From surpassing a milestone enrollment of over 4,000 students to offering two new master degree programs, Academic-All American student-athletes and conference championships, and ranking as one of the nation’s most connected universities, Indiana University East has had a memorable 2012. Here’s a look back at some of the top stories for IU East.

In August 2012, IU East welcomed a record-breaking 4,186 students to campus for the fall semester. Since 2007, IU East has had an 85 percent increase in enrollment. IU East’s fall headcount of 4,186 represents a 12.4 percent increase compared to fall 2011. This fall also marked the 14th consecutive semester for enrollment growth.  

IU East’s first cohorts in the Master of Science in Management and Master of Science in Nursing programs began this fall. The M.S. in Management has a special focus on organizational management, strategic thinking, and leadership skills, and is open to graduates from any bachelor’s degree program who meet the qualifications. The Master of Science in Nursing is designed for nurses seeking a graduate-level nursing degree with two different tracks to choose from: nursing administration or nursing education. Other IU East graduate programs include the Master of Science in Education and the Master of Social Work.

The university added three new baccalaureate programs to its online degree completion portfolio. The addition of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science brought a total of 10 available options for students who wish to complete their bachelor’s degree online. The degree completion programs began in the fall 2012.

IU East received a grant from the Tides Center to develop “A New Model for Productivity at Traditional Four-Year Institutions.” The Lumina Foundation is providing the funding. The model was first envisioned when IU East adopted its new mission in 2007 and needed a way to implement it in a time of declining state support. Since then, IU East has earned national and statewide recognition for a model of higher education that is productive, efficient and of high quality.

Brittany Hostetler and Rick McKinney were selected by Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) USA to attend the 2012 Partner Summit in New York City in February 2012. They were invited to meet with President and CEO of Sam’s Club Brian Cornell and President and CEO of Walmart International Doug McMillon in the Time-Life Building. While there they participated in the “Top-of-the-Future-Top” Forum and visited the New York Stock Exchange.

The SIFE team won the regional championship in its league during the SIFE United States Regional Competition Exposition in April 2012 in Cincinnati. The team competed in League Five and there were 400 teams participating in the SIFE USA Regional Competition.

IU East and Earlham College received a $168,739 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to explore the soil bacteria in soybean and corn fields. Beyond the research, the grant is fostering partnerships within the Richmond community and funding an interdisciplinary research project, “Using Metagenomics to Realize an Education Partnership and Stimulate Curriculum Development.”

The partnership between IU East and Earlham College not only grows the collaboration between the two major higher education centers in eastern Indiana, it exposes a high diversity of students to research and technology. The project also increases the ways by which under-represented groups can participate in research.

Paul W. Lingle received an Indiana University honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during IU East’s 41st Commencement Ceremony in May 2012.  The honorary degree recognized Lingle’s exceptional leadership and service to the campus and greater community. The honorary degree, the highest academic recognition Indiana University can bestow, is awarded to individuals who demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity and sincere concern for the public good.

During the 41st Commencement Ceremony, IU East conferred a record 445 baccalaureate degrees and 16 master’s degrees; IU East awarded its first graduate degrees to students in the Master of Social Work program. The awarding of the degrees is a significant increase for IU East. In 2005, the university conferred 156 baccalaureate degrees and 86 associate degrees. IU East no longer offers associate degree programs and conferred its final four associate degrees in 2011.

The IU East Center for Leadership Development established a new Academy for Cultivating Talent (ACT) and its first cohort began in September 2012 to foster the talents of specific and diverse populations not yet fully engaged — socially or economically — in their community, thus advancing the larger IU East region’s economic and cultural development. IU East received a grant from the Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Council as seed funding for the Academy for Cultivating Talent.

The Honors Program inducted 66 students, its largest group to date, during the annual Honors Induction and Pinning Ceremony held in November 2012. The Honors Program is an academic program that provides an intellectually enriched curriculum for highly-motivated students.

IU East launched the inaugural “One Book, Many Voices” project in August. The project was to foster a campus and community discussion about themes and ideas inspired by a common text in an effort to develop camaraderie, inform knowledge, and inspire action towards positive civic engagement and improvement.

The featured book was Listening Is an Act of Love, edited by Dave Isay, founder of NPR’s Storycorps Project. Isay visited the campus October 16-17 to present stories to the community and to speak at the Spirit of Philanthropy Luncheon.

