U of Southern Indiana President Bennett announces retirement

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The president of the University of Southern Indiana has announced plans to retire next year.

The university announced Tuesday that Linda Bennett will retire next June 30 after nine years as president and 15 in total with the public, Evansville-based school.

Bennett says she will turn 65 in December and it's a good time to think about "the next chapter" of her life.

Bennett became USI's third president in July 2009 after serving as its provost and vice president for academic affairs since 2003.

In her first year as president, she led the effort to establish the university's first strategic plan including an effort to raise its academic standards.

During her tenure, USI's first doctoral program - in nursing practice - was created and the school expanded its engineering degrees.