• Johnson appointed VU Provost and Vice President of Instructional Services/Dean of Faculty
• VU moves forward with $15.6 million in campus projects
• Student creations are a real “glass” act
• Community leader honored with VU award for service
• Vincennes University Commencement features New York Times best-selling author Ira Wagler

Johnson appointed VU Provost and Vice President of Instructional Services/Dean of Faculty

May 14, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - Charles R. Johnson has been appointed as Vincennes
University Provost and Vice President of Instructional Services/Dean of
Faculty, according to an announcement by VU President Dick Helton.

Johnson’s appointment follows a six-month national search following the
resignation of Dr. Ronald Davis to become vice president and chief academic
officer at John Wood Community College in Quincy, Ill., last October.
Johnson will replace Robert A. Slayton, former dean of the Learning
Resources Center, who has served as interim provost.

Johnson comes to VU from Purdue University, West Lafayette, where he most
recently served as director of three specialty master’s degree programs,
including Weekend MBA, Master of Science in Finance, and the new Master of
Science in Accounting that will be introduced this fall.  He has taught
courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Since 2007 he has served as a consultant to American University of the
Middle East, Kuwait, where he has provided support in the launch of an
evening MBA program, undergraduate business programs, and admissions,
student services, administrative functions, and faculty recruitment.  Since
2010 he has served on the University’s Board of Trustees.

Johnson previously served as director of the Purdue Krannert School of
Management’s Executive Education Program, director of its Master’s and
Executive Programs, and director of its Professional Master’s Programs.

Prior to joining Purdue in 1998, Johnson served as manager of Training and
Development for National City Corporation and National City Bank, a Fortune
500 financial services company based in Cleveland, Ohio.

While completing his master’s degree in Business Administration at Bowling
Green State University (1987), Johnson served as a manager and later as the
director of two residence halls and conference housing.  In his nearly 11
years at Bowling Green, he also served as director of Undergraduate
Studies/Program Advisement and director of Graduate Studies in Business in
the College of Business Administration.

In addition to his master’s degree, Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in
Economics from Indiana State University (1984) and is pursuing his
doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Purdue University.

“I am delighted to be joining Vincennes University.  As a native of
Southwestern Indiana, I have had many connections with VU in the past,
including dozens of family and friends who are VU alumni, and I have always
had a favorable impression,” Johnson said.  “Yet the more I learn about VU,
the more impressive it is.  President Helton, along with the faculty,
staff, and students I have met, give me great confidence that VU is
well-positioned to build on its traditions of innovation, academic
excellence, and engagement.  It is an interesting time for all of us in
higher education and I look forward to working with the entire VU community
to address the challenges we will face as we strive to continue meeting the
evolving needs of the people of this region and the state of Indiana.”

VU President Dick Helton said that he believes that Johnson has an
excellent background for his new position.  “I am delighted that Chuck has
such a wide range of both academic and business experience, including
teaching, curriculum development, and student services.  His international
education leadership and his record of achievement at one of the most
respected management schools in the nation make him ideally qualified to
serve in this important position at Vincennes University.  I look forward
to working with him,” Helton said.

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional
sites such as Indianapolis and the Gibson County Center for Advanced
Manufacturing and Logistics.  VU also offers instruction at military sites
throughout the nation.

In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU
also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security,
nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and, science, and
special education/elementary education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 28 other states, and 30
countries.  Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with
residence halls.  VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in
the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the
United States.  William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded
VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory.  More information is
available at www.vinu.edu.

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VU moves forward with $15.6 million in campus projects

May 11, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - A campus already cited for its beauty and accessibility
will soon be enhanced as the result of six new projects valued at $15.6
million.

