Ball State University's vice president for Information Technology has a permanent seat with the other seven members of President Jo Ann Gora's cabinet, according to an e-mail letter Gora sent out Monday.
Philip Repp, who had been serving as interim vice president for Information Technology, will take over the permanent position, which oversees University Computing Services, University Libraries and University Teleplex, as well as several supporting technology areas at Ball State.
Repp came to Ball State in 1981 and was named the associate vice president of information technology in 2002. He replaced former vice president O'Neal Smitherman, who left the university in November 2007.
In her letter, Gora commended Repp for his work with the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series and the Emerging Media Initiative.
Letterman's lecture series is the result of a seven-figure check the Ball State alumnus gave to the university during his September 2007 visit for the dedication of the David Letterman Communication and Media Building. The series will bring nationally recognized media professionals such as journalist Ted Koppel to speak at Ball State.
The Emerging Media Initiative came from a $17.7 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, and it will go toward improving media programs at Ball State.
"Our leadership in emerging media owes much to Phil's tireless pursuit of new technology-related immersive learning opportunities for our students," Gora said in a press statement. "... As we pursue even more ambitious goals with our new Emerging Media Initiative, Phil's commitment, as well as his more than 25 years of information technology and higher education experience, should prove only more valuable to Ball State's future success in this vital area."
Repp said he doesn't expect his day-to-day work to change much because he's been the interim vice president for the past year, but for long-term projects, he plans to focus on improving academic technology support around campus. This will include modernizing equipment in labs and providing better technology training and help.
Information Technology will also begin updating student services such as online course registration and tuition payment systems over the next five to seven years.
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