An Important Update from the University of Indianapolis Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the University of Indianapolis Community:

After ten years as President of the University of Indianapolis, Robert L. Manuel, Ph.D., today will be named the next president of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Manuel and the Board are working on a leadership transition that will occur before the start of the next academic year.

The Board of Trustees has formed a Presidential Search Committee and additional details related to that process and the Committee’s composition will be forthcoming. The Trustees are committed to broad representation and engagement with the full University of Indianapolis community in this important process in the coming months.

Dr. Manuel has created a significant record of service and stewardship of the University of Indianapolis since his arrival in 2012. Driven by the Vision 2030 strategic plan, Dr. Manuel ushered in a modern era at the University, overseeing unprecedented academic, financial, and physical growth. 

During his tenure, President Manuel launched the Campaign for the University of Indianapolis, the largest fundraising campaign in University history, which raised more than $100 million over the life of the campaign. From the construction of the Health Pavilion to the creation of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering and the opening of R.B. Annis Hall, and enhancing community partnerships, President Manuel has grown the University’s impact exponentially within the central Indiana region and throughout the Midwest. We are committed and excited to continue that growth into the future. 

Thanks in part to the hard work, dedication, and generational impact of Dr. Manuel in finding ways to elevate the stature of the University as an institution and in our community—through the growth of academic programs, sustainability, and the University’s role as a community anchor—we are excited about the depth and breadth of candidates the search process will attract. 

While a comprehensive national search is conducted to select the next President of the University of Indianapolis, and to continue the efforts of the previous administration, the Board has appointed Phillip Terry, immediate past Chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, as interim President beginning July 2, 2022 and continuing until a new University President is appointed by the Board. 

The University remains in the hands of a talented senior leadership team with the full support of the Board of Trustees. Innovation, adaptation, and a commitment to shared governance have been hallmark qualities of the campus community throughout our history and those bedrock principles will continue to guide the University’s path forward.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Manuel for his considerable achievements at the University of Indianapolis and congratulate him on his new opportunity at DePaul University. As we look ahead, the Board of Trustees thanks you for your continued support and invites you to engage with us in this process as we embark on the next chapter in the University’s history.

Sincerely,

David Resnick

University of Indianapolis Board of Trustees

Chair