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(12/16/13 5:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s Kelley School of Business and DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., will use a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to support “The Liberal Arts in the New Economy,” a program for DePauw students. The program, which will launch next fall, is the first collaboration between DePauw and Kelley, Dean of Kelley Idalene Kesner said.It aims to give students an opportunity to build on the strengths of their liberal arts coursework with educational programs from Kelley, according to a press release.The program covers a winter term of about 30 days at DePauw and includes real-world internship experiences and specialized support. Students are likely to be involved in more than one winter term if they elect to enroll in a second part of the program, Kesner said.DePauw’s grant money will cover costs associated with student programming, Kesner said.Kelley has always been interested in working with other schools in the state to keep students in Indiana, Kelley’s Director of Executive Communications Jeni Donlon said.Kesner said the collaboration will help keep students in the state by helping them make connections with local organizations, growing their leadership skills and working to solve problems in the Indiana business community.The grant comes as part of the Lilly Endowment’s Initiative to Promote Opportunities Through Educational Collaborations aimed at improving employment opportunities for students graduating from Indiana colleges and universities, according to a press release.IU and DePauw are two of 39 colleges to receive grants through the endowment’s initiative. IU received a separate $5 million grant to support student career placement, officials announced Dec. 9.The endowment’s goal is to increase support for students’ post-graduation career search, as well as to increase focus on keeping graduates in Indiana after graduation, according to a release.“DePauw has a long and proud tradition of connecting a powerful liberal arts education with preparation for a life’s work,” said Larry Stimpert, DePauw vice president for academic affairs.The program reflects a growing trend in helping post-graduates benefit from business skills and experience, even for students who aren’t majoring in business. Kelley has collaborated with the College of Arts and Sciences on the Liberal Arts and Management Program for decades. Other examples of cross-campus Kelley initiatives with liberal arts programs include the school’s Art of Business academy, the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Project Jumpstart — the Jacobs School of Music career development and entrepreneurship program, Donlon said.The DePauw collaboration is another example of Kelley’s desire to reach out to other liberal arts institutions.“The more they know about basic business concepts when they start their first job after college, the greater the chance of success,” Kesner said. “This is true regardless of whether new graduates begin working in for-profit companies, the government, not-for-profit organizations, or they start their own companies as entrepreneurs. When combined with the outstanding liberal arts education students gain while at DePauw, the business coursework students will receive as part of this joint program will help them achieve success in their first jobs and in their career beyond.”Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(12/13/13 5:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When it came to pressuring IU’s leadership to make campus carbon-neutral, IUSA kicked the can.After debate, a resolution calling for the IUSA executive board to urge President Michael McRobbie and the IU Board of Trustees to divest from publicly traded fossil fuel companies was tabled Wednesday.Congressional Resolution 13-14-22 acknowledges the University’s desire to become a carbon-neutral campus as part of the Energy Master Plan. According to the resolution, a think tank led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan found climate change causes 300,000 deaths annually and causes $125 billion in international damages.The resolution calls for the University to cut ties with fossil fuel companies in an effort to decrease those statistics and make the campus more environmentally friendly. Shaw said the debate lasted about 30 minutes and generated a strikingly close vote among the almost 30 members in attendance, which prompted the decision to wait on the final vote until next semester.“The vote was close, and we decided to table the bill so Congress people can do more research,” he said. Among those voicing dissent was Michael Su, a representative of the Jacobs School of Music.“This resolution is at best ineffective and at worst dangerously destabilizing towards the goals of the University and its student body,” Su said in the letter. He argued the University’s divestment from these companies would make no significant strides in reducing emissions worldwide, and the companies would continue their success with or without IU’s support. “Simply selling IU’s stakes in these companies will result in corporate investors moving in, allowing these companies to continue to pursue their own agendas and doing nothing to reduce emissions worldwide,” Su said. Su also said he disagrees with the resolution because its facts, such as the mention of General Annan’s think tank, are mentioned without proper context.Though he does not support the resolution, he said he understands the motives behind it and said he does not doubt the sincerity of resolution’s proponents. “I believe that it is great that we have a very vocal and active student community that is heavily invested in these issues,” Su said. “That being said, I do believe that divestment is the wrong course for IU.” Follow reporter Holly Hays on Twitter @hv_hays.
