SR0274 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0274 LRB102 18265 ECR 25946 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Larry Dietz is retiring as the 19th president of Illinois State University (ISU), a position he assumed on March 22, 2014; and

WHEREAS, During the tenure of President Larry Dietz, ISU has seen record enrollment, including increases in enrollment of students from underrepresented groups, while maintaining high academic quality; and

WHEREAS, Illinois State University continues to be ranked among the top universities in the United States, recognized for its strong retention rate, top 10 percent graduation rate, and very low student loan default rate; it has achieved record fundraising in recent years and initiated its second comprehensive campaign, Redbirds Rising: The Campaign for Illinois State University; and

WHEREAS, Despite difficult economic times in Illinois, Illinois State University has remained strong and stable under Larry Dietz's leadership and is making plans to reach new heights in the future; and

WHEREAS, Larry Dietz came to Illinois State University in June of 2011 as vice president for Student Affairs and as a tenured associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations; previously, he served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale for ten years; he also served as special assistant to the chancellor at SIUC and as a tenured associate professor in educational administration and higher education; prior to his tenure there, he served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, among other leadership positions, at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and in leadership positions at Iowa State University; and

WHEREAS, Larry Dietz earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration and a master's degree in higher education and student personnel from Iowa State University; he has a bachelor's degree in political science from Southern Illinois University; he attended the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University, a Fulbright International Education Seminar for Administrators in Germany, and the Harvard Management Development Program; and

WHEREAS, A strong supporter of global education, Larry Dietz has implemented plans to enhance diversity, support global learning, and create a global campus environment at Illinois State University; his international experiences include representing the American Universities Iraq Consortium on a panel with Prime Minister Al-Malaki and representing SIUC at the Iraq Education Initiative in Baghdad; in addition, he had responsibility for SIUC's campus in Japan and has negotiated agreements with institutions in China, Malaysia, Kuwait, Germany, and the Czech Republic; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare June 30, 2021 to be Larry Dietz Commemoration Day to commemorate Larry Dietz on his years of service and to wish him the best in retirement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Larry Dietz as a symbol of our respect and esteem.