The diverse and far-reaching themes in this collection of oral histories, and the emphasis on self-awareness and a sense of place and personal history are well suited to foster dialogue and feature intersections among people, places, and projects throughout the community. Katherine Frank, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, introduced the idea of a one book project.

Sage Steele, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and Indiana University alumna, was the featured speaker for the annual Indiana University East Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration held in January 2012. Steele’s presentation, “How diversity and challenges make us stronger and with our own foundational standards, we can make a difference and succeed,” was the keynote address for the celebration.

Prior to the presentation, Steele met with students from Girls Incorporated of Wayne County for a session about empowering young women of all backgrounds. She also met with IU East students, faculty and staff.

IU East and the Student Activity Advisory Team hosted Mike Posner in April 2012 at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center. Posner – a singer, songwriter, and producer – sang hits from his debut album 31 Minutes To Takeoff including “Bow Chicka Wow Wow,” featuring Lil Wayne, “Cooler than Me,” “Cheated,” and “Gone In September.”

Venus Williams talked with students following her opening-round tournament win at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati August 14, 2012.  IU East took a Red Wolf bus full of students, faculty and staff to cheer on the tennis star in her first tournament match near IU East.

Williams is a student at IU East (she enrolled in 2011) and is pursuing a B.S. in Business through its online program. Williams’ father, Richard, took notice of the IU East group. He sat and visited with the group during the match. Williams invited the IU East group to meet with her following the match.

In February 2012, IU East released findings that the university provides $52.9 million to the region. The figure was announced by Indiana University following a study conducted by Tripp Umbach, a leading economic development impact analysis firm, to measure the economic, employment and government revenue impacts of operations and research of all of its campuses and affiliates. The results are published in the report, “Economic Engine for Indiana: An Economic Impact Analysis.”

The report found that IU East benefits the state economically and through employment, faculty, staff and students provide more than $3.7 million annually in charitable donations and volunteer services including $820,000 donated to local charitable organizations by IU East faculty, staff and students. Nearly $2.9 million in value of volunteer time provided to area communities by IU East faculty, staff and students.

Former IU East Chancellor Nasser Paydar was invited to the White House to participate in a roundtable discussion on college affordability and completion with administration officials held March 23.During the roundtable, administration officials engaged presidents and chancellors in exploring constructive solutions to making higher education more affordable and attainable and regaining America’s global leadership in higher education attainment, as described in the Obama administration’s “Education Blueprint: An Economy Built to Last.” The “Education Blueprint,” links the strength of the American economy to the education system.

Invited attendees shared their perspectives and best practices on enhancing productivity, increasing access and attainment, and leading change at institutions of higher education in efforts to ease the financial burden placed on students and advance strategies for more students to attend and graduate from college.

Larry Richards was appointed interim chancellor of IU East in June 2012. He took over from Chancellor Nasser Paydar, who is now executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at IUPUI. Richards, professor of informatics and management, had been serving as executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. A nationwide search for a new chancellor is going on now, with the goal of having a new chancellor in place by July 1, 2013.

IU East celebrated the life and legacy of Frederick A. Grohsmeyer, the university’s first director from 1971-1975. Grohsmeyer passed away July 21, 2012, at the age of 89. He along with Earlham College President Landrum Bolling and a group of community leaders, proposed to the Indiana University Board of Trustees the idea of a regional campus in Richmond. He was director when the IU Board of Trustees established IU East as a regional campus on July 1, 1971.

Grohsmeyer and his wife, Sally, worked with local community and government leaders to raise funds to purchase the 225 acres where IU East is now situated and for its first building, Whitewater Hall.

Through his service to IU East and the Richmond community, Grohsmeyer left behind an extended family of colleagues, staff and friends. He is survived by his wife, Sally, and his daughter, Margaret Anne Judson, and his grandchildren.

In the spirit of giving, the Becky Melton Scholarship was established by donors in honor of Melton’s selfless act to donate a kidney to Jerry Wilde, professor of education. Gifts to the scholarship have generated enough funds to endow the scholarship and it will be awarded annually to an IU East student who exemplifies the spirit of giving. The story of Becky Melton and Jerry Wilde caught statewide and national attention.

