Notes from the Chancellor, Summer 2011
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Indiana University East is 40 years old, and you’re invited to celebrate with us.
We just kicked off this milestone with commencement, an event that saw nearly 400 students earn IU degrees, including the final three associate degrees to be awarded here. With that, IU East has completed its transformation into a full-fledged baccalaureate and master’s degree institution, a key piece of our new mission that we embarked on four years ago.
But the celebration is just beginning.
I hope you will visit our anniversary website, iue.edu/40, where you will find a full list of upcoming events happening this fall. While you’re there, share a memory with us as you learn more about IU East’s rich history, its dramatic growth, and exciting future.
Here’s a glance at what else is happening.
Partnership Brings Medical Education to Richmond
We recently announced an exciting partnership with Reid Hospital & Health Care Services and the IU School of Medicine that will benefit the community at a number of different levels – from elevating its profile to driving economic growth.
Beginning this summer, students from the IU School of Medicine, the country’s second-largest medical school, will complete third- and fourth-year required clinical clerkships through IU East and Reid Hospital.
The partnership will allow students to work alongside highly-respected health professionals at Reid’s state-of-the-art facility and could result in more practicing physicians in east central Indiana.
Initially there will be five different studying areas for the clerkships: obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine.
The partnership is being supported by a $500,000 commitment from the Vigran Family Foundation. Stanley Vigran, one of IU East’s founders, was a lifelong Richmond resident and a civic leader. He was indeed a visionary, and we are profoundly grateful to his family.
Additional funding is being provided through the generosity of the Quigg Family Foundation and other donors, as well as through financial and in-kind support from IU East and Reid.
IU East Awards Honorary Degree
As part of commencement, IU East awarded an Indiana University Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Douglas C. Bennett, who retired as Earlham College’s president on June 30. The honorary degree, the highest academic honor IU can bestow, is awarded to individuals who demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity and sincere concern for the public good.
Given IU East’s roots to Earlham College, this recognition becomes even more meaningful to us as we celebrate our 40th anniversary. When the IU Board of Trustees created IU East on July 1, 1971, classes were first offered in CarpenterHall on Earlham’s campus.
In his 14 years as president, Bennett worked tirelessly in partnership with us, and others, to lift the educational horizons of the communities in eastern Indiana and western Ohio. I look forward to working with new president David Dawson to continue our outstanding relationship with Earlham and with all of our education partners in the region.
20-plus new degrees in FOUR years
IU East has been granted approval to offer three new bachelor’s degrees this fall, part of the more than 20 new academic programs we have added to our portfolio in just four years. They are:- The Bachelor of Arts in History, which will replace the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in history, a degree that will be more recognizable to employers and graduate schools.
- The RN to BSN degree in New Castle at the Danielson Center, the same degree we currently offer in Richmond, Lawrenceburg, Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, and online.
- The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree in New Castle at the Danielson Center.
Additionally, we will offer two new minors this fall in sports coaching and sports marketing and management.
Enrollment Growth Continues in Summer
Our continued enrollment growth—during both summer and the academic year—is a positive sign that we are meeting student needs. During our first summer session, the number of students enrolled increased by 11.6 percent compared to last year, and credit hour enrollment increased by 11.8 percent.
Summer represents an important time for students to accelerate their time to degree or in some cases get back on a four-year track toward their bachelor’s degree.
These numbers follow unprecedented enrollment growth experienced on campus since 2007 when we launched our new mission. This fall, we expect to again see the largest-ever class of freshmen begin their studies, along with another record for total enrollment, when the semester begins August 29.
New Faculty to Bring Expertise to Region
I’m pleased to welcome Katherine Frank to IU East as the new dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Frank, who is also a professor of English, comes with administrative experience from the University of Washington and Colorado State University-Pueblo combined with a stellar record of teaching and scholarship.
She is one of 12 new full-time faculty members we’re bringing to IU East this fall, all of whom will bring a wealth of experience, energy, and enthusiasm to our campus and community.
Nasser H. Paydar, Ph.D.Â
Chancellor
