Hough named IU Kokomo Registrar
May 25, 2006
KOKOMO, Ind.—Melanie Hough started work May 1 as registrar for Indiana University Kokomo. She oversees a staff of two full-time, three part-time, and one student worker, charged with managing all academic records, including student registration, course scheduling, and grades.
With almost 25 years of administrative experience in higher education, Hough was previously the assistant registrar of Pfeiffer University in North Carolina. She coordinated all records and registration functions for the Charlotte campus, which has 1,150 students (roughly one-third IU Kokomo’s size). “My main focus was getting the registration system Web-based so that students could see their accounts online, how they’d matriculated, and what classes or credits they needed,” Hough said.
Earlier, Hough helped establish a branch campus of Mountain State University in Pennsylvania. Hired as a director of student services and eventually assigned as campus administrator, Hough found herself taking on responsibilities from recruitment to maintenance. “We started with just the shell of a building and worked with contractors to build out classrooms, restrooms, everything you’d need for classes. I even helped paint some rooms, and put together furniture,” she said.
She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Findlay (Ohio), and was employed there as the Accounts Payable Supervisor and later Director of Degree Completion Programs.
“We are pleased to have Melanie lead the Office of the Registrar,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Services Jack Tharp, Ed.D. “She has extensive experience in several student service functions, thus making her well equipped to find opportunities for improved service delivery.”
In addition to refining IU Kokomo’s recent move to online enrollment, Hough said she’d like to work closely with campus deans and chairs in course scheduling. “I’d like to do some data analysis, to see what trends there are.” Knowing what courses have attracted students previously could help the campus attain higher enrollments and maintain student retention, she said.
Hough and her husband, David Hough, will reside in Russiaville. She noted that they are pleased to be living closer to family in Indiana and Ohio.