An alumna of IU East, Melton discovered through a Facebook fan page created and administered by Leah Hostalet, also an IU East alumna, that Wilde was in need of a kidney. Wilde’s health was declining quickly and he had been going through kidney dialysis for two years.

Hostalet created the Facebook page in an effort to help Wilde find a match. She continues to help others in need through a Facebook page, Find a Kidney Central, where she is hoping to match over 100 participants with a kidney by connecting them with potential donors, educate those in need and to help them create their own fan pages. The scholarship is another way for Wilde, Melton and Hostalet to see their efforts continue and to honor individual students for their spirit of giving.

IU East was listed as a Military Friendly School by Victory Media Inc., the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, in September 2012.

The 2013 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

The public launch of “Bold Aspirations: The Campaign for the Student Events Center” was announced at the IU East annual Spirit of Philanthropy Luncheon. The Student Events Center will be a $4.7 million multi-purpose addition to Springwood Hall. The facility will promote student success through a comprehensive offering of co-curricular opportunities.

IU East has committed $3 million to the project from savings and efficiencies created over the past few years. The philanthropic goal is $1.7 million. IU East has received more than $1.3 million to date in donations toward the capital campaign.

U.S. News & World Report ranks IU East as the 56th most connected four-year campus in the United States, the highest among all Indiana institutions based on internet speed, internet access, applications, and resources. The U.S. News Most Connected Colleges report measures schools’ effectiveness in providing online services, including online courses, student technology and social networking.

According to U.S. News, the schools were ranked based on responses to the Best Colleges statistical survey collected during the spring and summer of 2012. Schools responded to questions on the technological offerings during the 2011-2012 academic year. The answers were then used to compute a Connectivity Index for each school: the sum of all point values awarded to schools based on their responses to the technology questions.

In Red Wolves athletics, the 12th ranked Red Wolves volleyball team (44-6) advanced to the NAIA Volleyball National Championship final site for the first time in school history. The Red Wolves advanced after they beat Bryan College in a NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round match Nov. 17 and won a fourth consecutive Kentucky Intercollegiate Conference tournament title.

The volleyball team was honored as the 2012-13 recipient of the NAIA’s Buffalo Funds Five Star Champions of Character Team Award for volleyball. The team received the award during the NAIA Volleyball National Championship Banquet of Champions on Nov. 26 at the Sioux City Convention Center. The IU East Red Wolves volleyball team competed in the NAIA Volleyball National Championship.

Lauren Crump was named as KIAC Player of the Year while Coach Charlie Brown received KIAC Coach of the Year and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Northeast Region Coach of the Year. Crump, Breezy Strete and Caitlin Burroughs were named to the All-KIAC First Team and Sarah Shilling and Mallory Livingston All-KIAC Second Team. Crump and Kristin Waechter were named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes by the NAIA. Crump and Strete both made the All-America third team. Caitlin Burroughs was an honorable mention selection. IU East put three players on the All-America team for the first time. Crump made the All-America list for the third time. She was a second-team honoree in 2010 and honorable mention in 2011. Strete became IU East’s first four-time All-American. She was an honorable mention selection in each of her first three seasons.

Mallory Livingston was the Northeast Region Freshman of the Year, and Crump, Strete, and Burroughs earned AVCA Northeast Region honors.

Crump was a first-team honoree on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Volleyball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She was the first IU East student-athlete to receive a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-America award.

The Red Wolves basketball team received an at-large bid to the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship in Point Lookout, Mo., in March 2012. IU East (24-8) was 20th in the Top 25 poll. It was the second consecutive trip to the national tournament for the Red Wolves, who were in their fifth NAIA season.

Marcus Isaac was named first-team NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball All-American and Matt Trimnell received an honorable mention All-American by the NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball All-Americans in March. Isaac was one of 10 players on the first team. A total of 59 players made the All-America lists. He was the first Red Wolf to earn first-team NAIA All-America honors in any sport. Isaac and Trimnell joined Tyler Rigby as the only IU East basketball All-Americans. Rigby was an honorable mention selection in 2010.

Isaac also was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches NAIA Division II All-America team, the organization announced. He was one of 10 NAIA Division II players recognized by the NABC. Isaac was the first IU East player to earn an NABC All-America award. He was also the first Red Wolf to receive the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Year for the 2011-12 school year in May 2012. The award was determined by a vote of KIAC athletic directors.