Dr. Earl D. Brooks, II, a 1977 graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he also earned his master's and doctorate degrees, is in his fourth year as president of Tri-State University. Brooks is the second youngest person to serve as president of Tri-State University and the youngest college president in the state of Indiana.

A native of Claiborne County, Tennessee, Brooks has served as the chief operating officer at two well-established schools of higher learning and is recognized as an accomplished fund-raiser and strategic planner. Brooks began his tenure as the 16th president of Tri-State University, Indiana's leading comprehensive institution of career-oriented education, on June 1, 2000.

Since assuming office, President Brooks has focused his attention on three vital areas: instituting a campus-wide planning and assessment effort, revitalizing and revamping the University's recruitment and enrollment procedures, and launching the largest capital campaign in the history of the University.

To lead the campus-wide planning and assessment effort, Brooks established a 15-member committee that involves the entire University community. "Administrative and academic areas alike must take part in the process that looks at how our resources and operations impact on student learning and determines where improvement is needed," Brooks said.

"It is important that we view this planning assessment effort as an ongoing process. The public demands, and rightly so, greater efficiency and accountability from colleges and universities," he continued. "I believe that through our emphasis on institutional effectiveness, Tri-State will be prepared for the challenge."

The University's recruitment efforts have been revitalized, and Brooks led the reorganization of the enrollment management process at Tri-State University. Through the coordinated efforts of the offices of Admission, Financial Planning, and Public Relations, and the academic units, Tri-State has increased the size and frequency of mailings, moved the announcement of financial awards to an earlier date, and introduced telemarketing to augment the efforts of the admission counselors, who traditionally have spent a great deal of time traveling.

As a result of these efforts, Tri-State has experienced increases in the number of inquiries regarding programs and admission, from 5,300 to 12,000; applications have increased from 1,250 to 2,150; and the SAT scores of new students have gradually  increased annually. Facilitating these efforts has been enhanced with the renovation of Forman Hall, which houses the University's enrollment management offices and the elegant and inviting Trine Welcome Center. In addition to providing convenient, "one-stop shopping" services for prospective and entering students, this renovated facility now provides a positive first impression of the University. The facility is also home to Centennial Station, TSU's new coffee house which serves the community, faculty, staff and students.

"Tri-State is one of the few private colleges and universities in Indiana that has shown consistent increases in enrollment, and we are working very hard to enhance that pattern of growth," Brooks said. "This is a great University with tremendous programs, resources and opportunities for students who are interested in a career-oriented education, and that's the message we will continue to take to prospective students in the tri-state area and beyond."

To launch the next capital campaign, Brooks has worked with trustees, alumni, staff and friends of the University in identifying the goals for the campaign. "A new suggested goal for the campaign is $70 million. Although that figure is not set in stone, what is certain is that 50 percent of the funds raised must be for the endowment—a significant increase in our endowment is our best avenue for reducing the University's dependence on tuition dollars and achieving financial security," Brooks said. Since June 2001, the campaign, which is still in the silent phase, has commitments in excess of $37 million toward the goal.

In raising these funds, Brooks will be increasing the University's foundation and corporate contacts, heightening the emphasis on estate and planned giving, and encouraging greater alumni participation. "There are many challenges ahead, but I see them as opportunities to enhance the reputation, the standing and the mission of Tri-State University," Brooks said.

During his tenure as TSU's president, Brooks has enhanced processes by implementing and initiating steps that have resulted in the following:

• The University has sought and received approval from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to become a graduate degree-granting institution and began a master's degree program in engineering technology;
• Transition from the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), Division III is underway. The University has completed the NCAA exploratory year and has joined the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association;
• Substantial growth has taken place in the University's Evening Program and off-campus sites-these non-traditional students now represent 25 percent of the total student body;
• Tri-State's academic departments have been reorganized into four schools: the Allen School of Engineering and Technology, the Ketner School of Business, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education. Implemented in June 2001, the four-school structure facilitates the administration and marketing of the University; and
• To provide our students with opportunities for gaining a global perspective, which has become critical to effective leadership in such fields as business, engineering and the sciences, Tri-State University has joined a group of Council of Independent Colleges in the InterAmerican Consortium of Higher Education. The consortium provides opportunities for student exchange programs between its member institutions and institutions in Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, France, Italy and Panama.
• Acquisition of the Plastics Technology Center in town and expansion of its offerings and operation to better serve the community, businesses and corporations.
• Major capital expansion is taking place with the new TSU Campus Village providing apartment style residential housing, the new Ketner Sports Complex, the boulevard entrance to the University and the renovation of Sniff Hall which will house the Sponsel Administration Center.

Change for the sake of change is meaningless; thus, Brooks keeps at the forefront of these efforts, the long-term goals and purposes of the University.

