Indiana State University President reflects on first six months
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State University President Mike Godard says he’ll continue to focus on growing community partnerships and student enrollment as he marks six months leading the university.
Since Godard took office in June, ISU has broken ground on its largest capital improvement project in school history and opened labs focused on cybercrime and esports.
The Technology Annex at the Bailey College of Engineering and Technology is currently getting a $66 million renovation and expansion.
“I’m always thinking about what’s next and how do we continue to build upon this positive momentum that we’re fortunate to have right now? I think a lot of it kind of centers back in terms of providing more opportunities for students to earn a degree,” Godard said in an interview with Inside INdiana Business. “Our students, our faculty and staff—we all feed off each other. We’re going to harness a lot of that energy, that momentum, and find ways in which we can make sure that more students get across the finish line with a degree in hand.”
Godard says giving students more work-based learning opportunities will create a talent pipeline that serves Indiana’s workforce needs.
“We need to be an institution over the next several years that positions ourselves to serve over 10,000 students in a sustainable way to ensure that we provide that level of talent that’s needed across the state of Indiana, but certainly in the Wabash Valley,” he said. “I think about over the next six months to a year, building more on those business industry connections.”
In the next month, ISU will welcome a new director of undergraduate admissions and director of international graduate admissions.
Director of Athletics Nathan Christensen was hired during Godard’s first month as president. The two started “High Five Fridays,” where ISU student-athletes greet Vigo County School Corp. students on their way into school.
“We have very similar philosophies on the level of community engagement that’s important for our institution…you can’t not invest in the community and then expect them to kind of show up and want to be a part of the university,” Godard said. “I always say we have such a unique opportunity here in Terre Haute and across Vigo County to really create an educational ecosystem that’s going to have an impact not only in our region, but across the state and beyond.”
Godard also got the opportunity to be principal for a day at two schools.
“I had so many of those students walk up to me, introduce themselves, shake my hand, and be able to just kind of articulate kind of where their desires were in terms of earning a scholarship,” he said. “[It’s] a way for me to learn more about what’s going on in our community and kind of how we can be a better partner.”
Godard says construction continues at the Early Childhood Education Center, which received a $970,000 READI grant from the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
MORE: Godard was a guest on the Business & Beyond podcast with Gerry Dick last July. You can listen to the episode here.