Tess Barker, J.D., Ph.D.

Phone:

765-455-9465

Email:

tessbark@iu.edu

Campus:

IU Kokomo

Biography

Dr. Tess Barker was appointed Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Indiana University Kokomo in 2020. Reporting directly to the Chancellor, Dr. Barker is well-versed in all aspects of student affairs with broad management experience, strategic and operational leadership, and a deep commitment to student success. Dr. Barker has over 20 years of experience in student affairs and higher education administration as an advocate for students, a strategic leader, and a collaborative colleague. She understands the critical role student affairs plays in meeting the mission of higher education, particularly the promise of access and opportunity at regional institutions. Dr. Barker has worked in a broad cross-section of student affairs: activities, Greek life, academic health care, study abroad, accessibility, Title IX, residential life, and more. She also worked for NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education where she supported the Center for Women, Minority Undergraduate Fellows Program, and the James E. Scott Academy for Leadership. Most recently, she served in the cabinet-level position of Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint, handling high-level initiatives and institutional priorities. She also teaches in the higher ed and student affairs graduate programs at the University of Iowa and Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Barker earned her law degree and doctorate in education policy and leadership studies from the University of Iowa, her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Maryland – College Park, and her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota.