, GA. But why these communities? Size is the predominant factor, but there are a number of different reasons that these cities were chosen: economic, cultural, political, and geographical. Some are in the same situation as Kokomo, a slowly disintegrating industrial manufacturing town in need of new industry.

Next year, the release of another study looking at the campus’ economic impact on the region will be released to illustrate how the campus function as part of the region is integral and vital for future success. Success of the region, not just of the campus, is tied up in these results, and the future direction the community leaders will take.

These are puzzle pieces. The puzzle, when assembled, is a partnership between the University and the surrounding region that will lead the greater north central area into becoming what Chancellor Harris always says it will be: the best regional campus in the whole world. The benchmark shows us where we are, the campus’ economic impact is the importance and vitality we bring, the branding of the region is cooperation and cohesion, and tomorrow’s innovation is the key to ensuring success of the entire region.

Story by Brian Arwood
Assistant Editor