Timothy S. Moerland, who has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at ϳԹ since January 2013, has announced his retirement from IUP, effective August 20.
“Tim has been an outstanding member of my leadership team, invaluable in our work to move forward with new opportunities as well as navigate through challenges,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“Tim has led many significant and critical initiatives, including new majors and programs like public health, environmental engineering, and the PhD in business, and has also been the principal behind important student success programs like the University College, which he has continued to evolve to meet the needs of our students.
“As a result of his leadership and his commitment to working collaboratively with faculty, IUP enjoys an incredibly strong group of deans; a stronger library designed to suit the needs of our faculty and students; a more efficient system to review curriculum changes; a center for international and national merit scholarships; new diversity and inclusion initiatives; and IUP has received outstanding accolades for our work to meet Middle States reaccreditation. He also has made the hard—but necessary—decisions related to our NextGen planning.
“He has set high standards for IUP's Information Technology team, which continues to provide outstanding service and security to IUP and has been recognized for its ‘pivot' to online learning due to COVID-19 health and safety standards.
“At the same time, he has served as a leader in the State System, serving as a co-chair of the systemwide Chief Academic Officer group,” Driscoll said.
“Tim has provided wise counsel and leadership, and I will miss his perspective—and his sense of humor—on my leadership team,” Driscoll said.
Moerland came to IUP from Kent State University, where he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to that, he held several positions at Florida State University, including chair of the Department of Biological Science, interim director of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
The provost and vice president for Academic Affairs is the chief academic officer of the institution, reports directly to the president, and serves as acting president in the absence of the president. The provost and vice president for Academic Affairs also is a member of the president's senior cabinet.
“I've been very privileged to work with an incredible team of people during my time at IUP,” Moerland said. “There's just something very special about this institution, something that is rare and valuable.”
“IUP students are extraordinary, and they are taught and mentored by faculty who care so deeply about their success,” Moerland said. “I've been proud to be part of efforts to help students achieve their dreams through international and national scholarships, and I will continue to watch the headlines for news about IUP students and faculty doing great things.”
Moerland also had great praise for his leadership team and for all of the members of his office.
“The great work that has been done has definitely been a team effort,” he said. “I have been very lucky to have dedicated and skilled team members, who continue to put students first in all that they do. I also appreciate the good progress we have made together related to diversity and inclusion efforts—while there is much work yet to be done, this is the centerpiece of our upcoming liberal studies revisions.
“I also want to thank all of my colleagues around the cabinet table, past and present. They have been great collaborators, and we have been united in our commitment to advancing IUP and to serving our students.
“President Driscoll has been an extraordinary leader, who has supported his leadership team in all ways, and I am very thankful to have worked with him for the past nine years. I've enjoyed my time here—it's been hard work, but it's been very rewarding—and I will miss IUP, its students, and my colleagues and friends,” Moerland said.
President Driscoll will soon announce the appointment of an interim provost and vice president for academic affairs who will serve for the 2021–22 academic year while a national search for the position is conducted.