HR0271 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0271 LRB102 18256 ECR 25928 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Illinois State University (ISU) President Dr. Larry Dietz has announced he will retire as the University's 19th president on June 30, 2021, capping a higher education career surpassing 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Southern Illinois University; he earned a master's degree in higher education and student personnel and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa State 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, Dr. Larry Dietz 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; he then served as vice chancellor for Student Affairs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) for 10 years; he also served as special assistant to the chancellor at SIUC and as a tenured associate professor in educational administration and higher education; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz arrived at ISU in June of 2011 as vice president for Student Affairs and as a tenured associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations; he was appointed the University's 19th president in March of 2014; and

WHEREAS, During Dr. Larry Dietz's tenure, ISU has enjoyed thriving enrollment and is continually ranked among the top universities in the United States for high graduation and retention rates and low student loan default rates; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz oversaw revisions of ISU's strategic plan and expanded on its core values, which are currently Learning and Scholarship, Diversity and Inclusion, Respect, Collaboration, Individualized Attention, Civic Engagement, and Integrity; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz secured the addition of a degree program in cybersecurity while paving the way for a new engineering program at ISU; his initiatives include opening the University's Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning, renovating the Bone Student Center, creating a more international campus community, and shepherding plans for the new Multicultural Center; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, Dr. Larry Dietz created the Campus Climate Task Force to review diversity, equity, and inclusion needs on campus; he formed the President's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council and also hired the University's first assistant to the president for Diversity and Inclusion; and

WHEREAS, Fundraising under Dr. Larry Dietz's leadership reached record levels with gifts and commitments totaling more than $180 million through Redbirds Rising: The Campaign for Illinois State University; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz managed ISU through the 793 day Illinois budget impasse from July 1, 2015 to August 31, 2017; he often used the phrase "strong and stable" to define Illinois State's resiliency during those fiscally troubling years; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz has led ISU as it grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic; he has worked to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the University community will remain Illinois State's top priority during his final months on campus; and

WHEREAS, Currently the longest serving of all Illinois public university presidents, Dr. Larry Dietz will complete his fourth year as the convener of the Illinois public university presidents and chancellors group; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz has served on numerous local not-for-profit agency committees, many times jointly chairing community efforts with his wife, Marlene; their service has included co-chairing events benefiting the American Red Cross, Easter Seals, the March of Dimes, the Illinois Symphony, and Marcfirst; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Larry Dietz's local and regional honors include the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Legacy of Excellence Award and the Outstanding Volunteer Mission Award from the American Heart and Stroke Association; he also earned the Missouri Valley Conference Outstanding Leadership Award as chair of the MVC President's Council; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate President Dr. Larry Dietz on his retirement from Illinois State University and his more than 50 years of service to the field of higher education, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

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