IU Southeast Welcomes New EVCAA Michelle Williams

Dr. Michelle Williams recently joined the senior leadership team at Indiana University Southeast as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (EVCAA). She is a seasoned academic administrator, with extensive experience in academic accreditation, curriculum, and academic program development and oversight, faculty leadership, and enrollment management.

Williams holds Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from Wake Forest, a Master of Arts in Political Science from the Villanova. After earning her PhD. from the University of Colorado Boulder, she joined the faculty at the University of West Florida. During her career there, she served as a department chair, before moving into academic affairs in the Office of the Provost, first as a faculty fellow, then working with student complaints and concerns before moving up to Vice Provost. She began her position at IU Southeast in February.

Williams says she has been warmly welcomed to campus and has had a smooth transition. She says she’s looking forward to discovering the greenway and trail systems for biking and walking and has enjoyed learning about the history of southern Indiana, as well as the food culture in the Kentuckiana area. She finds the energy and momentum of the campus community about what IU Southeast is doing and where the university is going immediately evident.

“The counties of the region on both sides of the river [are] full of people who see the area as having a bright future and they are motivated to be a part of making this a great place to live and work,” said Williams.

Williams says she is “in a listening posture” as she gets to know the campus and has been closely following developments related to the IU 2030 Strategic Plan. She is approaching strategic enrollment planning and the IU Southeast academic programs portfolio by looking at trends as they affect the university’s enrollment goals, including recruitment and retention, while also considering what IUS does best and what students and regional employers want.

Making community connections is important to Williams, as is making sure that IU Southeast is known for its contributions to the community.

“We are a public, regional comprehensive university, and we serve the needs of this region,” said Williams. “We contribute to the intellectual, civic, and cultural life of the community, while also contributing to the talent development of our region.”

Williams says she believes strongly in the importance of the role of faculty members as teacher-scholars.

“We have accomplished scholars doing significant research on our campus, often involving students on research teams,” said Williams “Our faculty employ high impact practices and applied learning strategies with pedagogy central to their teaching craft. This balance of teaching and scholarship defines regional comprehensive institutions, and our students benefit from direct engagement with faculty mentors.”

Williams also notes how IU Southeast has made hands-on learning a priority for our students.

“By [prioritizing hands-on learning] our students gain confidence in their skills and abilities enabling them to recognize and articulate these competencies and what they can do,” said Williams.

In her life as a teacher-scholar, Williams has taken particular pride when her research is published, and also when commencement comes around.

“Commencement is a is a fantastic time of just triumphant celebration to me, and it never gets less interesting,” said Williams. “To see the elation on their face, to see that they realize that they’ve accomplished something significant and important.”

The EVCAA oversees all faculty matters and has overall responsibility for periodic review of academic programs and regular assessment of academic achievement, retention, persistence, and institutional effectiveness for program improvement. The EVCAA also serves in the chancellor’s absence as the institution’s senior institutional officer.