Three IUS departments were without a director this summer. Two of the departments have now hired new directors and only one position remains open.
The position that remains open is for the director of Residence Life. Because the fall semester is starting with no official director, one of the campus administrators is going to be overseeing Residence Life.
Seuth Chaleunphonh, dean of Student Life, will be fulfilling the role until the director’s position is filled.
“At this time, the pool for jobs is not as good,” Chaleunphonh said. “Most of the directors right now aren’t looking for jobs because they’re busy opening their own halls.”
Ruth Garvey-Nix, chancellor of Student Affairs, said the university is pleased he is taking the responsibility.
“Seuth has overseen a Residence life operation in the past and is well-prepared to serve as acting director and continue the progress we had in our first year of operation,” Garvey-Nix said. The campus conducted two searches for a director since February, but neither resulted in a hire.
Paula Sylvester, administrative secretary senior, said the campus would be doing another search at the end of this semester or the beginning of next year.
As for the other two administrative positions that were open this summer, the first replacement was Jim Wolfe, director of the Physical Plant. He started his new job on Monday, Aug. 3.
“I’ve mostly been meeting people and touring the campus,” Wolfe said. “I’m still assessing everything and I’m still building goals for the future.”
He also said his main goal right now is to prepare the school grounds for the fall semester. For now, he said there is some contracted maintenance work in the Residence Halls and in Life Sciences to monitor.
Wolfe moved from Evansville, Ind., where he worked as manager of facility operations at American General Finance. Beforehand, he worked as director of plant and facilities for Sisters of St. Benedict Monastery. He had worked as a production supervisor for Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Wolfe also graduated from the APPA Institute for Facilities Management.
“This is a bigger facility,” Wolfe said. “It has a larger staff to maintain, but the grounds are in good condition and the maintenance is good.” The former director of Physical Plant, Bob Snip, left IU Southeast in March.
The second open position was filled by Charles Edelen, IUS Police chief.
Edelen is coming from Louisville and has been part of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department for 21 years. He was acting major of the administrative division of the LMPD.
His training includes being the commander of the Louisville bomb squad from 2003 to 2007 and being part of the hostage negotiating team.
Monica Wise, IUS Police sergeant, said the position is mostly administrative in nature.
“He has a decorated background and would be well-suited to take the position,” Wise said.
By JOSEPH DEVER
Editor
jwdever@ius.edu