KOKOMO— Mark Canada has been selected as chancellor of Indiana University Kokomo. His appointment is effective August 15 and subject to formal approval by the IU Board of Trustees at its August meeting.
Canada has been IU Kokomo’s deputy chancellor since July 2021 and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2015. He led the effort to begin the IU Kokomo Experience and You, or KEY. KEY is the campus’s signature program of high-impact practices and other transformative learning experiences, including internships, domestic and international travel, research and community projects, retreats, simulations, and more, to enrich the student experience.
Canada succeeds Susan Sciame-Giesecke, who recently began her tenure as IU’s vice president for regional campuses and online education after 10 years as chancellor and a 45-year career on campus.
“Mark Canada knows and understands the mission of the regional campuses and has been a champion for student engagement and other important initiatives during his tenure,” said IU President Pamela Whitten. “I am confident he will successfully lead the campus and continue to strengthen relationships across north central Indiana.”
In Canada’s current role, he collaborates with campus leaders on strategic planning, student and faculty success, program development and accreditation, along with faculty recruitment, evaluation, development, promotion, and tenure. As a member of the chancellor’s cabinet, he contributes to campus-wide work in the areas of enrollment, budget, student affairs, athletics, advancement, information technology, facilities, outreach, government relations and human resources.
Canada was the final candidate recommended to Whitten by a search committee chaired by Ken Iwama, IU Northwest chancellor. He previously met with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members in a town hall forum.
Canada has an extensive background in higher education. Prior to his positions at IU Kokomo, he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he had also been acting dean; associate dean; chair of the Department of English, Theatre and Foreign Languages and a professor of English.
In addition, Canada has published and presented extensively, not only in scholarly presses and academic journals, but also through Audible books, the mainstream media and public lectures for the IU Alumni Association. He’s written and presented on a variety of topics, including student success and learning; journalism; information literacy; and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Ben Franklin and more.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to lead an institution that means so much to this region,” Canada said. “IU Kokomo is a truly extraordinary place filled with dedicated, talented people deeply committed to serving students and our region. Being able to collaborate with these colleagues to take IU Kokomo to even greater heights is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
A longtime advocate for student success, Canada has been a leading participant in the national Re-Imagining the First Year project sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). He also specializes in information literacy and lifelong learning. In 2021, AASCU awarded him the William M. Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement. Canada has also been a member of the Nexel Advisory Committee, the president of the Thomas Wolfe Society, and a member of the steering committee for the North Central Indiana Regional Planning Council READI grant proposal.
A native of Indianapolis, Canada has a bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University and a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
IU Kokomo, 50 miles from Indianapolis, has an enrollment of about 3,000 students. Nearly 150 full-time faculty members from around the world teach in more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional degree programs. The campus is known for its degrees in nursing, business, education, sciences, and the arts.
