New administrative faces at IU Southeast in vice chancellorships

IU Southeast’s newest vice chancellors are Stephen Taksar, who heads administrative affairs, and Ruth Garvey-Nix, who heads student affairs.

IU Southeast not only installed a new chancellor last fall, but the campus also welcomed two new vice chancellors.

In November, Stephen Taksar assumed duties as vice chancellor of administrative affairs. For two years, he served as the chief operations manager for the School of Executive Education at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. In 2001, U.S. News & World Report magazine ranked Babson College No. 1 in entrepreneurial training, and the School of Executive Education consistently ranks among the top 20 worldwide in executive education providers.

While at Babson, Taksar managed and directed all of the operational, financial and administrative functions for the School of Executive Education. He served as the key member of a three-person leadership team that developed long-term growth strategies in an effort to double revenues, boost quality and increase the college’s worldwide recognition based on its rankings.

In his new role at IU Southeast, Taksar oversees all fiscal operations and serves as the chief officer over these areas: Accounting, Bookstore, Bursar, Human Resources, Inventory Control, Parking, Physical Plant, Printing and Duplicating, Purchasing and University Police.

"We are delighted that Stephen Taksar has joined us," said Chancellor Sandra Patterson-Randles. "He brings to us solid experience, a deep commitment to high-quality educational management and a genuine willingness to be a team player."

In an interview with the student newspaper, The Horizon, Taksar praised his fellow administrators and support staff at IU Southeast. "They exhibit a level of dedication to excellence that is really inspiring," he commented.

Taksar succeeds Mark Mixner, who took an administrative position at West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

In December, Ruth Garvey-Nix succeeded Joelyn Ainley as vice chancellor for student affairs. Ainley retired last summer after five years at IU Southeast.

Since 1994, Garvey-Nix served as the assistant vice president for student affairs and associate dean of students at Bellarmine University in Louisville.

"Ruth Garvey-Nix has a very friendly, collaborative managerial style that impressed many people on campus," said Patterson-Randles. "She has a solid background in a number of important areas for IU Southeast’s future. She is an excellent contributor to our team here."

While at Bellarmine, Garvey-Nix assisted the vice president for student affairs in managing the division, which included policy-making, and developing and implementing a strategic plan. She handled discipline cases and provided administrative oversight for all departmental budgets. She also helped coordinate construction of an $8.1 million residence hall that received an Award of Excellence and Best in Show for design by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Kentuckiana.

For four months in 2000, Garvey-Nix served as acting vice president for student affairs and dean of students when the person in that position took a sabbatical leave.

"I believe that all student affairs professionals are, at their core, educators, providing seamless opportunities for students to apply classroom learning throughout their lives," said Garvey-Nix.

There are three other vice chancellor positions at IU Southeast. A search is underway to hire a new vice chancellor for external affairs.

Larry Mand is vice chancellor for information technology, a position he has held since 1996, and Gilbert Atnip has been vice chancellor for academic affairs since 1991.