Prospectus

The Leadership Agenda

The fifth President of the University of Southern Indiana will lead a vibrant University with considerable growth potential, momentum and a strong history of stable finances. The President will be welcomed by a faculty and staff that cares deeply about the University and are dedicated to serving students. Evansville and the broader community are thriving and proud of USI and see the University as an important economic asset and partner. The next President will be expected to build upon the accomplishments of their presidential predecessors, elevate the University’s reputation and visibility and implement a strategy for growth in enrollment, resources and influence.

>>Download the full prospectus for information on the University, its academic programs, outreach, student and community engagement, athletics, campus facilities, and the Evansville area.

Some of the key opportunities and challenges of the leadership agenda for the next President are:

Enrollment

The highest priority for the next President is to establish the vision, strategy, organization and resources for enrollment growth. Growing enrollment is essential for institutional health and momentum, state support and investment in new initiatives. USI enrollment grew steadily during its first decades but has been stagnant in recent years. However, first-year and transfer enrollments have begun to rebound in the past two years, and graduate enrollment is growing. The University has also seen recent gains in undergraduate retention. USI is well-positioned to re-establish a growth trajectory. It offers affordable tuition, a beautiful, modern and well-maintained campus and highly regarded academic programs across its across its four academic colleges and School of Graduate Studies. The new President will capitalize on these strengths by identifying and investing in new programs with growth potential and continuing gains in retention. The President will also help to establish a marketing and enrollment strategy that bolsters USI’s historic commitment to serving southwest Indiana and increasing the percentage of college graduates well-prepared to serve regional businesses, while also expanding its reach beyond southwest Indiana.

Academic Quality

USI has built a reputation for delivering quality academic programs to students at moderate cost. As the University has grown, it has added graduate programs to supplement strength in core undergraduate disciplines. The next President must champion academic quality, ensuring adequate resources for recruiting and retaining talented faculty, investing in modern technology and facilities and exploring new in-demand programs that serve students and enhance the University’s reputation for academic excellence.

Resource Development

USI enjoys a favorable reputation with the Indiana legislature and administration and receives robust state funding. The next President must be an effective advocate for USI in Indianapolis to ensure continued strong support. The University also is in the early stages of a comprehensive fundraising campaign. In order to capitalize on excellent potential for philanthropic support in Evansville and the region, the new USI President must be eager to connect with friends and donors and present a compelling and inspiring case for the University’s impact on students and the economic, social and cultural well-being of the community.

Community Relations and Visibility

As the public face of the University, the new President of USI must be actively engaged in Evansville, in the region and statewide. The President will seek to strengthen the University’s relations with the corporate sector, public and private schools, government officials and not for profit organizations to enhance USI’s role as a partner in regional and statewide economic development. In addition, USI has 54,000+ alumni and more than 70 percent stay in the state of Indiana, making it important for the President to build relationships and help to effectively activate this network of loyal USI supporters.

Promote a Culture of Open Communication and Collaboration

USI students, faculty and staff expect their President to be visible, open, transparent and collaborative, and have a deep sense of integrity. The next President must apply strong listening and communication skills to engender trust and goodwillacross the campus community. The next President will be a transparent communicator and active listener. The President will enjoy engaging with students, faculty and staff and will maintain a visible presence on campus and in the President’s official residence. The successful candidate will foster an inclusive campus community and be respectful of shared governance, seeking input while being decisive and transparent in decision-making.

Faculty and Staff

USI is proud of its history and culture of dedicated support for its students. Preserving that culture will require initiatives to attract, retain and support the faculty and staff who are devoted to its student-centered mission. The new President must be able to attract the resources through enrollment growth, state support and fundraising to ensure competitive compensation and work tirelessly to build morale and to celebrate the dedication of USI faculty and staff.

Support for Division I Athletics

The University is in the third year of the required four-year transition phase into full Division I athletic competition, and the Screaming Eagles are already a highly competitive member of the Ohio Valley Conference. The University, alumni, friends and campus community have made significant investments in athletic facilities and programs. Participation in Division I athletics has been a boost to visibility and a positive factor in student recruitment. The next President must continue to champion this transition, explore ways to leverage its investment and be a visible and enthusiastic supporter of USI coaches and student-athletes.

Qualifications, Characteristics and Experiences

The next President of USI will have a graduate degree, with a preference for an earned terminal degree, and/or a successful track record of increasing responsibility and proven leadership experience that demonstrates the ability to manage a complex organization. Demonstrated capabilities should include leading and developing a team of high-performing individuals, financial and business acumen, excellent communication skills, success in meeting institutional/organizational outcomes in alignment with mission and outstanding interpersonal skills.

The successful candidate will possess many of the following characteristics, experiences and qualifications:

• Ability to develop and effectively communicate an inspiring and motivating vision;
  
  
• An open, genuine and engaging person who develops and cultivates relationships on campus among students, faculty, staff, the Board of Trustees, and externally with alumni, donors, government officials and Evansville and statewide leaders;
  
  
• Excellent communication skills, ability to listen with empathy and discernment, communicate complex issues and decisions, inspire confidence, build trust and advance an inclusive culture of care, collaboration and transparency;
  
  
• An innovative mindset and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing higher education environment;
  
  
• A global (broad) perspective;
  
  
• Financial acumen;
  
  
• A data-informed decision maker with the ability to understand and articulate decisions, and balance competing priorities;
  
  
• Ability to think strategically and lead organizational change with agility;
  
  
• Demonstrated fundraising success, and the ability to establish a compelling vision for donor support;
  
  
• An understanding of, and preferably experience with, the opportunities and challenges presented by NCAA Division I athletics;
  
  
• An understanding of the external environment influencing higher education, including state and federal government policies and their impact on institutions of higher education;
  
  
• Commitment to underserved communities, enhancing affordability, access and opportunity for students of all backgrounds;
  
  
• Unquestioned integrity, trustworthiness, humility and resiliency; and
  
  
• A genuine passion for serving students, faculty and staff.