The University of Indianapolis recently announced a number of high-ranking new hires, including Pamela Wimbush and Dan Heiser.
According to a Jan. 21 press release, Wimbush serves as the first dean of UIndy Online and the Sease Institute, having begun Feb. 3. Wimbush previously worked at California State University, Sacramento, where, according to her CSUS page, she was “associate dean of program success and operational excellence” within the College of Continuing Education.
UIndy Provost and Executive Vice President Chris Plouff said the UIndy Online and Sease Institute programs are geared toward “post-traditional” learners, an umbrella term for students who do not start college directly out of high school. UIndy President Tanuja Singh said a key difference between UIndy Online and the Sease Institute is the type of programs offered. She said UIndy Online will consist mainly of degree-granting programs with a focus on transcripts. However, she said the Sease Institute will focus on short-term training programs that may be as little as three, six or 12 credit hours, often geared toward people already employed.
According to Singh, Wimbush has extensive experience in the area of online higher education.
“She has done everything from the very operational level, building programs, to working with government, working with corporations, working with external and internal partners in delivering these kinds of programs,” Singh said.
Singh said online learners’ needs are different from those of other students, and she said Wimbush grasps this area well. According to UIndy’s press release, at CSUS, Wimbush was responsible for leading the strategy of online learning programs. In addition to her CSUS experience, Wimbush has also worked at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Hampton University and Johns Hopkins University. Plouff said the Sease Institute has already launched, and UIndy Online began to launch immediately after Wimbush’s first day.
According to Heiser’s LinkedIn, he serves at UIndy as the “special advisor to the president for international strategy,” and began in January. Plouff said Heiser’s role is to help implement the university’s international strategy. Plouff added that the university looks to expand its outreach to encourage international connections of students. This includes international students studying at UIndy’s campus, U.S. students studying abroad and other international partnerships. He said Heiser has significant experience in international education programs. Singh said Heiser has led international programs at other universities, having worked in foreign countries such as Bahrain, the Czech Republic and Taiwan. There, Plouff said, Heiser developed relationships and helped build programs, bringing valuable experience and knowledge to UIndy. According to Heiser’s LinkedIn, he was also previously the dean of the business school at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin.
“I’m delighted to join UIndy to help develop the university’s strategy for international engagement,” Heiser said in an email statement. “The college experience is one of a few occasions that can truly change the arc of someone’s life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, the opportunity to broaden your horizons, build a global mindset and gain an appreciation for different perspectives is an integral part of that.”
Wimbush said she has over 20 years of higher-education experience, a large portion of it in professional online education. She said she has improved her knowledge of learning management systems and building new degree programs in the undergraduate, graduate and professional spaces. She has worked with internal, external, community and corporate partners. She has also served on the board of UPCEA, as well as as the chair or co-chair of committees within this organization. She described herself as a “scholar, practitioner, researcher and educator.”
“[My] goal is to expand UIndy Online and the Sease Institute, based on the vision Dr. Singh has for the university, to expand the university beyond,” Wimbush said.
Singh said that the new hires will, in her opinion, directly and positively impact students’ time at UIndy. She said the goal is to enhance the experience for all students, whether they are enrolled in face-to-face, hybrid or online classes.
“So the services that they would be providing to these students should be similar, they should be seamless,” Singh said. “If you’re a student at UIndy, you should have access to career coaching, you should have access to university resources and that is something that they [Wimbush and Heiser] would be creating.”
