Vincennes University Board of Trustees pays tribute to Director of Athletics and Coach Harry Meeks

Director of Athletics and Hall-of-Fame Women’s Basketball Coach Harry Meeks was honored on Wednesday, June 12, by the Vincennes University Board of Trustees.

During a meeting of the trustees, VU President Dr. Chuck Johnson presented a resolution of appreciation to Meeks, honoring his 33 years of service to the University.

Meeks, who announced his retirement in April, was praised by Board Chairman Mike Sievers and Johnson for his extraordinary leadership. Johnson congratulated Meeks on his outstanding career and tremendous contributions to Athletics and the University.

Johnson said, “He has always had a great amount of respect from within the institution and outside the institution. He has done nothing but enhance the University’s reputation, and it has been my pleasure to work directly with Harry over the last several years. The one thing I can say about Harry is he is a man of great integrity who has high values for both competitive teams and the academic success of players.”

In other business, the Board approved the promotions of three Generations Area 13 Agency on Aging and Disability staffers in the Workforce Development and Community Services Division. Catherine Jones (Director of Planning & Community Development), Crystal Winkler (Case Manager/Project Manager), and Valerie Wood (Case Manager) were all promoted to Professional Staff Level III.

Assistant Provost for Student Affairs Whitney Daugherty delivered a descriptive report, including an update on the VU Care Team, which focuses on the well-being of VU students. Daugherty shared that the Care Team has served a greater number of students than ever before. The team plays a crucial role in assisting students who need additional help managing their academic and social experiences like homesickness, personal difficulties, mental health concerns, and more.

Daugherty also highlighted the significant rise in student engagement at Student Affairs-sponsored events and activities. This marked increase reflects the success of recent Student Affairs initiatives aimed at fostering a vibrant campus community and enhancing student involvement. She shared photos of the $400,000 upgrade of the VU Bowling Center machines. Daugherty noted that the Center has experienced a notable increase in usage, reflecting its popularity with students, faculty, staff, and the public.

Additionally, the Board heard a highly informative report from Vice President of Government Relations and Legal Affairs Tony Hahn regarding the 2024 Legislative Session.

During his President’s Remarks, Johnson echoed the remarks of Chairman Sievers regarding the University’s compensation study, applauding the great work of the Financial Services Team, Human Resources Team, Executive Team, Board of Trustees, and VU partners.

Johnson shared that VU alumna and longtime assistant Ingrida Hartsfield has been named Interim Women’s Basketball Coach with Meeks retiring. In additional personnel news, he shared that Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Stephanie Stemle will serve as Interim Dean of VU Jasper as Christian Blome is leaving VUJ for a position as Assistant Vice President of Talent and Training Solutions at Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI).

Johnson pointed out that it is camp season at VU. He said the University expects to host around 2,600 school-age children on the Vincennes and Jasper campuses this summer. The youth are getting introduced to the opportunities available at VU by giving them a taste of college life.

He also provided an update on his recent trip to California, where he met Lothian Skelton, the widow of world-famous comedian and Vincennes native Red Skelton, in addition to a group of nearly 20 Chu Scholars who graduated from VU in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at the VU Jasper Campus.