[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 155 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1513-E1514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMENDING THE WORK OF DR. EARL BROOKS, II

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MARLIN A. STUTZMAN

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2015

  Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fifteen-year 
tenure of Dr. Earl Brooks, as President of Trine University in Angola, 
Indiana.
  Having once been a student at Trine University, it is an honor to 
recognize Dr. Brooks for his many years of service to the academic 
community in Northeast Indiana.
  During his fifteen years at Trine, Dr. Brooks has significantly 
increased enrollment while maintaining a remarkable, above-average 
career-placement percentage for his students. He transitioned the 
university from undergraduate to graduate and doctoral degree status 
and even moved university athletics to the NCAA.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit an article from the publication, Business 
People, highlighting Dr. Brooks' fifteen-year tenure and his many 
notable accomplishments.
  In closing, I would like to thank Dr. Brooks for his distinguished 
service and wish him well as he continues to lead Trine University.

                 [From Business People, August 1, 2015]

                      Giving Credit Where It's Due

                           (By Jon Detweiler)

       While The American College President Study reports a 
     downtrend nationally in average leadership tenure--from eight 
     and a half years in 2006 to an average of seven years in 
     2011--Trine University President Dr. Earl D. Brooks II 
     completes 15 years at the helm, with ongoing plans firmly in 
     place for years to come. When Brooks stepped into leadership 
     15 years ago, he was the youngest college president in the 
     state. Now, he ranks second on the list of longest tenures at 
     Indiana colleges and universities.
       Why is Trine celebrating Dr. Brooks' tenure? What has 
     defined his success over the past 15 years? His list of 
     accomplishments is

[[Page E1514]]

     too long to enumerate here, but some highlights include:
       Total enrollment up from 1,350 to 3,800; 78% of that 
     increase experienced over the past five years, with an 
     additional 15% projected for Fall 2015
       Transition from undergraduate to graduate and doctorate 
     degree status
       Upgrade of athletic programs from NAIA to NCAA
       Successful completion of the largest capital campaign in 
     Trine's history ($90 million) and raised 55% of current $75 
     million Invest in Excellence campaign
       Update and revitalization of the physical campus through a 
     $100 million investment in new projects, including eight new 
     apartment-style student housing units
       Renovation of the Health Sciences Education Center
       Expansion of welcome/admissions center
       New university center and library
       New athletic and recreation center, complete with a new 
     stadium
       Renovation of the administration building and the T. Furth 
     Center for Performing Arts
       Renovation of Ford Hall, home of the Ketner School of 
     Business
       Construction of the Jim and Joan Bock Center for Innovation 
     & Biomedical Engineering
       New College of Engineering and Business
       Full-time faculty bolstered by 60%, from 53 to 89
       A career-placement average of 99.7% for Trine graduates, 
     compared to the national average of 75.6% as reported by the 
     National Association of Colleges and Employers in 2013-2014
       To celebrate what has been accomplished under Dr. Brooks' 
     leadership, however, must lead naturally to a discussion of 
     why he has been so successful. ``I started in the classroom 
     teaching, which I still love,'' says Brooks. ``You never grow 
     tired of that exposure to young people.'' After teaching 
     biology and physiology, Brooks worked his way up from 
     classroom professor to department chair, then to school dean. 
     At universities in Tennessee and Delaware, he served as both 
     vice president for academic affairs and executive vice 
     president/chief operating officer, eventually becoming 
     immersed in the various operations of a college campus.
       But three years into his role as chief academic officer at 
     Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, Brooks 
     awakened to the crucial function of fundraising and 
     development. Consequently, his academic history and his 
     fundraising experience together produced a love for 
     administration that prompted his desire to pursue the 
     presidency. ``I'd learned through that process the two most 
     critical areas for the success of an institution,'' says 
     Brooks: ``The enrollment aspect and the fundraising aspect.'' 
     He attributes part of Trine's success as a team to 
     understanding and focusing on those two priorities. 
     ``Financially, enrollment and fundraising drive the 
     institution.''
       The fact that higher education has seen drastic changes 
     during Dr. Brooks' tenure emphasizes its focus. ``Higher 
     education has become more and more of a business,'' he says. 
     ``We've learned to operate like a business.'' Schools are 
     becoming consumer-driven now, which makes the student a 
     customer. ``Kids arriving today need an education with a 
     career in mind.''
       Trine's astonishing 99.7 percent career-placement average 
     for graduates is hardwired directly to the school's career 
     focus. ``We're fortunate to be a school that is more 
     professional-oriented in our degree offerings, which gives us 
     a clear advantage,'' says Brooks. Possibly the greater 
     advantage for students, however, is the school's connection 
     to local business and industry. By arranging practicums and 
     internships with local companies, the faculty sets up its 
     students to gain valuable experience outside the classroom 
     and to build relationships with potential employers. ``The 
     key to success today--particularly on the education side, but 
     also the job-placement side--is that linkage to business and 
     industry,'' says Brooks. In fact, all new programming at 
     Trine is seen through the lens of its potential for career 
     outcomes.
       If Dr. Brooks had a word of advice for his peers, he might 
     add two elements to the list of reasons why he has succeeded 
     as a leader. ``Don't be afraid to take a risk. Be bold,'' he 
     says. ``Be bold in your vision, stick to your beliefs, listen 
     to the market but don't be afraid to take a calculated 
     risk.'' Second, drop the long-range planning. ``I'm not sure 
     that long-range planning fits higher education,'' he says. 
     ``Ten-year plans don't fit, so we've adopted a philosophy we 
     call a rolling three-year plan.''
       Here again, a look at why Dr. Brooks has succeeded must be 
     cut short, primarily because the president would rather talk 
     about who has made him successful. ``People make the 
     institution. You try to hire great people with talents 
     greater than yours and not be threatened by that,'' he says 
     with warmth and a wry smile. Indeed, the plaque on his desk 
     reads, ``There is no limit to what a man can do or where he 
     can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.''
       Whether luck or talent, Brooks has the knack for attracting 
     good people to an organization at all levels--faculty, staff, 
     board of trustees, donors and, of course, students. ``You 
     need good people to lead an amazing transformation,'' he 
     says.
       And while Brooks is no longer in the classroom, he still 
     finds multiple ways to engage the students. He maintains an 
     open-door policy with them, an ideal that one might question 
     until Brooks hands you his business card, which includes his 
     home phone number. ``That connection with students is 
     something that just never goes away,'' he says.
       This year, Trine University is celebrating the 15-year 
     tenure of its president, Dr. Earl D. Brooks II, and for good 
     reason. He has done much and he has gone far, and for that, 
     he deserves a fair share of the credit.

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