Miller retires from lifelong career at AU
By Joy May
She never applied for a job here, except maybe her first one as a student library worker. But when Darlene Miller was asked to develop a teaching materials center for Anderson College after graduation in 1962, she knew it was right for her.
Miller, now 60, has known quite a few things in her lifetime; call it intuition. She knew since she was 4 years old she would be a teacher. She knew she’d come to Anderson College from Miami, Fla., to study education. And she knew with each career move she made that it was the right one at the right time.
What she couldn’t have known was that more than 35 years after her first appointment at the university, she’d still be working at her alma mater — as a dean — and contemplating retirement.
“I didn’t give it a second thought when they offered me the position — on a temporary basis — as director of a new teaching materials and media center,” Miller says. “I passed up teaching elementary school in Anderson and even worked through the summer without pay. But I had no idea anyone thought I could contribute to a place like this at a young age. I certainly never imagined I would be here this long, but I’ve never swerved from believing this was the right place to be.”
It was a friendship with her mentor, Dr. Vila Deubach, which opened up doors for Miller’s student job in the library and her eventual appointment to direct what is now the IMC. It was good friendships with former Deans Dale Bengtson and Jim Macholtz that helped her through a challenging beginning as dean at the newly named Anderson University. It was a lifelong friendship with another mentor, former president Dr. Robert Nicholson, that instilled in her a desire to become a “servant leader” — a desire many will attest she has achieved.
“Darlene Miller has a legacy of friendship that has been the product of her caring life on this campus for more than 40 years,” President James L. Edwards says. “She exemplifies servanthood.”
That one-year temporary appointment after graduation blossomed into 19. Until her appointment as chair of the education department in 1980, Miller worked to develop what is now known as the IMC, a project that first began in the projection room on the second floor of Old Main.
“I took the position because I wanted to work with faculty from various departments to determine their needs for teaching,” she says. “I was asked to fill the spot because I had the right combination of library and teaching skills. It was definitely challenging, and as times changed, so did the needs, but I loved helping people with their work.”
During this time, Miller received her master’s degree and a doctorate from Ball State University. She also taught courses at AU in children’s literature, language arts methods, elementary education teacher supervision, and media and materials.
In 1983, Miller was appointed dean of the School of Social and Professional Studies, which included supervision of five academic departments: Communication, Education, History/Political Science, Sociology/ Social Work/Criminal Justice, and Business. The responsibility was overwhelming, given the institution’s recent acquisition of university status.
“Deans Bengtson, Macholtz and I had no model to learn from when we started,” Miller says. “In the beginning, things were very intense, learning as we went along. But we did quite well under pressure and became more confident as we continued to grow.”
Restructuring in 1995 offered Miller a chance for a new role as dean of the College of the Arts. While the number of departments she supervised decreased to three — Art, Communication and Music — her role as an administrator and community servant increased. In addition to overseeing the IMC, Kissinger Learning Center and student learning support services, Miller teaches a class for the ADVANCE degree completion program and is actively involved in local and statewide agencies supporting education and the arts. She served for 10 years as a member of the accrediting body for NCATE, reviewed grant proposals for the Christian College Coalition, is a board member for Indiana Public Radio and the Anderson Fine Arts Center, and supports the work of the Anderson Symphony Orchestra.
Yet with all her participation on boards and committees, and the countless hours she spends serving the university, Miller still finds time to travel. In fact, travel is more than a hobby for her; it’s her own method of continuing education as a world citizen.
“One of the things I’ve loved about my jobs here is I’ve had the ability to travel extensively, both personally and with Tri-S. I’ve gone to Belize and helped roof a church in the jungle. I’ve gone to England several times with the education majors, and I’ve gone to Grand Cayman to teach in the schools,” Miller says.
She initiated a faculty/staff travel program and has enjoyed several trips with her colleagues. Director of Student Financial Services Ken Nieman is one of many who has traveled with Miller and seen the positive effects of the program. “Our first trip was to England, and it was really a bare bones trip. However, we had a wonderful time. Several of us, Darlene included, were labeled ‘back of the bus rowdies’ because we tried to keep things lively. This program, and the ‘rowdy’ crowd, is definitely one of her legacies.”
Miller will leave many other legacies behind. A love for students keeps her hopping around campus to take in recitals, concerts, gallery showings, speeches and theatre productions, as well as the occasional party. A genuine concern for faculty and staff prompted her to set a standing Friday morning coffee time to build relationships both professionally and personally.
Those personal relationships have touched many lives — especially newcomers. Chair of the Music Department, Dr. Jeff Wright remembers when he first arrived in Anderson, Miller called to ask if she could help his family unpack. “I was caught completely off guard by the offer,” he says. “It never occurred to me that a dean would actually come to my house and help with chores. But she demonstrated her willingness to help, teaching me the importance of caring for the people with whom one works.”
She does care. Truth be told, her care and concern for the people of the AU community are partially what helped her make the decision to leave. “It’s not hard to leave, because it’s just the right time. Granted, I’ll miss the students and my colleagues, but I’ve given my best, done all I can do, and it’s time for someone with fresh ideas and a fresh approach to step in and keep progressing.”
Meanwhile, Miller still has a world of ideas to explore. She plans to spend some time with her family in Florida, continue traveling (including a trip next year to Europe with the Wind Ensemble), and she wants to get back to that original dream of teaching young children by volunteering with literacy programs.
Miller will remain closely connected to the university by continuing her teaching responsibilities with ADVANCE, instituting programming for AU retirees and increasing the cultural advancement in the city of Anderson. No matter what she does, she’ll follow God’s leading like she always has and is confident she’ll end up in the right places.