Vincennes University hosted the Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Thursday and Friday.  The visit included tours, meetings, and a
presentation by VU President Dick Helton that highlighted VU’s initiatives
on campus and throughout the state.  Today the Commission approved $3.8
million for a new VU Art Center, $4.25 million for renovating Morris
Residence Hall, and almost $3.1 million for renovating Vanderburgh
Residence Hall.  In addition, the Commission also approved three other
projects that are underway, or are soon to be underway at VU.  They include
a $2 million renovation project for the five-story section of the
Technology Center, a $1.6 million renovation project for the Welsh
Administration Building, and a $900,000 project to relocate the Jerry
Blemker Baseball Field to a site near the intersection of Old Terre Haute
Road and Niblack Blvd.

“Members of the Commission for Higher Education were very complimentary
about our campus and facilities.  With these additional investments, I am
confident that VU will continue its leadership in offering students some of
the best higher education assets in Indiana.  I appreciate the Commission’s
continued support for Vincennes University,” said Helton.

Phil Rath, vice president of Financial Services and Government Relations,
said he was pleased with the Commission’s visit to VU and that that members
spoke highly of VU during their visit to campus.  “One of the new
commission members, Eileen O’Neil Odum, told me that she thought that VU
was one of the best-maintained campuses she has visited.  Another new
member, Chris LaMothe, told me he was very impressed with the technology
offered to our students,” Rath said.

The $3.8 million Art Center will be located on College Avenue between Third
and Fourth streets, across the street from the Dayson Foundation and Alumni
Center.  The new 15,224 square-foot facility will include new equipment and
technology for art instruction as well as a small gallery for exhibiting
student works.  It will replace the current Art Annex Building at the
corner of Third and Scott streets.

The renovations to both Morris and Vanderburgh Halls total just over $7
million.  Both projects include energy efficiency and electrical system
upgrades as well as complete upgrades of HVAC systems to improve air
quality, control, and comfort.  Vanderburgh Hall will have all exterior
windows replaced and Morris Hall will have an upgrade to the exterior skin
of the building.  Both projects are funded by revenue bonds supported by
housing operation revenue.

Vanderburgh Hall currently houses 432 students in 216 rooms and Morris Hall
houses 378 students in 189 rooms.

The $1.6 million Welsh Administration Building renovation will include a
new entry and a canopy that will connect the building to Governor’s Hall.
An elevator will also be added to the three-story section of the building.

The $2 million renovation of the five-story section of the Technology
Building will include upgrading restrooms, fire sprinkler system, and the
internal structure.  It is the first phase of modernizing the building that
originally was an industrial facility.

“Taken together, these projects are a major step forward for the campus.
In addition to changing the face of the campus, these projects will improve
quality of instruction and residence life, enhancing the total student
experience.  They will make VU more attractive to prospective students and
that is important in this competitive market,” Rath said.

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Student creations are a real “glass” act

April 27, 2012

Vincennes University students demonstrated glass working techniques and
exhibited their creations during an open house on April 27 at the McCormick
Science Center.

Janesa Henry, Wheatland, is one of about 20 students enrolled in the
Scientific and Decorative Glass Working class.  She is a Physical Therapist
Assistant major at VU and said that she chose to take the science class
because it sounded like fun and didn’t require any previous experience.  “I
thought it would be a nice diversion from my health studies.”  The daughter
of J.R. and Tracy Henry, Henry is a 2009 graduate of South Knox High
School.

Chemistry Professor Jay Bardole has taught the course for more than 40
years and his impending retirement was another reason that Henry cited for
taking the class.  “I’ve always heard such good things about Professor
Bardole and I knew that this would be my last opportunity to take one of
his classes,” she said.

The Scientific and Decorative Glass Working class focuses on the
fundamentals of working with glass tubing and rods.  The techniques covered
in the class introduce students to the “feel” of handling glass; shaping
glass tubing, and crocheting glass rods.  Throughout the class, students
produce a scientific project, an art project, and a project of their
choice.

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Community leader honored with VU award for service

April 27, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind. - Rowe D. Sargent was cited as a “servant leader” as he
received Vincennes University’s 2012 Walter A. Davis Memorial Citation for
Service at a banquet on April 26 at the Green Activities Center.  The
Citation was presented by the VU Alumni Association.