"Central to Tri-State's mission of providing a top-notch, comprehensive, career-oriented education is our commitment to provide our students with opportunities to experience growth in character, values and principles," Brooks said. As educators, we need to guide and encourage the development of our students intellectual and physical abilities, to teach them to think critically and creatively and to communicate effectively."

Realizing that learning is a lifelong process and that the best education is one that is fostered, nurtured and encouraged not just by educational institutions, but by the entire community, Tri-State University has entered into a number of community-based partnerships and collaborations. These include an agreement with the Plastics Technology Center in Angola to offer University credit for students enrolled in one of the Center's three five-week courses, giving the students an incentive to pursue an associate or bachelor degree in business or engineering.

Brooks also is a member of the board of directors of the Indiana Technology Partnership (ITP). The mission of the ITP is to establish Indiana as the recognized leader in technology in the Midwest by the year 2005. With Tri-State University's highly recognized engineering and technology programs, the opportunities for Tri-State to contribute to the technological development of Indiana and for ITP to support and champion Tri-State's engineering, technology and science programs are considerable.

Opportunities to share the University's expertise and facilities are also being explored with the Breeden YMCA & Learning Center in Angola and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (NIIC) in Fort Wayne, IN. The goals of the NIIC are to develop future leaders; to support and encourage new business ventures, especially those that are technologically-based; and, as stated in the NIIC's 2001 annual report, to work "with schools, colleges and universities to find and fill critical gaps and to increase the educational bandwidth of our children."

Another objective and benefit of community-based partnerships is that they foster strong, positive relationships between young people and the communities in which they live, making them better, more caring and active citizens.

"We must work to deepen our students understanding and appreciation of the world and to awaken in them a sense of obligation and desire to be of service to society," Brooks said. This is, in the end, what we are all about-the education and development of our students."

Brooks comes to Tri-State from Wesley College in Dover, Delaware, where he served as executive vice president from August 1997 to May 2000. Prior to Wesley, Brooks was the senior vice president at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, a position he held from 1992-97. Other positions at Lincoln included vice president and dean of life-long learning (1990-92), vice president for academic affairs (1986-90), dean of professional studies (1985-86), chair of the sciences (1982-85), and member of the science faculty (1980-97). He also served as the chief operating officer during his tenures at Lincoln Memorial University and Wesley College.

As executive vice president of Wesley College, Dr. Brooks was the chief operating officer (acting on behalf of the president in his absence) responsible for the departments of advancement, admissions, financial aid, student life, athletics, information systems, contract services and operations. During his first year a Wesley, over $6 million was procured and expensed for capital improvements and operations. Nearly $14 million was raised during the next two years, earning Wesley accolades as the 1999 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education's "Circle of Excellence" award winner for fund-raising improvement.

New, exciting programs and approaches facilitated Wesley's significant enrollment growth: headcount rose from 1,052 to 1,700; residential enrollment increased by 120 percent; the number of full-time students increased by 54 percent; and the number of new students doubled. The curriculum was expanded to include four gradate programs, a Wilmington Center for Adult Studies opened in January 2000, three new intercollegiate sports were added, and institutionally-funded scholarships were increased by 15 percent.

Dr. Brooks had similar results in his assignments at Lincoln Memorial University. He was a principal officer for the University's $40 million capital campaign. Lincoln gained recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as a "Circle of Excellence" winner for fundraising performance (1991-94). Over $12 million was expensed for physical plant improvements during his tenure as senior vice president. He administered the LMU adult degree and continuing education program, which grew to over 1,000 learners at five off-campus centers and 15,000 non-credit learners annually. He was responsible for long-range planning, outcomes assessment and new program development.

He is active in a number of professional organizations including the Council of Independent Colleges, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, National Association of College and University Business Officers, and is an active member of the President's Council and Board of Control of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Brooks is also active on the boards of the Independent Colleges of Indiana and the Steuben County Community Foundation.

Please feel free to contact President Brooks at brookse@tristate.edu to ask questions or to request additional information about Tri-State University.

A small-town, private and independent institution, Tri-State University has a worldwide reputation for excellence. Established in 1884 by the citizens of Angola, Indiana, Tri-State has quietly earned and maintained this reputation by developing programs that respond to the needs of business and industry and by producing graduates who are ready to work.

Tri-State University annually enrolls approximately 1,475 students in the Allen School of Engineering and Technology, the Ketner School of Business, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, the Angola Evening Program and at its off-campus sites in Fort Wayne, South Bend and Merrillville, Indiana. The University's beautiful 400-plus acre main campus features the 18-hole championship Zollner Golf Course and is located in the scenic lake-resort region of northeast Indiana, within easy driving distance from such major metropolitan areas as Fort Wayne, IN; Chicago, IL; Toledo, OH; and Lansing, MI.