Trustees review student benefits

IU is working with the state to bring bigger companies to Indiana, but nobody is sure how IU's advancements will increase jobs for students.\nRepresentatives from Advancing Indiana spoke to the board of trustees Thursday at the Indiana Memorial Union to convince it IU would benefit from increased involvement in the state's economic development. Bill Hunt, chairman of Advancing Indiana, said by increasing technology flow, Indiana can help lure new businesses to the state and in turn increase jobs for IU graduates.\nBut trustee Clarence Boone is more skeptical.\nDuring the meeting, Boone pointed out how increased technology in Gary has led to fewer jobs. \n"How are we going to find jobs for these individuals?" Boone asked Hunt.\n"We don't know how we can do that," Hunt said.\nHunt said if all goes to plan, students will be able to benefit from Advancing Indiana.\nIU President Adam Herbert agrees.\n"I think this session dealt with why the University is attempting to reach out to provide greater services for the state," Herbert said. "The partnerships we create will create new jobs and new opportunities for the students. We want to reverse the brain drain."\nHerbert believes fostering economic relationships will change the way people in the state perceive IU.\n"It clearly enhances the value of the degree, so people around the state can recognize how good we are," he said.\nBy assisting in the creation BioCrossroads, an organization that encourages life science development in Indiana, Hunt said IU has made strides in luring new businesses to Indiana that might have otherwise gone elsewhere. Advancing Indiana also hopes to share technological resources between the University and businesses to attract growth.\nTo facilitate such development Advancing Indiana will create an economic development leadership council comprised of IU stakeholders. The council will be made up of two bodies, one internal and one external, and will have representatives from all regions of the state.\nHunt said having a student sit on the council would benefit Advancing Indiana.\n"Students are a constituency," Hunt said. "It would give us a point of view of someone from IU. I will advise our leaders to promote that."\nHunt said there are a lot of logistics Advancing Indiana needs to work out, but the council will probably seat 25 to 35 people.\nTrustee Sue Talbot said student involvement is instrumental to the success of Advancing Indiana. She said contacting IUSA President Alex Shortle in addition to leaders of Hoosiers for Higher Education and the Kelley School of Business will be top priorities.\n"There is a student role," she said. "I think Bill (Hunt) has a good idea; we have to include stakeholders. Well, students are our stakeholders."\nKyle Salyers, executive director of Advancing Indiana, said it is also crucial Advancing Indiana "supports and enables a breakthrough of strategic, high-impact wins" and institutionalizes the University's engagement and outreach function.