John D. Ciorciari named provost, executive vice chancellor of IU Bloomington

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What’s his deal?

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u/saryl reads the news 8d ago

Nothing major stands out politically speaking, except some affiliation with old guard Republicans. He has criticized both Trump and Biden policies, for what that's worth. He's done some positive human rights work, imo.

https://indiana.academia.edu/JohnCiorciari/CurriculumVitae

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u/jeepfail 8d ago

So classic style academic?

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u/sisterdog77 9d ago

He was here for a year and a half before he was named interim provost. Now he’s been selected after an internal search (heavy emphasis on internal). For the look and smell test, this doesn’t pass muster. Seems like someone who carries Pam’s water and nothing else.

Note how the press release touts things like the Faculty 100 initiative. That technically started before he arrived—and the press release does suggest that—but the program’s been a joke. According to the Provost’s website, it’s taken four years to hire 70 faculty. Pretty paltry numbers. It’s almost as though the initiative was poorly designed, poorly managed, or no self-respecting academic would want to set foot on the Bloomington campus. (I’d also like to know how many hired through that initiative have stayed at IU.)

Just another rubber stamp with no clout or understanding of the institution. Pam wins again.

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u/speciallinguist 9d ago

I’m not claiming to understand the politics of the university administration at all, but I can say that I really enjoyed working under John as Dean at HLS. I think he was wonderfully calming leader during tumultuous times. I was sad when he was named Interim Provost because I didn’t want him to leave HLS. To go from Lee Feinstein, who was a politician who didn’t give a rat’s ass about education, to an academic who seemed to truly care about curriculum and faculty, was a breath of fresh air. And as someone who works in language education, I appreciated that he seemed to really value languages, especially less commonly taught languages. I don’t know what he’ll do as Provost, but I appreciated the kind of Dean he was.

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u/sisterdog77 9d ago

So, you didn’t care for Nick—an academic who calmed things down—as interim at HLS? Seems wiser to stick with “the devil you know” rather than roll the dice on an outsider. Also, what did John do for HLS that’s so great? It’s one thing to play nice, it’s another to enhance and advance the school.

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u/speciallinguist 9d ago

I didn’t say I didn’t like Nick. I didn’t like Lee.

I can only speak to my own experiences with John. And in my experiences, when language education funding was being cut left and right, he promised to do everything he could to keep our programs going, and from my perspective he had kept his promise.

I also appreciate that he actually CAME to the school’s cultural programming events, like Tsagaan Sar and Losar. Lee never came to ANYTHING. John seemed to actually care about our curriculum and programming.

I am not an administrator, so I have a limited idea of what administrators actually do. But as an educator, I can say I felt supported by him.

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u/sisterdog77 9d ago

There in lies the rub. He wasn’t your educator. He was your administrator.

In some ways, I hear you. It’s very important to show up for events and play the part. His tenure at HLS was too short to have any real impact, though. There was also nothing there to propel him over others regarding the interim Provost appointment. It’s clear he’s a Pam puppet.

You also missed my point with Nick. You claimed it was nice having an academic who cared about curriculum and faculty. You had that in Nick. All you got with John was an empty suit. You’re also missing what made Lee—and HLS under his leadership—successful. Lee could create things and pull in money. Remember the highly successful America’s Place in the World conference? (I believe that’s what it was called. If not, it was something very similar.) That was a major undertaking that brought world leaders to campus to interact with faculty, staff, and students. Yes, Lee was formerly an ambassador, so he used his position to bring more to the school and enhance its (and IU’s) reputation nationally. Different times, but again, what has John done for HLS? He won’t be remembered for much.

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u/nsnyder 9d ago

What is your reason for thinking he's Whitten's guy and not Reingold's? I don't have any particular inside knowledge here, but Rahul was Whitten's guy and he's gone...

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u/sisterdog77 9d ago

Rahul was promoted to a higher position. He was rewarded for carrying Pam’s water. Reingold is Pam’s guy, too. You aren’t in executive leadership at IU unless you are completely in line with Pam and you don’t overshadow her. (Because honestly, do you think Reingold is the best person we could get for the chancellor’s appointment? He was an assistant or associate dean during his first stint at IU, and he was mostly considered a windbag—try to follow his logic or stay awake while he speaks.)

Addendum: None of the executive leadership have real power. They do exactly what Pam says or what they think she wants. She does not suffer a fool.

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u/Professional-Push760 9d ago

He seemed more interested in other things from my limited experience, although I enjoyed our limited interactions

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u/SmokeQuiet 9d ago

He advanced the security focus that HLS has to put us on the same level as Michigan for example.

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u/Dr_Defecation 8d ago

F100 folks are paid very well. Well above what exisiting faculty are making at the same level. I don't know any F100 hires who have already left IU. They are generally very qualified people and are being paid a premium to be here. Above market salaries are a very good incentive to come and stay.

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u/sisterdog77 8d ago

So it’s salary inversion to draw tech and medical researchers to Bloomington? (I can think of better ways to do this. Why not top off start-up costs and lab/research set up?) Seems like a recipe to piss off existing highly qualified faculty. Also, I can guarantee you not everyone hired through the initiative has stayed. Even if the strategic pot of funds helps bring in tech researchers and others, you’re still worth far more on the open market. What’s the incentive to stay in a deep-red state, with a far-right university administration where higher education is being deluded and broken down? Much more feasible to go work for Google. The environment on campus is stifling and untenable. All of the smart folks have left.

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u/Godwinson4King 9d ago edited 9d ago

I figured it would be like that. Fuck Pam for all of this and ~~Mike Braun~~ Holcomb for appointing her.

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u/arstin 9d ago

and Mike Braun for appointing her.

Holcomb

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u/Godwinson4King 9d ago

Ah yeah, that’s right!

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u/arstin 9d ago

I get it, the wound still feels fresh to me too.

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u/GreyLoad 9d ago

What's his part in the Maga agenda?

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u/nsnyder 9d ago

He appears to be a non-MAGA republican (Hoover Institution, last political position was under W).

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u/Plug_5 7d ago

I've worked with him in a very limited capacity, and so far he seems thoughtful, humane, and willing to listen. Unlike Rahul, he does not seem to come to meetings with a prepackaged agenda that was handed to him. It's true that he hasn't been here long, but i think it's equally premature to call him a joke as it would be to call him a great success. He may be green, but he seems like an intelligent person who's committed to learning. As my very smart wife says, hire character, train skill.

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u/sisterdog77 7d ago

Not smart if he took the job. Everything he does will be predetermined and he’ll have no control over his domain. That’s what it means to work for Pam. If you’re in leadership at IU right now, you’re okay with what’s happening to the university and you’re okay handing your future over to Pam. Pretty foolish if you ask me, because, look at what’s happened to most every executive leader except Todd and Rahul. They’ve been pushed out or let go. A whole leadership position was created for Julia, and she was no longer needed after a couple of years? Get real.

Being thoughtful and listening in this environment not only doesn’t get you anywhere, it’s not what IU is about anymore. He’s a fool, and he’ll suffer for it. If not immediately, then in all his professional endeavors after IU. Again, this is all a joke. IU is a semi-professional football team, and nothing else.

John D. Ciorciari named provost, executive vice chancellor of IU Bloomington

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