(12/13/13 5:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU is now accepting requests for proposals for its academic medical research campus in the greater Evansville region. The IU School of Medicine is working with Ivy Tech Community College, the University of Southern Indiana and the University of Evansville to bring their health science education facilities together into one location. Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities Tom Morrison’s office will accept proposals through the end of January. IU directed the planning process after the Indiana General Assembly appropriated a $2 million planning fund earlier this year, Morrison said. The idea to combine centers began with a high level of community interest, Morrison said. “Evansville being one of the largest cities in the state, they certainly have an interest in medical facilities,” Morrison said. “If you can consolidate all of that health, science and education into one location, it provides a good opportunity for health care in the community.”External groups’ applications will propose design and building space plans. At the end of January, IU will review and analyze all received proposals. Morrison says his goal is to present an analysis of the proposals to the Board of Trustees in April. If the Board gives a recommendation on a given proposal, IU will begin site-planning shortly after, Morrison said.“This is a very prescriptive legal process,” Morrison said. “We are very purposeful and very careful in how we engage in the process so that everybody has a fair opportunity.” Plans must be approved by the state legislature before construction, which will most likely not begin until 2015, Morrison said. The center will take about two years to build and could open summer 2017, Morrison said. An advantage of co-locating university centers in Evansville is the opportunity to maximize simulation center space, as opposed to operating multiple simulation facilities, Morrison said. “Doctors in training and nurses could share the space,” Morrison said. “That makes some sense.” IU will organize forums in the city of Evansville next Thursday and in January.Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(12/13/13 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As winter weather makes its way to Bloomington, IU buildings are turning up the heat. Due to rising energy costs, researchers in the SPEA graduate program are looking for new ways to monitor and reduce energy consumption and costs on campus. Five SPEA graduate students in V600: Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs, Behavioral Change and Energy Conservation, a course for master’s students, participated in research on IU’s energy consumption. The students will present their findings to the Physical Plant and general public at 9 a.m. Dec. 13 in the Kelley School of Business 1040. The students were initially contacted to evaluate and confirm findings made in the previous Integrated Energy Master Plan (IEMP), a report detailing energy consumption in several IU buildings, faculty adviser for the project Diane Henshel said. “(The research) comes out of a desire by the Physical Plant to decrease the amount of money spent on energy, which is a huge part of the annual budget,” Henshel said. “They basically want to know what’s the ‘biggest bang for your buck’ — you want to spend the least amount and get the biggest benefit.”As part of their research, the students were provided with a limited set of buildings where they knew energy meter data was accurate, Kristen Hackman, a graduate research participant, said. “We talked to all 26 or so building managers, had a tour of each building with them, spoke with representatives about energy consumption patterns and how the building was used, and analyzed the IEMP,” Hackman said. “We then monitored consumption in buildings compared to the master meter and did timing for peak analysis.”An important part of their analysis, Henshel said, dealt with peak energy usage. Peak usage detailed which hours of the day and which times of the month energy usage was highest on campus. Campus buildings’ usage was then compared to peak timing to see where peak energy costs could be offset. “Reducing peak value in every month contributes to energy savings,” Hackman said. “Hundreds of thousands are spent per month just during peak. Roughly every month, $20 is spent per kilowatt on peak time.”Some results of peak energy research were surprising to researchers.“Campus peaks are from 1 to 4 p.m. or noon to 5 p.m. in expanded view,” Henshel said. “Dorms start around 3 to 4 p.m. There has always been the assumption that dorms are driving the peak, which is not true. Classrooms seem to follow peak well, so that’s indicating that student use of classrooms is driving peak.” Researchers came to several conclusions based on their review of IU’s energy consumption. “We determined that the IEMP tended to overestimate energy use for the buildings,” Hackman said.Hackman and her team said overestimating energy use could have negative effects.“Overestimating decreases the ability for savings,” Henshel said.The students further concluded science buildings were most in line with peak timing. Hackman said he campus chilling system should be evaluated in the future, and a new classification system should be used for buildings.“(Before), the Auditorium was considered an academic building, just like Ballantine,” Henshel said. “Clearly the use of the Auditorium is different and the energy use is going to be different. This is the first time that the classification considers energy use from a more functional perspective.”From their research students were able to recommend a number of changes to IU’s Physical Plant to reduce energy usage and costs. These included review of the IEMP model for systematic errors — as researchers found a large majority of energy consumption was overestimated — and recommending the Physical Plant explore funding options that would allow departments to become more involved in their energy savings. Hackman said she believed the research findings are integral to all IU students. “Energy costs are rising, and this has prompted IU and other institutions that use a lot of energy to look more closely at their bills,” Hackman said. “The rising cost of energy and the amount of energy we use does increase tuition as it’s a large part of the budget.”The research group, including Hackman and Henshel, said they felt this research can aid in creating sustainable practices for the future. “This University’s goals are excellence in research and innovative academia,” Hackman said. “I think the innovative work done in this project encompasses the mission of this campus.”Follow reporter Rashmika Nedungadi on Twitter @rashmika_n.
