McRobbie presents State of the University

During the State of the University address Tuesday on the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, President Michael McRobbie said despite the financial recession, IU has been stable and will look forward to future progression.

The President focused his address, titled “The Principles of Excellence,” on six core principle areas including education, faculty, research, international engagement, science and health, and economic development.

Education

“First, we must ensure that IU’s schools and programs provide an excellent education of the highest quality appropriate to their campus and school missions and are recognized for their excellence through national and international peer comparisons.”
An excellent education, McRobbie said, includes attracting diverse and under-represented students from the local, national and international community.

This semester, IU had the highest fall enrollment to date with 109,000 students — which included an increase of minorities.

College completion and student quality of life must also remain a priority, he said.

Faculty

“I believe very strongly that more IU faculty — faculty who have gained national and international prominence in their fields — deserve to be elected to the nation’s and world’s most prestigious academies and societies, and that more must be done to nominate them for such honors.”

McRobbie said he hopes to hire even through the recession while keeping salaries and benefits on a competitive field as well as retain faculty he has now.

The President also recognized honors IU faculty received last year, including Distinguished Professor of Political Science Elinor Ostrom, the 2009 Nobel prize winner in economics.

Research

“The third principle is to ensure we maximize IU’s full capacity for research, scholarship and creative activity that is recognized as excellent through national and international peer comparisons.”

In 2009-10, IU researchers received a record $603.9 million in grants and awards from external sources. Supporting research, he also said, will require more collaboration between campuses. The President said the University will soon announce a $1 million
IU Collaborative Research grants program.


International Engagement

“By any measure, Indiana University is one of America’s leading international universities.”

Ten of IU’s international programs located in the College of Arts and Sciences and one in the Kelley School of Business, will receive nearly $20 million in funding over the next four years under the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI program.

However, McRobbie said the University must continue to increase the number of international and study abroad students, stemming from the President's belief that “the best university education instills an understanding of the world outside of the boundaries of the United States.”

Health Sciences and Health Care

“Over the next few years, we will expand in this area as we are working to establish two new schools of public health, one in IU Bloomington and one at IUPUI.”

McRobbie said about 50 percent of Indiana’s physicians, 40 percent of nurses, 90 percent of dentists and 60 percent of optometrists are trained at IU. The health and clinical sciences, he said, are a large and essential part of IU. Working with Clarian Health Partners, McRobbie said, will keep this focus strong.

In April, the Clarian Board voted unanimously to change its name, effective in 2011, to Indiana University Health. McRobbie said this will reinforce the companies partnership with IU and in particular the IU School of Medicine.

Engagement and Economic Development

“Many of our efforts in this area are focused through the IU Research and Technology Corporation, whose mission is to accelerate the transformation of the innovations and intellectual property developed by IU faculty, staff, and students into new products, services, and companies to improve Indiana’s economy and our national competitiveness.”

Last year, IU obtained 154 invention disclosures, 228 patent applications filed, 11 patents issued and $14,126,964 in royalties, fees and milestone payments.
McRobbie said the University will continue its work with the IU Research and Technology Corporation on these developments.