This fall was the first semester for about 8,000 freshman students, but they weren’t the only newbies. About 300 new faculty started at the IU-Bloomington last semester.
The Indiana Daily Student conducted email interviews with three of those new faculty members to see how their first semester went and how it measured up to their expectations.
Joseph Gramley
Professor of music at the Jacobs School of Music
How has this past semester measured up to your expectations?
This first semester at IU has more than exceeded my expectations. The warm welcome and support that I have received on all levels has been gratifying. From my faculty colleagues to our administrative leadership — and of course the amazing students here at Indiana — all have been incredibly supportive, helpful and professional.
What spots have you frequented in Bloomington?
I’ve enjoyed the great restaurant options here and especially some beautiful fall foliage hikes I’ve done in the region.
What has been the biggest learning curve?
Well, implicit in my first answer was all of the helpful assistance I’ve received! That has made all of the new learning curves a bit more smooth. If I had to choose one area it might be getting used to the ‘pace of play’ here. There are so many outstanding students who are running on all cylinders. This is a huge positive here. Coupled with our sheer size here at Jacobs, I have been forced, in a good way, to up my game in all the best ways.
Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson
Professor and chair in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the School of Public Health
How has this past semester measured up to your expectations?
The faculty and students at IU have been even more welcoming than I had anticipated, andnow that I’ve had time to explore the campus, I appreciate how beautiful it is even more than when I visited during my job interview.
What spots have you most frequented in Bloomington?
The B-Line Trail, the Bloomington Rail Trail and Hopscotch Coffee
What has been the biggest learning curve?
Each university has its own policies for critical tasks like developing new courses, designing curricula, submitting research grant proposals and evaluating faculty performance. I still have much to learn about how these and other processes at IU function.
Jennifer Silva
Assistant professor at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
How has this past semester measured up to your expectations? What has it been like?
I was on leave from teaching because I moved here with an eight week old baby. So my biggest learning curve has been to figure out how to find time to write and research while being a mom. Needmore Coffee Roasters has been a staple for staying caffeinated, and B-Town International Market and The Butcher’s Block have provided some fun and delicious groceries. I’ve been enjoying getting to know my new colleagues and look forward to meeting my students next week.
Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