(12/12/13 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sound media historian Patrick Feaster and Professor Wayne Wallace were both nominated for the 2014 Grammy awards. Nominees were announced Friday.Feaster received a nomination for Best Historical Album for his book and CD set, “Pictures of Sound: One Thousand Years of Educed Audio: 980-1980.”The book covers Feaster’s conversion of historical sounds into playable audio using digital procedures, including converting one of the oldest gramophone records, inventor Emile Berliner’s recitation of Friedrich Schiller’s ballad “Der Handschuh”.Feaster said he was thrilled to receive recognition for work that is uniquely his own.“I’m perhaps most pleased because the fact that the project was even nominated represents a huge step in the recognition of this area of historic audio,” Feaster said in a press release. “A major point of my book is the argument that materials like these count as sound recordings, whereas others would say they don’t. They’re too different.”Wallace’s group, the Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet, earned a nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for their album “Latin Jazz/Jazz Latin.”A jazz trombonist, Wallace teaches at the Jacobs School of Music as a professor of practice. This marks his sixth Grammy nomination.“It’s an honor to be recognized by your peers and the people whose work you’ve admired over the years,” Wallace said in a press release. “It gives you a feeling that you’re doing the right thing, which is about all you can really ask for as you progress in your career.”
(12/10/13 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Board of Trustees approved the creation of an online Bachelor of Applied Science degree program as well as two IU Bloomington capital projects totaling $10.5 million on the campus of IU-East Richmond Thursday night.The online degree will be the first bachelor’s degree program offered jointly by all five IU-administered regional campuses and one of the first BAS degrees offered in the state. It must now be approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The degree would be offered at IU-East, IU-Kokomo, IU-Northwest, IU-South Bend and IU-Southeast. “Joint degrees such as this provide increased educational opportunities for students while capitalizing on economies of scale created by sharing faculty and classes across all five regional campuses,” said John Applegate, IU executive vice president for university academic affairs in a press release. IU President Michael A. McRobbie’s IU Online Initiative, geared toward increasing availability of high-quality degrees to students state-wide, is funding the degree.Coursework for the proposed online BAS could be oriented toward several specific career fields, such as hospital administration, general supervision or entry-level management. The degree would track into about 34 occupations that can be grouped into three clusters: specialty business, supervisory and management, according to a press release. The new degree is designed for students who are already in the workforce but need a more advanced degree to improve job options, said Sharon Calhoon, assistant vice president for university academic and regional campus affairs. “Currently, the Associate of Applied Science degree does not align well with Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees, so students with an AAS typically lose a substantial number of credit hours when they go on to pursue either degree,” Calhoon said in a press release. IU research has identified a great demand for this degree, which is very closely aligned with future workforce needs in the state, according to a press release. It is expected that students in the BAS degree program will develop skills that will help them advance in their careers and earn better salaries.Board of Trustees Chair Tom Reilly warned participants at last week’s Bloomington Faculty Council forum that an emphasis on online education could result in increased legislation from the State of Indiana, such as Senate Bill 182 and House Bill 1384. “You haven’t seen anything yet,” Reilly said, in reference to the recently passed SB 182 and HB 1384. “Online programs are going to be a part of a total reconstruction of what a degree will look like.”Students will be able to take all of their courses online or combine online instruction with classroom instruction. Full-time students who already have an associate degree in applied science will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree in two years, according to the press release.The Board also approved a $6.8 million project to improve parking at the Northwest Quadrant. The plan replaces the existing gravel with a roadway and trees.“It’s going to solve a lot of issues,” Associate Vice President for IU Communications Mark Land said. “It’s hard to offer parking to students with a gravel lot.”The second project proposal passed, estimated at $3.7 million, will create a new loading dock for trucks delivering food to Wright Food Court. The dock will prevent trucks from blocking the one-way road that separates Wright and Teter quadrangles.Some presentations originally scheduled for last week’s meeting were moved to the Board’s February meeting, including Provost Lauren Robel’s strategic plan update titled Research at IU Bloomington, and a New Academic Directions update on the last three years of President Michael McRobbie’s initiative. The next meeting will take place Feb. 13 and 14 at IU-Purdue Indianapolis. Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(12/06/13 10:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ambassador Lee Feinstein was appointed founding dean of IU’s School of Global and International Studies, according to an IU news release.The IU Board of Trustees approved the SGIS in August 2012. The school will be housed in a new building currently under construction on campus.Feinstein was the U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Poland from 2009 to 2012 and has worked at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Brookings Institution.“We have great ambitions for the school, and it was imperative that we find a dean whose experience, intellect and understanding of the complex world into which we are sending our students match our aspirations for the school,” said IU president Michael McRobbie. “Ambassador Feinstein's extensive background and indisputable success at the highest levels of diplomacy and international affairs speak for themselves and make him an ideal candidate to serve as the school’s first dean.”— Tori Fater
