On July 1, IU Kokomo Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke became interim executive vice president for University Academic Affairs to fill the role John Applegate left when he became interim vice provost for IU Bloomington.
As executive vice president, Sciame-Giesecke oversees the university's five regional campuses. She leads efforts to grow student success through collaborative, multi-campus degree programs; university-wide academic initiatives; and online education. As part of the University Academic Affairs portfolio, she provides leadership to the Office of Online Education and Office of Collaborative Academic Programs.
Sciame-Giesecke sees online programs as an opportunity to reach a wider and more diverse population of students and to give students flexibility in scheduling and access to more courses. "IU Online," she says, "is critical to meeting enrollment goals and helping students persist to graduation."
IU Online is already Indiana's largest online provider of four-year and graduate degree programs, and Sciame-Giesecke expects it to continue playing a strategic role for decades to come. As it approaches its 10-year anniversary, IU Online is undergoing an external review that will help to inform its strategic plans. Sciame-Giesecke says, "I am excited to initiate an external review. Our goal is to maximize online education's effectiveness and potential for future growth."
Sciame-Giesecke is no stranger to online education. As chancellor of IU Kokomo, she has championed online education and the universal benefit of higher education for all. She has been a strong supporter of student success and the faculty and staff who are committed to helping students achieve their goals. Under her leadership, Kokomo launched many new programs on the undergraduate and graduate levels, added new student success programs, and saw record enrollment and graduation rates.