For these contributions and others over the course of his 18 years with the university, Muñiz has been named IU South Bend’s 2024 Chancellor’s Professor.
“Dr. Muñiz exemplifies how one mind can be dazzlingly creative and eminently reasonable at the same time,” said Chancellor Susan Elrod. “Having a composer of his stature within our ranks has edified our community for years, and he has proven to be a gracious colleague and a masterful administrator as well.”
Officially, the title of Chancellor’s Professor rewards “meritorious performance, extensive accomplishment, and leadership in all areas of academic work, including teaching, research, and campus service.”
Muñiz has carried a full load of classroom teaching responsibilities, and he has repeatedly stepped into leadership roles whenever he was needed.
“From the start, my goal here has been to grow and build,” Muñiz said. “I wasn’t coming here just for a couple of years. It’s an institution with great talent all around, and I knew I could be inspired in that setting.”
When his role called for Muñiz to take on administrative duties, he viewed it as a complement to his teaching, rather than a distraction.
“I’ve always been ready to connect and do things, so being on committees and helping develop strategic planning has been actually energizing in some ways,” Muñiz said. “As an artist, as a composer, my goal is to connect with the community.”
A core principle of Muñiz’s pedagogy is simultaneously seeking artistic inspiration as well as practical preparation. As an interim dean during the pandemic, Muñiz sought out inventive ways to keep arts activity alive even as health protocols kept everyone at a distance. He created a webinar series, “Raclin Represents,” that brought together a cohort of arts leaders and presenters, fostering a discussion group in which they could all compare notes and make suggestions about their next moves as things gradually opened back up.
Muñiz also secured a partnership with WNIT public television for a new show called “Arts @ IU South Bend.” Arts performances were filmed on campus, then edited and prepared for broadcast shortly thereafter. The show allowed students to be safe while still practicing their art and finding an audience for it. “Arts @ IU South Bend” continues to run today.
The Chancellor’s Professor receives a three-credit course release each semester of the year to focus on a project. Muñiz has proposed the development of a hub of arts specialists, forming a committee called the South Bend Arts Initiative. The group will focus on ways of introducing potential creative partners to one another and helping young artists with bureaucratic matters such as how to secure funding and negotiate copyright law and business management.
“Our community has resources for support and grant funding, but emerging artists might not be aware of these things,” Muñiz said. “There is not often a publisher or agent taking care of things. An artist also needs to be an entrepreneur.”
