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 eighth 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 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 four vital areas: instituting a campus-wide planning and assessment effort, revitalizing and revamping the University's recruitment and enrollment procedures, launching the largest capital campaign in the history of the University, and focusing on a master plan for campus facilities.

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 5,000 to 12,000; applications have increased from 1,250 to 2,500; and the SAT scores of new students have gradually  increased annually. Facilitating these efforts has been 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. "The goal for the campaign is $90 million. Although that figure is not set in stone, what is certain is that 40 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 Vision for the Future capital campaign has commitments in excess of $70 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. The University is also a full NCAA member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association;
• Substantial growth has taken place in the University's Evening Program, and off-campus sites have expanded from four to seven sites. These non-traditional students now represent 25 percent of the total student body;
• Tri-State's academic departments have been reorganized into five schools: the Allen School of Engineering and Technology, the Ketner School of Business, the Jannen School of Arts and Sciences, the Franks School of Education, and the School of Professional Studies. Implemented in June 2001, the five-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 (now the TSU 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 student apartments providing apartment--style residential housing, the new Ketner Sports Complex, the boulevard entrance to the University, the renovation of Sniff Hall into the C.W. Sponsel Administration Center, and the construction of the new University Center and Center for Technology and Online Resources. Over $50 million of capital improvements have taken place since the launch of the Vision for the Future capital campaign.
• This is the University's fifth consecutive year of record financial success.
• This is the University's fourth consecutive year to be recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as a leading comprehensive college in the Midwest.

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.

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."

He is active in a number of professional organizations, including the Council of Independent Colleges, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the 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, where he serves as president. He is current past president of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

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 1,650 students in the Allen School of Engineering and Technology, the Ketner School of Business, the Jannen School of Arts and Sciences, the Franks School of Education, and the School of Professional Studies, which includes the Angola Evening Program and at its off-campus sites in Fort Wayne, South Bend, Howe, and Merrillville, Ind., as well as Centreville, Mich. 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, Ind.; Chicago, Ill.; Toledo, Ohio; and Lansing, Mich.