Ivy Tech Community College has named Dr. Aaron Baute as its next Lafayette campus chancellor, effective August 2, 2021. Current chancellor Dr. David Bathe announced his retirement after serving 22 years with the College.
“Dr. Baute defines a well-rounded and well-prepared leader for Ivy Tech’s Lafayette campus. Born and raised in Lafayette, an esteemed career with FedEx, working up the ranks from adjunct faculty to dean on the Lafayette campus, and then taking on a college-wide role as Vice President of Business, Logistics, and Supply Chain working to ensure our programs are state-of-the-art and meeting the needs of Indiana’s employers,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College. “Tippecanoe and surrounding counties are counting on Ivy Tech to meet the growing workforce needs and increasing educational attainment of citizens to ensure a thriving economy. I am confident that Dr. Baute will build upon the success of Chancellor Bathe in serving the students, employers, and communities within the Ivy Tech Lafayette campus service area.”
“Lafayette is a great community. I am excited to return there and work with the exceptional faculty and staff on campus. They have done terrific work and I look forward to assisting them in their ongoing efforts. I am honored to have an opportunity to play a role in their success. I will work closely with Dr. Bathe to get connected with the communities we serve to understand their needs and how Ivy Tech can continue to fill those needs,” Baute said.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Baute back to the Lafayette campus as our new Chancellor,” said Dr. Scott Hanback, chair of the Lafayette campus board. “Dr. Baute has extensive knowledge of the area’s business and industry, K-12 institutions, and Purdue University. I know that he will hit the ground running on the first day and build on Dr. Bathe’s legacy.”
Baute started his career at Ivy Tech Community College in March 2004 as an adjunct instructor helping learners complete their educational journey. He has served in various roles at the Lafayette campus including faculty, program chair for Business Administration, department chair for the School of Business, and division dean of Technology. In 2017, he made the transition from the Lafayette campus to Systems Office where he serves as the vice president of Business, Logistics, and Supply Chain Workforce Alignment.
In Baute’s current role, he has focused on the development of new industry partnerships including with the Indiana Insurance Industry Indiana Land Title Association, McDonalds, Trilogy Healthcare, the Indiana Motor Truck Association, the World Food Championships, and Conexus, which includes a partnership with the Lafayette Career Center. He has also partnered extensively with Purdue University to secure multiple National Science Foundation Grants in Manufacturing and Logistics and has developed multiple articulation agreements. Baute himself has taught several leadership courses at Purdue University.
Multiple, major accreditations have been led by Baute, including the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE). Dr. Baute also led the Transfer Single Articulation Pathway in Business for the College, which was one of the first established in the state.
Prior to Ivy Tech, Baute had a 19-year tenure with FedEx Corporation where he served in a variety of management and leadership roles, both at FedEx Ground and FedEx Corporate Services. Those roles included areas of Senior Management, Sales Development, and Operations Management. His work had significant contributions to the launch of FedEx Home Delivery in the Midwest, including opening a facility in Lafayette in 2000. He won a national award for performance leading the Lafayette FedEx Home Delivery facility.
Baute earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Integrated Manufacturing from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Last year, he earned his PhD in Leadership in Higher Education from Indiana State University. He takes lifelong learning seriously and has attained many certifications such as the Society of Human Resource Professionals, Six Sigma Blackbelt, Manufacturing Skill Standards Council, APICS Supply Chain, and Certified Grant Writing.
He is the proud husband to Jennifer who he met while the two were working between college semesters at McDonalds on the south side of Lafayette. Jennifer, like her husband, was born and raised in Lafayette where she now proudly serves as a nurse for Indiana University Health after attaining her nursing degree from Ivy Tech in Lafayette. Both of their children Elizabeth (25) and Tyler (24) were also born and raised in the Lafayette community.