Resume
Charles R. "Chuck" Johnson was appointed the 22nd President of Vincennes University in 2015, after previously serving as Interim President for four months. Johnson came to VU as Provost/Vice President for Instructional Services/Dean of Faculty and served in that capacity for three years.
While at VU, Johnson has overseen the development and growth of work-based learning partnerships with industry, including the Toyota Advanced Maintenance Technician program in Southwest Indiana, the Advanced Internship in Manufacturing in Lafayette, the Career Advancement Partnership in Dubois County, the Machinist Internship Program, and the Cummins Technical Apprenticeship program. Johnson has also been extensively involved in the expansion of VU’s Early College program, including the development of Career and Technical Education Early Colleges with Career Centers and Cooperatives across Indiana, reaching thousands of Hoosier students.
Passionate about student success, Johnson has overseen VU’s efforts to improve student retention, such as the creation of the Student Success Center, the development and implementation of a co-requisite remedial education program, and the redesign of learning support services, including university-wide tutoring resources. He has also led VU’s efforts to enhance international partnerships, including the establishment of several cooperative agreements and exchanges with schools and colleges in China and Japan.
Prior to joining VU, Johnson spent over 14 years at Purdue University, West Lafayette, where he served in a variety of program director roles in the Krannert School of Management, overseeing internationally-ranked full-time, part-time, and Executive MBA, and master of science programs as well as Krannert’s executive education non-degree programs. His experience also includes consulting for the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait, which opened its doors in 2008. Before Purdue, Johnson was Manager of Training and Development for National City Bank, Northwest (now part of PNC), and held several positions in academic and student affairs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
Johnson was appointed in 2017 by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb to serve as a Commissioner for the Midwest Higher Education Compact. He is actively engaged in workforce development efforts with leading manufacturing-focused organizations, including as a member of The Manufacturing Institute’s Education Council and the Education and Workforce Committee of Lightweight Innovation for Tomorrow (LIFT), as well as being a representative to the Indiana Automotive Council. He serves on the boards of the Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Red Skelton Museum Foundation, Knox County Development Corporation, and Vincennes University Foundation.
A native of Washington, Indiana, Johnson earned a Ph.D. at Purdue University, an MBA from Bowling Green, and a B.S. in Economics from Indiana State University. He and his wife, Sarah (VU ’80), are the proud parents of two daughters.
