Administrative responsibilities for the academic programs at Valparaiso University reside in the Office of the Provost. Eric W. Johnson ’87, Ph.D. is interim provost. The provost serves in a position similar to that of a chief operating officer in the corporate setting and functions as the chief executive officer in the absence of the president. In addition to providing leadership for academic programs, the provost has oversight for the Vice President for Student Life, the Chapel and Church Vocations, and the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources. The major academic units at Valparaiso University are:

• College of Arts and Sciences – Jon T. Kilpinen ’88, Ph.D., dean
• College of Business – Niclas Erhardt, Ph.D., dean
• College of Engineering – Doug Tougaw (MBA ’05), Ph.D., P.E., interim dean
• College of Nursing and Health Professions – Karen Allen, Ph.D., dean
• Christ College – The Honors College – Susan VanZanten, Ph.D., dean
• Graduate School and Continuing Education – Patricia Mileham, M.A., acting dean

Lissa Yogan, Ph.D.
Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs

Areas of Responsibility:

• Faculty Affairs
• Experiential & Service Learning
• Student Advising
• Core Curriculum Oversight
• Sponsored and Student Research – Dorothy Warner, director
• Student Research – Stan Zygmunt, assistant director
• Valparaiso Institute for Teaching and Learning (VITAL) – Cynthia Rutz, director of Faculty Development, and Kevin Steele, director of Instructional Technology, Design & Assessment

Byron Martin, Ph.D.
Interim Assistant Provost for Inclusion and Retention

Areas of Responsibility:

• Campus Diversity and Inclusion
• Diversity Advocates for Hiring and Retention
• Diversity and Inclusion Programming
• Diversity Facilitators Program
• Intercultural and International Engagement
  • Office of Multicultural Programs – Christina Hearne, interim director
  • International Scholars and Compliance – Janice Lin, director
  • Study Abroad – Erin Kunert, director
• Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center – Tim Malchow, director
• Retention and Student Success Services – Jennifer Easthope, interim executive director
  • Academic Success Center – Tricia Armstrong, director
  • Access and Accommodations Resource Center – Christina Hearne, director
  • Veterans – Emily Ensweiler, coordinator

Office Staff

Allison Kroft, Executive Assistant and Budget Officer

Areas of Responsibility:

• Coordinates meetings and processes forms, contracts, and correspondence for the provost
• Runs budget reports, processes forms and transfers for the Provost Office managed accounts, and serves as budget liaison with Finance Office

Karen Palm, Faculty Governance and Communication Specialist

Areas of Responsibility:

• Assists faculty governance committees with meeting logistics, committee activities, appointment letters, and internal governance website
• Processes faculty and student grant applications and grant reimbursement forms for the CELT and CWR committees
• Assists with the processing, evaluation, and development of campus-wide communication related to academic and faculty concerns and coordinates content maintenance of websites
• Assists academic departments with faculty recruitment process, including job postings and on-campus interview logistics and forms

Laura Beach, Faculty Services Specialist

Areas of Responsibility:

• Assists with the processing, evaluation, and development of initial and ongoing faculty appointment letters and faculty services processes
• Maintains faculty qualifications documentation
• Serves as liaison for academic departments and colleges for tenure and promotion process
• Serves as liaison for faculty employment with Human Resource Services

Merri Roddy, Business Liaison, Office of Inclusion and Retention

Areas of Responsibility:

• Budget support for Assistant Provost for Inclusion and Retention, Executive Director of International and Intercultural Engagement, and five Inclusion and Retention functional areas
• Technical and administrative support for the Presidential Commission for an Inclusive Valparaiso Community (CIVC)
• Logistic and budgetary support for International Scholar Housing and Global Education Study Centers
• Logistic and budget support for large-scale University Inclusion initiatives