Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus is in the process of adding new trustees to its campus board, to represent new service areas and replace an outgoing member.
The board approved a resolution on April 12 to nominate Christopher Hoke, superintendent of the Northwestern Consolidated School District of Shelby County, as a new campus trustee. The appointment also requires approval from Ivy Tech’s state board of trustees, said campus chairman Richard Beckort. The state board’s next meeting is scheduled for June 1 and 2.
Columbus Chancellor Steven Combs said that since the Shelby and Johnson county campuses are now part of Ivy Tech Columbus’s service area, the college wants to bring on trustees to represent these communities.
In addition to being a school superintendent, Hoke is also a board member of Advantage Shelby County. Advantage Shelby County is a two-year scholarship program “specifically aimed at raising educational attainment and workforce readiness.”
It is a partnership between the city of Shelbyville, Shelby County and Ivy Tech. The program provides scholarship funds to Shelby County students to cover tuition costs not met by state, federal or institutional aid. In return, students are required to either perform 10 hours of community service per semester or “fulfill a program work requirement” with a Shelby County company.
Hoke was recommended at the request of Advantage Shelby County, said Combs.
“His father-in-law was the trustee at our Muncie campus,” he added. “So he’s got this legacy of service through Ivy Tech. He really believes in the mission of Ivy Tech. He’s excited about it and is just thrilled to be asked.”
Another change to the campus board is that trustee Jim Trueblood will leave the board soon, Combs said. Trueblood is working to help the college find someone from Cummins, Inc to fill his seat as a representative of the manufacturing sector.
The chancellor added that the process for adding the new trustees is a bit complicated; they can’t bring in two at the same time because it would put the board “out of balance for a quorum.” He said approving Hoke means that Trueblood’s next board meeting will be his final one as a trustee. Then, after that meeting, Hoke would begin serving as a trustee, thereby giving the board an odd-numbered quorum.
The board would then hope to bring in nominees from Cummins and Johnson County at the same time.
In addition to nominating Hoke at its April 12 meeting, the board also voted to nominate Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Superintendent Jim Roberts for another term as a campus trustee.
