During his decade as president of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Lawrence
K. Pettit has engendered a supportive and caring atmosphere that has promoted the
intellectual and academic climate of the university.
1. Recognition of IUP
Testimony to the success of his tenure has been the university’s recognition by
independent higher consumer guides and books, including most recently
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The 2003 edition of The Unofficial, Unbiased Insider’s Guide to the 320 Most
Interesting Colleges by Trent Anderson and Seppy Basili.
A nine-year appearance in annual installments of U.S. News and World
Report’s best colleges edition, which has classified IUP as one of the nation’s
top national universities, placing IUP in its third tier among the top 175
institutions in the country.
The Princeton Review’s 2003 edition of The Best 335 Colleges, as well as the
2001 edition of The Best 331 Colleges.
The November, 2001, edition of Careers and Colleges magazine, which
included IUP in its article, “Great Schools at a Great Price.”
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s annual survey, which cited IUP as one
of the hundred best buys in public colleges and universities.
The following represent the paramount accomplishments of Dr. Pettit’s tenure.
2. Robert E. Cook Honors College
The university’s first six-figure gift, made during the capital campaign President
Pettit initiated in the early part of his tenure, funded the establishment of the Robert
E. Cook Honors College.
The Honors College, housed in the refurbished Whitmyre Hall, provides a
comprehensive intellectual experience to top students that has been described by
Donald Asher, author of Cool Colleges for the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late
Blooming, and Just Plain Different, as a place that takes “kids, bright as all heck but
not necessarily worldly, and gives them every advantage that education can bestow
on those thirsty for the benefit….it is designed, right down to the magazines on the
tables and the wallpaper on the walls, to foster a life of intellectualism and culture.
This is a residential immersion program (with) an innovative core curriculum…. This
was the most genuine and unpretentious place I visited.”
Since its establishment, the Honors College’s students have received such prestigious
awards as the Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship, Fulbright Scholarships, Goldwater
Scholarship, National Science Foundation Fellowship, and the Freeman-Asia
Scholarship. Honors College students have been finalists for both the Marshall and
Truman scholarships.
3. Cogeneration
Upon President Pettit’s arrival to IUP in 1992, the university faced a financial liability:
the recapture pool of the cogeneration plant, which was built in the 1980s, had
reached $26 million, and the debt was quickly rising because of fluctuations in the
cost of energy since the time IUP had signed a contract with the electric utility.
Projections showed that by 2000, IUP would be hobbled by more than $200 million in
debt. Negotiations with the utility had reached a stalemate.
There were environmental concerns about the plant, as well. Faulty equipment had
caused damage in excess of a million dollars. Dr. Pettit authorized an investigation
in to the causes, and outside counsel was appointed to direct litigation. By the
middle of 1993, IUP had filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer over the
responsibility for costs to retrofit the cogeneration plant’s engine, and work had
begun to replace lower stacks with a 150-foot stack, meaning that upon completion,
the plant would meet clean-air standards.
By 1994 appeals to and negotiations with the Public Utilities Commission led to
elimination of future liability and debt. In 1996, IUP signed a new gas contract for
the cogeneration plant, saving more than $800,000 the first year.
4. Fiberoptic Backbone, Integrated Database, and Technology in General
Before President Pettit’s arrival, the university’s financial accounting and records
management were conducted on a hodgepodge of computers, using different
software packages. Simply, they did not talk. The results were duplicate records,
misinformation, sluggish information processing and reporting, and much more
paper than space to store it. The following was accomplished to solve it.
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Installation of fiberoptic cable under the campus, which began in October,
1992, enabled thousands of computers to be networked, as well as provided a
high-speed Internet connection to all buildings on the complex.
Integration of information followed over the next few years with institution of
an enterprise management system that provides record keeping and reporting
features, as well the ability to accept information online from the university’s
various constituencies: students, employees, and alumni.
Technology has progressed in academic life, as well. During President Pettit’s
tenure, student computing facilities were enhanced across the campus and in
academic settings.
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President Pettit commenced support for the development and delivery of online courses, technology support for faculty members and students in their
daily use of computing resources, and the enhancement of the library’s
electronic capabilities.
During the Pettit years, information literacy evolved from being an addendum
to the curriculum to being essential. This evolution led to the decentralization
of computing. Technology staffs were rearranged to better accommodate user
needs, as faculty members have required more assistance.
Student creature comforts have been enhanced by technological advances as well.
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Cable television and Internet connections are now available in all residence
hall rooms.
Because of a built-in microchip, students now use their student identification
cards for numerous activities (see section 7).
5. Planning, Improving, and Preserving the Physical Plant
Until President Pettit’s tenure, IUP was landlocked, confined to several square blocks,
wedged into the midst of Indiana Borough. Then came the purchase of two
properties: acreage from both Indiana County’s farm and the Campbell family farm.