Rob McLin, CEO and president of Good Samaritan Hospital, said he grew up
near the Sargent farm.  “His devotion to being a really good human being
and helping others, through all his mission trips throughout the world, is
a testament to his values as a person,” McLin said.  Citing his service on
the boards of the North Knox School Corporation and Good Samaritan
Hospital, McLin said that Sargent’s “insight and common sense approach to
leadership has really been helpful and appreciated.”

Rowe’s daughter Susan Brocksmith, professor of business management at VU,
said her father “is a shining example of how to make a difference in both
our community and our country - he is a true example of what it means to be
a servant leader.”  She concluded her remarks by noting that “our community
would not be the place it is today without you.”

In presenting the citation, VU President Dick Helton said that Sargent is
an example of a leader who “has a passion for what he does and a compassion
for those he serves.”

The Walter A. Davis Memorial Citation for Service is awarded annually to a
VU alumnus or to a resident of the greater VU community and recognizes not
only the recipient’s professional achievements, but also civic leadership
and contributions.  Recipients are selected from nominees submitted by
alumni and the public.

In offering his gratitude for the Davis Citation, Sargent said he has been
blessed to live in Knox County with his family, neighbors, and friends.
“My father-in-law taught me a lot.  One of the things he always said was
that public service is the price we pay for occupying space on Earth.  We
do have a responsibility to try to make our surroundings better for the
next generation,” Sargent said.

ROWE D. SARGENT

Sargent’s Christian faith is demonstrated in his mission trips to Albania,
Romania, Jamaica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Russia, and Mexico.  On a trip to
China, he and his wife Maridell delivered Bibles from Beijing to Urumji,
and inland cities.  Sargent has been active on the Mission Committee at
Bethel Church in Freelandville and currently serves as deacon.  He loans
cargo trailers for church groups and individuals who are going on mission
trips, or hauling food and supplies for North Knox Social Ministries.  He
also has participated in the Emmaus Walk.

Sargent has served 15 years on the North Knox School Board.  His interest
and concern for young people and the 4-H program has led him to continue
his service on the Knox County Fair Board.  He also has been active in the
Bicknell Kiwanis and helps with the annual Labor Day Parade.  Sargent has
been affiliated with the Knox County Chamber of Commerce for numerous years
and has spent several years on the VU Community Services Committee.  This
past year he ran for County Commissioner with the aim to help make Knox
County a stronger and better place in which to live and work.  As a result
of being a Commissioner, he serves on the Good Samaritan Hospital Board of
Governors, the Knox County Development Commission, and the Knox County
Drainage Board.

Sargent started farming near Bicknell - hogs and cattle, plus corn, and
later soybeans.  He is a former president of the Knox County Swine
Committee and he assisted in establishing the Knox County Corn Growers
organization, of which he was president for two years.  Sargent also has
served on the National Growers Board for nine years where he has served as
vice president of the National Corn Growers Field Services Committee as
well as chairing the National Corn Growers Yield Contest.  He also made
yearly trips to Washington, D.C., to lobby for the National Corn Growers.

Sargent has served on the Sheriff’s Merit Board as well as the Knox County
Health Board.  He has sold Pioneer seed corn and soybeans to local farmers,
winning some awards for his sales volume.  He currently works with Craig
Williams of Oaktown as a Pioneer Seed representative.

Sargent just completed his term as the national president of the Fellowship
of Christian Farmers International which is based in Lexington, Illinois.
This organization sponsors many mission trips and organizes humanitarian
projects to help farmers in the United States who have sustained damage and
loss due to tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes.  The group builds fences,
distributes hay, repairs buildings, rounds up livestock, and performs other
acts of assistance.  FCFI also was active in Haiti after the earthquake.
This organization has projects in Albania, Mexico, Greece, Russia, and
Jamaica, as well as special outreach assignments at various agricultural
fairs, machinery shows, and the Future Farmers of America Annual
Convention.

