BENJAMIN'S FIRST ADDRESS
SETS AGENDA FOR ISU'S FUTURE

Lloyd Benjamin has his eyes firmly focused on the horizon and says he will not be spending much time looking back. Barely on the job for 90 days, the 10th president of Indiana State University presented a forward-looking agenda to faculty and staff during his first fall address Sept. 24.

"Looking into the future, I’m reminded of the words of Yogi Berra when he said, ‘The future ain’t what it used to be,’" Benjamin quipped. "There’s a lot of truth in what he was saying. A hundred years ago who would have imagined—at about the time the Wright brothers were getting their plane off in Kitty Hawk—that we would be seeing the level of air travel that we see today? Who, 50 years ago in a science lab, would have envisioned the unraveling of DNA?"

Benjamin echoed a sense of urgency in setting an agenda for the future of ISU and building upon a firm foundation he says he inherited from his predecessor Dr. John Moore.

"I’ve heard that our knowledge is doubling every six years," Benjamin warned. "It’s unimaginable! These things present real challenges to us because what we imagine now, and all of the change that is driving our agenda, makes it hard to imagine where we’ll be 10 years from now…I think we just don’t want to only be 10 years older."

Considering the agenda, there doesn’t appear to be much chance of that happening. While the new president emphasized change in the continued pursuit of excellence, he wants it to be a thoughtful, well-planned process that builds upon a strategic plan and university self-study he found waiting for him in July. Benjamin cited both the praise and the recommendations for improvement offered by ISU’s accrediting body, the North Central Association. He commended those who had conducted the self-study prior to his arrival on campus.

"Their study was recognized by the NCA as an exemplary study," he said. "It’s a kind of model that can be replicated elsewhere…and though it’s ambitious, I believe it is attainable."

A crucial challenge looming large on the president’s agenda is something that many observers say is long overdue. Benjamin called for a comprehensive review of academic programs and courses in an effort to achieve maximum benefit for the students.

Benjamin said, "ISU has a very rich curricular history. It has rich program variety. But it has also been pointed out that we may have more variety than we can adequately support."

He observed that a sort of "curriculum creep" can occur over a time without program review and that such a review is no small task.

"How we answer this question has to be collegial and must go through the regular governance system," Benjamin emphasized to the gathered faculty. "It has to have ownership by the faculty instead of something we are going to do to you. It can’t be that way…I want this to be a genuine process."

Benjamin consciously looked beyond the borders of the ISU campus when developing another important theme for the future. He saw service-learning as an essential factor when defining the university’s role with the adjacent community. A premium will be placed on understanding the community’s expectations for ISU in the future, according to the president.

"To do this," Benjamin said, "we need to enter into a partnership of progress which will involve university faculty and students and community members in articulating a statement of needs in order to forge an enduring relationship. Some of the best student learning I’ve ever seen has resulted from engaged faculty and students doing research on real problems in the community."

Benjamin directed his focus back to the campus community of faculty and staff when presenting his next priority. Citing the Board of Trustees’ request, he indicated he would develop a task force to examine initiatives to study human resource development.

"How are we helping?" the president asked. "How are we helping each of our students and staff to reach their full potential as thinking, caring individuals on campus? Are we being equitable in the use of resources? Do we know what we are doing? Have we integrated the human resource function?"

Benjamin answered the rhetorical questions himself. "I don’t think we have worked as successfully as we can."

Other important themes developed during the president’s address. He called for new and increased uses of technology to benefit the student in the classroom and out. The call for collaboration in Indiana’s developing community college system was issued with enthusiasm. Benjamin also stressed the importance of strengthening the student advisory system, intra-campus collaboration and student recruitment. But it was the quest for excellence that amplified the president’s vision for the future of Indiana State University.

"We want to be the very best institution of this type in the Midwest," Benjamin proposed. "We want to be recognized nationally for some exceedingly outstanding prominent programs. We want even an international presence with some of our programs."

Benjamin also made it clear to those in attendance that he sees himself as the leader of a very special community at ISU—a learning community. He said, "Students, alumni, faculty, staff and administration are all part of this community of learners. Its focus is predominately on the success of students. That is our chief calling. This is our primary reason for being."

With the final focus on his personal role in the future of Indiana State University, Benjamin may have set the tone for his administration in the coming years—a spirit of collaboration. It was clearly an open invitation to help forge a future.

"I want to be a learner. I want to be a contributor. I’ll make mistakes. There are several ways of working when you do that. The best way is to be honest and direct…talk to me about these things and we can do great things together," he envisioned.

October 18, 2000