Purdue University's Board of Trustees will continue search for new IPFW chancellor

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WANE) - Purdue University’s Board of Trustees will continue its search to replace IPFW Chancellor Michael Wartell a spokesperson said Wednesday.

The board will not grant the current chancellor’s request to stay in the role for two years longer than school policy allows.

The decision to allow such an exception is solely that of the board and it has agreed to proceed with the search, assistant vice president of external relations at Purdue University, Chris Sigurdson said.

According to Purdue University, the school's retirement policy requires university executives and staff in high policy-making positions to retire by the end of the fiscal year in which they turn 65 if they have been employed in their current positions for two years immediately before retirement and qualify for the minimum retirement benefit specified by federal law.

“The policy exists to help us plan for and design an effective and strategic transition at the highest levels of leadership,” Sigurdson said. “That is not to take anything away from Chancellor Wartell. He has been an exceptional leader for the area. He’s done a lot for IPFW.”

Efforts made to express support for Wartell by members of the IPFW faculty were received positively by the board, according to Sigurdson.

“The Board of Trustees and the Purdue administration see this as evidence of a community that really appreciates the contributions of IPFW. They’re engaged, they’re concerned about its future and its role in the community and those are good things,” he said.

Under the policy, Wartell’s retirement as a senior administrator will be effective July 1, 2012.

Wartell was appointed chancellor in 1994.