(12/03/13 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Northwest assistant professor Anne Balay has filed a legal complaint accusing the University of discrimination in their tenure process based on her gender and sexual orientation. Balay claimed the University denied her tenure and promotion, resulting in her termination at the end of this school year, because she is a woman and homosexual. Balay applied for tenure and promotion to associate professor in fall 2012. Her department chair and dean rejected two different unanimous recommendations by faculty committees to grant her tenure and promotion. “My students love me, and I’m a good teacher,” Balay said. “I really couldn’t believe it.”After seven years of employment as an assistant professor, a faculty member can apply for tenure and promotion to associate professor. Seven years after that, they can apply for full professorship, said Balay’s lawyer Roy Dominguez. The IUN Faculty Board of Review will hear the case Wednesday. Balay teaches five English courses and one course on gender studies and has been employed as an assistant professor for eight years. The Indiana Human Rights Commission and the Federal Department of Education will begin administrative reviews in an effort to determine whether Balay faced workplace discrimination last year. The Department of Education will review the University for both gender and sexual orientation discrimination. Mark Land, associate vice president of public affairs and government relations at IU, said the University is aware of the complaint but has no comment at this time.“We will respond to the DOE at the appropriate time,” he said.Because the State of Indiana does not recognize sexual orientation discrimination as a legitimate form of discrimination, the HRC will look for gender discrimination, Dominguez said. “There has been much litigation and denial of tenures of women who go through the process of promotion and tenure,” Dominguez said. “We are disappointed that she was denied promotion and tenure because there is sufficient evidence to show that she should be promoted to associate professor.”Dominguez said he is optimistic about tomorrow’s hearing. A decision from the FBR is expected within the next 30 days, Dominguez said. If the board decides not to grant Balay tenure and promotion, Balay will have the opportunity to fight her case at the federal level. “We are hopeful that we can convince the FBR she should be promoted to associate professor and granted tenure,” Dominguez said. “Whatever the FBR decides will be part of the investigations undertaken by the state agency and federal agencies.”Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(12/03/13 4:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On her second day in South Korea, Provost Lauren Robel presented two newly created alumni awards to distinguished IU graduates in the East Asian nation. Jun Kwang-woo and Heejin Cho became the first two recipients of the awards, which were presented Sunday at the IU Korean Alumni Association’s winter dinner in Seoul, South Korea.Robel and her group traveled to Seoul on Saturday to strengthen partnerships with local universities and connect with IU’s Korean alumni base.She spent her first day at Sungkyunkwan University visiting with the South Korean Vice Minister of Education Na Seung-il.They discussed plans to lay the groundwork for programs in law, business and global economics. “A major focus on our return will be getting the word out to students about these opportunities,” said Elisabeth Andrews, communication specialist for the Office of the Provost.She presented both of the distinguished alumni awards at the dinner Sunday, which was attended by more than 250 IU alumni and their families. “I have never seen a more enthusiastic group of alumni,” Andrews said. “This group really is a model for how IU alumni can create supportive, effective networks.”The IU Korean Alumni chapter has more than 1,000 active members and was once led by Kwang-woo, Andrews said in her blog post about the trip. Kwang-woo received the first Distinguished International Alumni Award and Cho received the J. William Hicks Award for Distinguished International Alumni, according to a press release. Kwang-woo received his Ph.D. in economics and his masters of business administration from IU in 1981. He has since served as a finance professor, chief economist and director of international finance with the World Bank and special adviser to the deputy prime minister for finance and economy.Cho is the highest-ranked female prosecutor in South Korea and began her career at a time when female prosecutors were uncommon in South Korea. She received her postgraduate law degree from IU in 2000 and is currently the research commissioner of the Legal Research and Training Institute. As a featured speaker, Robel discussed many of the innovations that will effect academic departments at IU, such as the creation of the new Media School and the School of Global and International Studies. Along with the presentation of the awards, the dinner also featured performances by Jacobs School of Music alumni and a toast presented by School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduate Kim Dong-wan.“This is an opportunity for us to really show our appreciation for people who do tremendous things for IU,” said Mark Land, associate vice president of Public Affairs and Government Relations. Next, the provost will visit the Seoul Arts Center and Korean National University of the Arts.On Wednesday, the group plans to meet with Seoul National University to renew an agreement on behalf of SPEA. “We’ll be bringing a lot of ideas back for the alumni association and the campus,” Andrews said. Follow reporter Amanda Marino on Twitter @amandanmarino.
