The transition and working together in the future
PRESIDENT MITCH DANIELS [addressing Keith Krach and Tim Sands] / I don’t know how it looks to you guys or from a University standpoint but to me what began as a problem turned into a real blessing. … The six months between June and January was just invaluable to me. I was able to learn so much. Tim and others were terrific in organizing a “freshman orientation as I kept calling it, and that gave me a running start. I don’t want to exaggerate but I told so many people here, it enabled me to arrive in third or fourth grade instead of kindergarten. It was still just a priceless opportunity to hit the ground, if not running at least jogging.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR KEITH KRACH / I have to say that from a trustees’ standpoint, our expectations were super high and they were exceeded beyond every level. Tim, I can’t thank you enough for that.
MITCH / Tim did such a good job. I kept expecting you to make a phone call and say, “You know what, forget the whole idea. Everything is going so well now.
PROVOST TIM SANDS / It was a great experience for me, not just personally, but we were able to get to know some of the stakeholders at Purdue University that the provost wouldn’t normally get to know. I hope that is valuable to you [to Mitch Daniels] down the road where you can count on me if you need a backup. I can do some things that maybe a typical provost wouldn’t do.
MITCH / I really would see it as slightly differently, Tim. … A provost’s job at a university is a massive assignment, obviously, but get ready for yours to be even bigger because, as I told you during the interim, you have so many skills and so much credibility on the campus that I am going to rely on you and look to you for even more input and activity than a provost normally has come their way. So buckle up for that!
KEITH / You know I can tell you from a trustee perspective, kind of from a 50,000-foot level; it was really amazing to watch. It was just kind of amazing to see and also the power of the pen in your letter to the community. I think that was an absolute masterpiece in terms of framing the opportunity that is before Purdue. I just think we are off to a flying start, especially with that.
