ISU trustees approve formation of search committee for ISU's 13th president [The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.]

Oct. 20—Indiana State University trustees on Friday approved the formation of a search committee for ISU's next president.

The committee's leadership will consist of ISU trustee John Pratt, who will serve as the search committee chair; trustee Cynthia Powers, who will serve as vice chair; trustee Cheryl Roberson; and trustee chairman Robert Casey, who will be an ex-officio member.

Rex Kendall, ISU chief of staff, also will serve as an ex-officio committee member.

The committee will include representation from various stakeholder groups across campus and externally, Casey said during the meeting. Its full membership will be announced at a later time.

"This decision is the most important decision the board of trustees will make," Casey said. "I appointed the leadership of the search committee today. We will flesh out the remaining members of the committee in the near future and those names will be publicized."

He anticipated the full committee will be named in the next week or two.

Their work is expected to extend into spring. "I can't say exactly when there would be a successor named, but it will be sometime probably in the spring," he said.

Trustees want to be sure "we have the best input from key stakeholder groups" as far as the skills, qualifications and attributes the next ISU leader should possess. That information will be turned into a position description.

The search committee will conduct listening sessions, and it also will be assisted by a search firm that specializes in executive hiring for higher education.

On Oct. 4, ISU President Deborah J. Curtis announced her retirement after nearly 38 years in higher education.

Curtis said she will serve through June 30, 2024, although her contract extends through June 30, 2025.

She began her tenure as the 12th president of ISU on Jan. 3, 2018.

In May 2021 she received a three-year contract extension through June 30, 2025.

"It's just the right time," she told reporters earlier this month. "Thirty-eight years in higher education and having had the opportunity to serve my alma mater for six years, it doesn't get any better than that."

After Friday's trustee meeting, Casey was asked about the final year of Curtis' contract and whether any negotiations are underway.

"I can't really get into personnel decisions that the board of trustees could be involved with," he said. "There are certain things that may require a public vote by the board of trustees if they involve contract provisions or changes."

As to whether the president was asked to leave before the end of her current contract, he declined comment.

At the meeting, he recognized Curtis' 38 years "of dedicated service in higher education and her leadership in various roles."

She is culminating that career at her alma mater, "which she is very passionate about," he said.

Cybercriminology lab named

During the meeting, trustees approved the naming of the Robert Casey Cybercriminology and Intelligence Analysis Laboratory.

The room (HH009) in Holmstedt Hall will recognize a $100,000 gift by Casey that establishes the Robert Casey Securing our Future Scholarship, which supports students in the School of Criminology and Security Studies interested in pursuing a career in public service, corporate, or private security services.

Casey, an ISU trustee and current board chair, began his career as a police officer in Houston before joining the FBI in 1986. He served 25 years as an FBI agent in Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Dallas.

Casey retired from the FBI in 2012 and was named the head of global security at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis.

5.1% increase in insurance premiums

Also Friday, trustees approved a 5.1% increase in health insurance premiums for 2024; the university has a self insurance plan, administered by Anthem.

The projected cost of the plan for 2024 is $16.6 million, with about 70% funded by ISU; that figure includes medical, prescription, dental and other costs. The university has a PPO plan and a high deductible plan, as well as a subsidized plan for employees whose household income is below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Diann McKee, senior vice president for finance and administration, said claims experience for medical and prescription costs through August 2023 have trended higher than anticipated.

"The increase is driven mostly by large medical claims and more prevalent use of a new drug category called GLP-1 medications," such as Trulicity and Ozempic, she said. Those are diabetic medications that also now are being prescribed for weight loss and weight management.

Those medications cost between $800 to $1,000 per month and no generic will be available for several years, she said.

ISU also has experienced some increase in use of specialty drugs.

Inflationary trend factors used to establish 2024 rates include a 6% increase for medical expenditures and an 11.5% increase for prescription drugs

"I've been involved in the university's health plan for at least 30 years. I don't ever recall one medication or type of medication having that much of a significant impact on costs," McKee said.

For those on the PPO plan, used by the majority of employees, premium increases range from $14 to $36 per month.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected] Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue

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