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Ivy Tech Community College Names New South Bend-Elkhart Chancellor

From the website of Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Community College has selected Dr. Tia Robinson-Cooper as the next chancellor for its South Bend-Elkhart campus. She will begin her duties on July 11, 2022.

Dr. Robinson-Cooper, formerly the president of Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California, was chosen after a national search and with input from members of the Ivy Tech President’s cabinet, campus and state boards, chancellors, campus faculty and staff, the South Bend-Elkhart Ivy Tech Foundation, and members of the Elkhart community.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Robinson-Cooper to Ivy Tech,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech. “She is an experienced community college leader with two decades of progressive leadership experience. I look forward to supporting her work as she leads the South Bend-Elkhart campus, placing more students on the path to high-quality education and successful careers which support the economic growth of South Bend-Elkhart.”

“I have always admired Ivy Tech’s intentional commitment to workforce development and social-economic mobility,” said Dr. Tia Robinson-Cooper. “I am honored to serve as chancellor of Ivy Tech South Bend-Elkhart and look forward to continuing this important work.”

Prior to her presidency at Contra Costa College in California, Dr. Robinson-Cooper served as the Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs/Chief Academic Officer at Inver Hills Community College, one of 30 community colleges within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. As Provost, she created a data-informed culture focused on continuous improvement, equity in student learning, and maximizing labor market impact.

Dr. Robinson-Cooper has also served as the Vice-President of Academic Affairs at East Central College. She was instrumental in increasing student enrollment and retention; advancing early college programs; improving student success outcomes; fostering a holistic student-centered experience; and establishing partnerships with nonprofit and business leaders. Before Dr. Robinson-Cooper’s tenure at East Central, she served in numerous positions including Dean of Teaching and Learning (Rock Valley College); Associate Dean and Dean of Instruction (Olive-Harvey College); Dean of Academic Affairs (Northwestern College); and adjunct faculty appointments (City Colleges of Chicago, Elmhurst College, and University of Phoenix).

Originally from Chicago, Dr. Robinson-Cooper earned a Doctor of Education in Counseling and Adult Higher Education from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL; a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from National Louis University in Chicago, IL; a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL; and an Associate of Science in Business Administration from Kishwaukee College in Malta, IL.

The college engaged the national search firm MyersMcRae to assist in the selection process.