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In his Five-Year Report, President Pettit said, “Some observers say that the
most important event that has happened in the past thirty years is our
acquisition of 137 acres of relatively open land adjacent to the existing
campus. We call the new property the South Campus. Without it, any
realistic plans for IUP’s growth would be modest indeed. But with it, we’ve
room to grow into the future. It’s hard to underestimate the importance of
this acquisition.”
The South Campus purchase made it realistic to create the Long-Range
Campus Plan, which over the course of twenty years proposes clustering
college departments and classes into common areas on campus, expanding
athletic facilities, constructing a greek community that will move fraternity
and sorority housing away from Indiana Borough, suggesting the possibility
for family housing for IUP’s adult and graduate students, and allowing the
campus community to prepare for what many in the region hope for: a facility
known as the Regional Development Complex, which would provide grand
possibilities for large-scale conventions, expositions, entertainment and
sporting events, and office space.
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Major projects that have occurred in accordance with the Long-Range Campus
Plan include
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The construction of the Eberly College of Business, funded by a twomillion-dollar gift from the Eberly Family Charitable Trust
Reconstruction of McElhaney Hall, funded by a 400,000 challenge gift
from the Kresge Foundation
The complete refurbishing of Clark Hall, Uhler Hall, and Whitmyre Hall,
which is home to the Robert E. Cook Honors College
The preservation and renovation of IUP’s old main, John Sutton Hall
a new parking garage that greatly eased one of the campus’s larger
problems
The renovation of Miller Stadium and the construction of new athletic
fields on the new property. The addition of Astroturf and lighting in
Miller Stadium made the stadium available for use twenty-four hours a
day.
The construction of three new entry ways to campus, enabling visitors
to know when they arrive on campus.
The $19 million renovation of the Hadley Union Building provides
students with refreshed atmosphere for dining, exercising, meeting,
and socializing.
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Facilities improvement has not been confined to bricks and mortar. President
Pettit also oversaw extensive improvements in landscaping and the
establishment of the Allegheny Arboretum at IUP, a consortium of arborists
and other interested individuals who strive to preserve the campus’s plant
life, from the majestic Oak Grove to the plantings that augment walkways
and structures.
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Planning in general has been a theme of President Pettit’s administration. In
2001, he merged the Administrative and Finance divisions and formed within
the new entity the Office of Planning and Analysis. Planning and Analysis
works with the University Planning Council, a group composed of employees
from all areas of the university to constantly assess where the university
stands and in what directions it should proceed.
6. Academic Recognition and Cultivation
Four years after President Pettit’s arrival, IUP received ten-year accreditation with no
conditions by Middle States Association, the highest possible level of reaccreditation.
Other accreditations or reaccreditations during his tenure have included the
following:
 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
 National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education
 Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (for Safety Sciences)
 American Association of Health Education, American Speech-Language
Hearing Association
 Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation
 National Association of Schools of Music
 National Association of Schools of Theater
 Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration
 National Association of School Psychologists
 American Psychology Association
 American Culinary Federation
 Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
 American Chemical Society
 Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
President Pettit also enticed national honor societies Phi Kappa Phi and Mortar Board
to establish chapters at IUP, the first multidiscipline honor societies to associate
themselves with IUP.
External alignments aside, President Pettit strived to improve the academic climate
on campus through supporting the university’s graduate and undergraduate missions
and by greatly improving academic facilities.
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On the graduate side, he convinced the State System of Higher Education to
recognize IUP’s doctoral offerings in its budget funding and has encouraged
the growth of distance education offerings.
On the undergraduate side, he introduced the notion of academic and servicelearning special interest floors in the residence halls, increased scholarship
support, provided additional funding for library acquisitions, expanded study
abroad and international student programs, and, of course, established the
Robert E. Cook Honors College.
7. Student Success Nurtured through Opportunities and Services
Young adults require nurturing not only academically but also socially. President
Pettit also recognizes them as consumers and, therefore, has strived to give them
the best experience possible.
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In terms of programming, President Pettit expanded the university’s
international exchange program, established special- and academic-interest
floors for community living in the residence halls, worked to establish the
Honors College, and more in the name of nurturing student success. Those
examples merely scratch the surface.
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In terms of facilities, President Pettit centralized student services, housing
them in more meaningful groupings after the renovation of Clark Hall; the
move placed the Registrar’s Office, the Financial Aid Office, the Student
Financial Services Office, and Office of Housing and Residence Life in one
building, providing one-stop convenience for student customers.
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The student identification card, known as the I-Card, was equipped with a
microchip, providing students with the ability to use just one card for myriad
students services: dining, banking, library resource checkout, debit
purchases in on- and off-campus establishments. IUP was one of the nation’s
first campuses to initiate one-card technology.
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Under President Pettit’s leadership, the Student Opportunity Fund, which
assists students with special financing for enrichment opportunities, was
established. In addition, scholarship support has increased nearly four fold in
the last decade.
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In the name of equity, President Pettit achieved substantial proportionality by
increasing scholarship aid to women’s athletics by $550,000 over the last five
years and by adding lacrosse and soccer to the women’s sports programs.
The Minority Recruitment and Retention Center was established to support a
diverse student populous.
