For Immediate Release August 26, 2005

For More Information Contact: Rich Schneider, 317-278-4564 rcschnei@iupui.edu

Executive Vice Chancellor, Dean of the Faculties, Plater to Leave Current Post to Direct New IUPUI Initiative in International Community Development

William M. Plater, dean of the faculties and executive vice chancellor of IUPUI

INDIANAPOLIS - William M. Plater, dean of the faculties and executive vice chancellor of IUPUI, will step down from his post on June 30, 2006, and take on another assignment for the university.

Plater will become director of the Workshop on International Community Development, a newly focused initiative to combine and coordinate efforts in international community development.

Established jointly by the Center on Philanthropy and the Center on Urban Policy and the Environment at IUPUI to strengthen and develop the international dimensions of the respective centers, the Workshop will conduct benchmarking and analysis of approximately 50 regional centers geographically distributed across the globe, concentrating on the urban areas that have natural relations with Indianapolis because of existing economic, cultural or academic collaborations.

"For more than 20 years, Bill Plater has worked day and night with literally thousands of faculty, staff, students and community members building academic programs, partnerships with the community, and leadership for IUPUI," said IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz. "All of us who know Bill have no doubt he will take on the Workshop and build it with equal creativity and commitment."

Plater has worked at IUPUI since 1983. He became dean of the faculties in 1987 and assumed the additional role of executive vice chancellor in 1988. He has held both positions ever since.

"Bill Plater deserves much credit for his incredible work as the chief academic officer for our campus for these decades where we have come such a long way," said IUPUI University College Dean Scott Evenbeck. "At the same time, Dean Plater doesn't define IUPUI by our history or by where we are now.  He continues to challenge all of us to think about what IUPUI will become, where we're going.  His leadership has helped create IUPUI's strong focus on the future, a culture that serves the campus and the city very well."

Noting that Plater will have served in his current positions for 19 years when he steps down, Greg Lindsey, associate dean and professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, said, "His departure from the position will be a watershed event for IUPUI.  IUPUI has grown and prospered under Bill's leadership, and our growing reputation in the region and state owes much to his vision and hard work."

Plater has led campus efforts to improve undergraduate retention, enhance the effective use of technology, develop IUPUI as a model for civic engagement, and increase research productivity as a part of the campus vision to become a leading urban research university.

"It would be impossible to look back to the spectacular growth of our campus over the past two decades without thinking about the enormous contributions made by Bill Plater," said Bart S. Ng, president of the IUPUI Faculty Council. "IUPUI has been extraordinarily fortunate to have had his visionary and prescient leadership during its formative years.  As dean of the faculties, Bill's legacy of fierce loyalty and total dedication to IUPUI should be an inspiration to all of us."

Plater holds bachelor's (1967), master's and doctoral (1973) degrees in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a professor of English at IUPUI and teaches in the area of contemporary American literature. His research interests focus on contemporary fiction and the interplay of fiction with other genres.

He holds adjunct appointments in philanthropic studies and informatics. He has written on numerous topics related to technology, higher education and planning, as well as literature.

Before assuming his current position, Plater was dean of the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI (1983-87) and associate director of the School of Humanities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1977-83).

Plater is active in his community, serving currently or formerly on the boards of The Children's Museum, the Indiana Repertory Theatre, the Indiana Humanities Council, the Indiana University Press, the Indiana Partnership for Higher Education, MUCIA, WFYI, and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

To learn more about the search for the Executive Vice Chancellor, Dean of the Faculties postion visit http://www.iupui.edu/administration/search/.

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