Sargent is a graduate of Sandborn High School.  He enlisted in the Navy,
spent time in an electronics school, and served two years aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Lexington.  He traveled to the Far East, making stops
in Hawaii, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Guam, Okinawa, and Japan.  He was
also stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, for two years as a radar technician in a
flight crew that flew missions along the Chinese and Russian coasts.  He
married Maridell (Miller) Sargent in 1958 between deployments.  Mrs.
Sargent was named the recipient of the Walter A. Davis Memorial Citation
for Service in 2000.

Rowe and his wife, Maridell, are the parents of two children, Mark Sargent
(Deanna), and Susan Brocksmith (Mike).  They have four grandchildren,
Patrick and Chris Sargent, and Victoria and Casandra Brocksmith.

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Vincennes University Commencement features New York Times best-selling author Ira Wagler

April 23, 2012

VINCENNES, Ind.—New York Times best-selling author Ira Wagler will return
home to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters during Vincennes
University’s 206th Commencement on April 28. Both Wagler and VU President
Dick Helton will address the Class of 2012.

The author of the book “Growing Up Amish: A Memoir” (Tyndale House
Publishers, 2011), Wagler is a 1991 VU alumnus who holds a bachelor’s
degree in English from Bob Jones University (1993) and a law degree from
Dickinson School of Law (1997).

Wagler practiced law with the firm of Clymer & Musser, Lancaster, PA from
1997 to 2001 before beginning a career as general manager of Graber Supply,
LLC, Pole Building Supplier and Builder, Atglen, PA. Speaking of his
co-career as a writer, Wagler says on his website, “This I will do or die
trying. Actually, it’s just now all coming down, unfolding as you read
this. It’s been a wild, wild ride, far beyond anything I could have
imagined.“

Wagler describes his memoir as a “journey at its core no different than
many coming of age journeys.” Inspired by his favorite writer, Thomas
Wolfe, Wagler’s book is a true story of self-discovery and seeking where he
belongs. The epilogue to his book concludes, “I have no regrets for the
road I chose. And I rarely wonder how life would have been on the road not
taken.”


Born in 1961 in the small Old Order Amish community of Aylmer, Ontario,
Wagler’s book creates a vivid portrait of Amish life from childhood to his
decision to leave the Amish community for good at age 26. In between,
beginning at age 17, Ira left and then returned to the community numerous
times over five years, torn between his heritage and the freedom and
possibilities of the outside world. The book describes a difficult path
with “years of turmoil, rage, and anguish.” The 9th child out of 11
children, Wagler dedicated his book to his mother, Ida Mae, who “never
wavered in her deep love for all her children, even—and maybe
especially—for her wayward sons.”


Prior to enrolling at VU, Wagler received his GED from Washington High
School in 1989, having only completed the 8th grade in an Amish one-room
school in Aylmer, Ontario.

An avid hiker along the Tacquon Trail, completing as much as 12 miles in a
day, Wagler is also a big fan of football, especially the New York Jets
since 1981, as well as Nascar and baseball.  Wagler also enjoys reading,
writing and describes himself as a “charcoal grill purist.“ Wagler
continues to work in “tidbits on the Great American Novel.“

VU’s Commencement will be televised live on WVUT-TV beginning at 2 p.m. EDT
on April 28.

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY - Indiana’s First College

VU is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional
sites such as Indianapolis and the Gibson County Center for Advanced
Manufacturing and Logistics.  VU also offers instruction at military sites
throughout the nation.

In addition to offering 200 associate degree and certificate programs, VU
also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security,
nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and, science, and
special education/elementary education.

VU enrolls students from throughout Indiana, 28 other states, and 30
countries.  Tuition and fees are the lowest among Indiana campuses with
residence halls.  VU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Founded in 1801, VU is Indiana’s first college and is the only college in
the nation founded by an individual who would later become President of the
United States.  William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, founded
VU while serving as governor of the Indiana Territory.  More information is
available at www.vinu.edu.

Top