While most of the items in this document were accomplished in the name of
improving the student experience, further highlights include
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The construction of an expanded Hadley Union Building.
A revitalized university website that eventually introduced online services and
information.
Allocated funding to develop freshman-year success projects in all of the
colleges.
8. Faculty Success: Supporting the Work of Pre-eminent Teacher Scholars
IUP has prided itself on the fact that classes at all levels, including the most basic,
are taught by faculty members, as opposed to graduate assistants. At the same
time, the faculty as a whole continues to be active in research and scholarly activity.
To support this dual life, two entities were established during the Pettit years: the
Center for Teaching Excellence and the Instructional Design Center.
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The Center for Teaching Excellence fosters the enhancement of teaching in all
its forms, seeking to provide constructive and developmental mechanisms for
nurturing teaching methods.
The Instructional Design Center provides faculty with state-of-the-art facilities
for multimedia production, image scanning, CD-ROM copying, World Wide
Web development, interactive tutorial and test authoring, and presentation
development.
If success is measured by achievement, IUP faculty members have recognized by
grant awards--$12.8 million alone last year—and in many cases by being elected by
their peers to serve in leadership positions in professional societies and edit
professional and scholarly journals. If IUP’s faculty is judged by the achievements of
the student body, then success has been sweet. More students have come home to
IUP with Fulbrights, Trumans, and the like during the last ten years than at any other
time in university history. Students have been invited to study at Oxford University
and at other prestigious locations abroad.
Regarding social equity, the Pettit years brought steady progress in the hiring and
retention of women and minorities. The function of social equity oversight was
shifted from the Student Affairs Division to the President’s Office.
9. Research and Institutes in the Name of Public Service and Economic
Development
Universities by virtue of their existence, provide an economic boost to their local and
regional communities. As a public university, IUP is further obligated to provide
public service. Research and institutes that work to making the world a better place
are a vital part of the life of a university.
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In fiscal year 2000-2001, IUP received $11.2 million in grant funding and in
fiscal year 2001-2002 $12.8 million from such entities as the Centers for
Disease Control, the National Science Foundation, the U.S Department of
Education, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Labor,
the National Institute of Justice, and more to conduct research and service.
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During President Pettit’s tenure, IUP formed a research corporation that works
to secure government and private-sector contracts, which, aside from their
intended purpose, give faculty members further experiences in their fields
and providing students with hands-on experience in research,
experimentation, and analysis.
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In the last ten years, IUP has become the host of entities such as the Center
for Homeland Security, which is a cluster of programs that address the
various aspects of domestic security, several levels of which were instituted
before September 11, 2001; the National Institute for Correctional Education;
and the Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance. IUP is one
of only six universities nationwide to reach the highest tier of citation by the
National Security Agency in regard to the latter.
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The following business- or government-to-university partnerships were
established under President Pettit’s leadership:
National Security
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Weapons of Mass Destruction Education and Training (WMD
E&T), a partnership with CTC of Johnstown.
National Emergency and Disaster Information Center (NEDIC)
partnership with Dynamics Research Corporation of Andover,
Mass., an incident management system for emergency
response.
Both NEDIC and WMD E&T are funded by the National Guard
Bureau.
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Along with the National Security Agency, the National
Cryptologic School, IUP is part of the NSA's Joint Intelligence
Virtual University. The partnership includes SAIC.
Through the Security Engineering Technology Program, IUP
partners with the Department of Energy's Sandia National Labs
and Arizona State University. The project’s scope includes the
development of a degree program and applied training.
Education
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The School Assisted Interactive Learning (SAIL) partnership,
with Mississippi State University and the University of Hawaii, is
funded by the Department of Defense Education Agency
The K-12 Computer Services Center is funded by U.S.
Department of Education and is a partnership between IUP and
Purchase Line, United, and Blairsville Saltsburg school districts.
10. Private Resource Development
In 1993, President Pettit initiated a $20 million capital campaign, the largest goal of
any campaign in the history of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
The campaign exceeded its goal in 1995, two years ahead of its projected completion
date. The final tally, $25 million, was twice what any other System university had
raised.
Highlights of the campaign include a
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$3.26 million gift from Robert E. Cook ’64 to establish an honors college in his
name.
$2 million from the Eberly Family Trust to construct a building for and endow
the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.
$400,000 challenge gift from the Kresge Foundation to renovate McElhaney
Hall.
A number of other gifts that supported a variety of academic initiatives.
Under President Pettit’s leadership, IUP’s endowment increased from $4 million to
$28 million. Scholarship support for students has increased by nearly four hundred
percent in the last decade, and corporate development committees, composed of
well-placed alumni, have been formed in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
President Pettit launched a second capital campaign, currently under way, that has
an ambitious goal of $34 million.
One campaign goal is the construction of a Regional Development Center, a complex
that will revitalize the Indiana community and region. The center’s plans call for an
arena-size auditorium for large performances and athletic contests, as well as
facilities for conferences and office space for selected grant-funded initiatives.