Summer 2005
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Summer 2005 |
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Campus Leadership Updates Alumnus Robert Bright Elected as Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Bright has been elected as the new chairman of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees, and chief executive officer. His election occurred at the regular May meeting of the trustees. He will be the college's chief executive officer until a permanent president is selected, according to Donald W. Scott, chairman of the executive committee of the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees. A presidential search committee has been created with the goal of conducting a national search culminating with the hiring of a new president who would assume office no later than July 1, 2006. Trustee Bill Fenoglio is serving as chairman of the committee. “Rose-Hulman is fortunate that someone of Bob's abilities is willing to serve full time in this role to work with the campus community to achieve important goals during the 2005-06 academic year,” Scott said. “He is a dedicated alumnus and trustee whose talents will be an asset to the Institute during the next 12 months,” he stated. Bright has been assisting with the daily operations of the college since the resignation of former Rose-Hulman President Jack Midgley on June 11. “I'm committed to working with the talented faculty and staff to insure that our efforts will result in continued progress for Rose-Hulman,” Bright said. “This is an important period of transition during which I know we will continue to move Rose-Hulman forward,” he stated. As the new trustee chairman, Bright replaces Clyde Willian who resigned prior to the May trustee meeting. Willian was elected chairman in 2001. He remains a member of the Board. Bright thanked Willian for his commitment to the Board and to Rose-Hulman. “The Board appreciates Clyde's service as chairman and we look forward to his continued contributions as a trustee,” Bright stated. Bright retired in 1994 as a division vice president following a 37-year career at 3M Company. He received an honorary degree from Rose-Hulman in 2001. Bright has been a Rose-Hulman trustee since 1991. He previously served as the chairman of the trustees’ student affairs committee. Midgley Resigns as President The following was a statement from Robert Bright, chairman of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees, issued Sunday, June 12, 2005. Rose-Hulman President Jack Midgley resigned Saturday, June 11. We are very grateful for his accomplishments during his tenure which include:
We wish Jack Midgley well in his future endeavors. According to the bylaws of the Board of Trustees, as the Board's Chairman, I will serve as the corporate executive officer until the Board appoints an interim president which will occur as soon as is practical. The Board is committed to working in a renewed fashion with the administration and the campus community in their respective roles, closely monitoring progress toward goals that unite us as a team. These include progress in campus relationships, performance in our respective duties, and institutional progress toward Rose-Hulman 2015. All of this will occur while honoring the traditional values of the Institute. Your Board is listening and working hard in directions we believe are as fair, honest and wise as possible. We know that as a member of the Rose family you will continue your commitment to do the same every day. Rose-Hulman’s Core Mission Remains Strong During Period of Transition by Robert Bright, Chairman of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer Nothing brings home the special nature of Rose-Hulman and its mission more than our annual commencement ceremony. As our robed graduates walked across the stage during Rose-Hulman’s 127th commencement this spring, I was reassured that our core strength of educating students has not been hampered during a period of transition at the college. Each diploma presented on the stage that afternoon represented the culmination of hard work by our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends of the Institute. Top-flight undergraduate engineering, science and mathematics education is what we’re all about at Rose-Hulman, and commencement symbolized the capstone of a job well-done. Our graduates this year achieved some of the highest academic standards of any graduating class, and the “Senior Class Student Opinion Survey” indicated that this year’s class was very satisfied with its Rose-Hulman experience at all levels. Watching the smiling graduates exchange handshakes, hugs and high-fives with family, friends, faculty and staff after commencement reminded me that Rose-Hulman’s success lies in the people who make up the Rose-Hulman community. I salute our students and our constituencies for continuing the tradition of excellence started when Chauncey Rose founded our college in 1874. You should be pleased to know the tradition will carry on this fall when more than 450 freshmen step on campus and join the Rose-Hulman family. Much of my summer has been spent working with faculty and staff in preparation for the upcoming year. Rose-Hulman remains in good hands. We have a qualified and motivated group of people working to provide the best education possible. Their zeal for the Rose-Hulman mission breeds a contagious excitement that carries through all levels of the Institute. They are focused and moving forward. As we forge ahead, we must strive to make a great college even better. Many issues face Rose-Hulman as it continues its march into the 21st century. A priority this year will be the hiring of a new president. A search committee, under the leadership of board of trustee member Bill Fenoglio, began its work this summer to look nationwide for the very best presidential candidates. Our goal is to have a new president on the job no later than July of 2006. The committee will identify candidates who will be brought to campus to meet with the Rose-Hulman community. The final selection of a new president will be done by the full Board of Trustees. Until that time, I will serve as Chief Executive Officer. Although this year is one of transition, we are not content to maintain the status quo. The campus leadership team has established seven Institute-level objectives to guide us through the 2005-06 school year:
That list is not
for the faint of heart, and it exemplifies the complex challenges
facing Rose-Hulman and higher education in general. Meeting those
objectives requires a commitment to in-depth planning Moving forward
will take all of us – students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents,
trustees and friends – working together to insure that one of the
nation’s top engineering, science and mathematics colleges
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