Heckler Interview 12-07-15

[78crusader]

President Heckler gave his semiannual interview to WVUR this evening.  Highlights:

1. New science building is 56,000 SF and will be ready by fall 2017;

2. New sorority housing ready for occupancy fall 2016;

3. Current VUPD building just across from sorority housing will be demolished, as well as the apartment complex next door (this might be gone already, it looked like it was ready for demo when I was on campus in August) and a new frat will go in its place -- I think they mentioned Phi Psi (?) but not sure.  Another frat will go in at the bottom of the hill on the same side of the street -- I think he said Sig Ep, but again I'm not sure.  Sounds like the Sig Ep national group is still fund raising for this building, so it might be awhile before you see anything go up there.  VUPD will be relocated in a building occupied by the former hospital complex -- sounds like the one on the corner of LaPorte and Garfield, but not completely sure on this. 

4. His primary focus right now is fundraising for the endowment, although he mentioned "a lot of work is going on" for the new set of building projects (I emphasize that he said "projects" not "project"), but he is not prepared yet to say what these projects are.

5. Typical talk about diversity blah blah blah... Caution: editorial comment warning --Can someone, anyone, please interview a college president without having to talk about this?  VU has hired a someone who is the Provost for Inclusion.  No, that is not a joke -- Provost for Inclusion.  Heckler followed the PC script and used the term "marginalized" in his answer, in discussing how "students feel they are not being heard."

Paul

[vu72]

Thanks for the heads up.  I listened after your post.  Yes, it is the Phi Psi house going in at the current police station site.  Don Fites (for Caterpillar CEO) made a substantial gift toward the project.  Sig Ep is still fund raising.  Obviously Phi Psi and Sig Ep are the only two frats left on Mound St.  The University has a plan to make Mound Street some sort of grander entrance to the Law School.  Getting the Frats over to Union will make it much more of a traditional college venue.  It also will work out nicely for my Phi Psi brothers who will now reside directly across the street from 125 sorority women!   

[agibson]

VU has hired a someone who is the Provost for Inclusion.  No, that is not a joke -- Provost for Inclusion.

Assistant Provost.  (One of two, with an associate as well.)

http://www.valpo.edu/provost/
http://www.valpo.edu/news/2015/06/14/valparaiso-university-appoints-assistant-provost-for-inclusion/

Areas of Responsibility:

Academic Success Center – Tricia White, director
Campus Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Disability Support Services
Diversity Advocates for Hiring and Retention
Diversity and Inclusion Programming
Diversity Facilitators Program
Veterans Affairs

[valpo64]

Sorry to disagree, but Provost of Inclusion IS  a joke!  What a waste of $$$!  Who's in charge?  Sounds like the student body.

[bbtds]

Sorry to disagree, but Provost of Inclusion IS  a joke!  What a waste of $$$!  Who's in charge?  Sounds like the student body.

No, the student body probably doesn't feel included enough in decision making to be in charge.

[usc4valpo]

only 2 frats on Mound Street? Wow, things have changed. How many frats are there, and what percentage of the male enrollment join frats?

[Vale O. Paradise]

Nine Fraternities, 376 members....about 25% of undergrads.

http://www.valpo.edu/greek/documents/2014-2015%20Annual%20Report.pdf

[VULB#62]

One of the nice things about my trip to Butler for the FB game was walking around their campus.  They have a very nice fraternity/sorority row set up on the border of the main campus.  Each house is individually designed but they fit into the overall campus architectural theme.  They have been in place for decades.  Hopefully the overall plan at Valpo will be to congregate all the fraternity houses in the same general area.  The sorority complex already does that for the women.