Student named to committee to find athletic director

By announcing the addition of IU senior Drew Allenspach to the athletics director search committee on Tuesday, IU President Michael McRobbie drew praise from student leaders, who called the announcement a sign of the president’s commitment to student opinion.

McRobbie faced some criticism earlier this week after announcing a 13-member search committee and failing to include a student in that initial announcement. A follow-up announcement issued in a news release on Tuesday included a list with Allenspach’s name.

“I am very honored to be selected to the committee,” Allenspach said.

A senior business major and captain of the men’s golf team, Allenspach was named a Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America and also earned honors as an Academic All-American in 2007.

“Drew has distinguished himself as both a student and an athlete, and I am confident he will give our students an effective voice in the search process,” McRobbie said in a press release Tuesday.

The 14-member search committee, headed by IU Vice President for Engagement Bill Stephan, has not set a timetable for when the committee will recommend candidates to McRobbie.

While some initially expressed concern Monday that McRobbie would not include a student on the search committee, University spokesman Larry MacIntyre said McRobbie had always planned to include a student representative. Since many students are still gone for the summer, he said it took the administration “a couple of extra days to locate a student.”

Chair of the Student VOICE Project Alexandra Chtchedrina expressed concern Monday about what appeared to be a lack of student representation on the search committee. Tuesday’s announcement brought a change in Chtchedrina’s attitude, however.

“What better way to increase collaboration and understanding between students and administrators than to work together, side-by-side on such matters?” she added in an e-mail.

IU Student Trustee A.D. King said Tuesday’s announcement was a positive move
for McRobbie.

“I think the appointment is indicative of President McRobbie’s commitment to students,” King said.

Cases where student interests are involved will continue to require their representation in the future, King said.

“I believe it is especially important to have student representation on this committee because our students care deeply about the teams that represent Indiana University in intercollegiate competition,” McRobbie said in the press release.