(11/21/13 5:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Elin Suleymanov walked through the University of Toledo in Ohio 21 years ago with a single suitcase and an empty wallet. It was Suleymanov’s first night in America, and he had nowhere to stay.Suleymanov
spent many more nights in the country before becoming the ambassador of
the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States.Azerbaijan is a
small country on the western end of central Eurasia, bordering Iran,
Russia, Armenia, Turkey and Georgia. Suleymanov is twice the age of his
country, which regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. He
works in Washington, D.C., as ambassador but returned to the Midwest
this week to meet with IU President Michael McRobbie, students and
faculty in the hopes of strengthening the relationship between IU and
Azerbaijan. McRobbie sat down with Suleymanov to discuss the new
School of Global and International Studies. SGIS will enhance the
existing focus IU has on central Eurasian studies, Suleymanov said. “The
focus of the University on central Eurasia is a trademark,” Suleymanov
said. “The establishment of the SGIS program here could be an excellent
addition. I hope it will be a very successful one.” Suleymanov
hopes to see growth in the cultural study of Azerbaijan and increased
interest in study of the language. The Department of Central Eurasian
Studies offers language study of 13 different central Eurasian nations,
including Azerbaijan. “The fame of this institution precedes
it,” Suleymanov said. “I hope the teaching of the Azeri language will
continue. I hope that the focus continues.” Suleymanov said he would encourage students to travel while they study at IU. “It
is easy to get stuck in a daily routine,” Suleymanov said. “You can
learn a lot from the books, but you can’t learn everything.” American students could particularly benefit from studying the political history of Azerbaijan, Suleymanov said. The
nation has experienced ongoing conflict with western neighbor Armenia
regarding Armenian territory that is internationally recognized as
Azerbaijan’s. “We all want to believe in the United Nations,” Suleymanov said. “For the younger students, vision matters.”The nation is a model for other post-Soviet nations since it is led with an open mind, Suleymanov said. “The
perception of independence is very important to us,” Suleymanov said.
“We have very good will towards the West and the U.S. ... We’re ready to
be apart of the global community.”Azerbaijan is predominately Muslim, but the country welcomes all faiths with synagogues and churches. “Violence should not be the future for Muslim countries,” Suleymanov said. “You have normalcy, which people need to build on.”Russian culture carried over from former Soviet Union occupation enriches the nation, Suleymanov said.“Azerbaijan
is a confident, independent nation,” Suleymanov said. “We welcome
Russian influence and presence in terms of culture and economic
relationships.” He hopes that as IU students learn more about
the Azerbaijani language and culture, his own people develop perceptions
of America similar to his own in 1992.On that first night in
America, he walked into the country knowing no one and having nothing.
The actions of one woman remain as one of Suleymanov’s most vivid
memories. Janice, a volunteer in the international office at the
University of Toledo in Ohio, took one look at Suleymanov before
offering him a place to stay. Suleymanov spent that night with a
Russian woman and a Bulgarian man at Janice’s home. Janice helped all
of the international students arrange housing and bank accounts the next
day.“My first memory of America is a stranger saying to me,
come and stay at my home,” Suleymanov said. “She basically exemplified
the kindness of people.”He said he hopes Azerbaijani will visit the Midwest and experience its welcoming spirit. “I
hope people come to places like Indiana and Ohio,” Suleymanov said.
“That is what people need to know more about America, how kind people
are.” Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(11/20/13 5:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Provost Lauren Robel and other IU faculty are traveling Nov. 30 to Seoul, South Korea, to connect with alumni and strengthen existing joint business, economics and law programs between IU and Korean universities.During her visit, Robel will renew agreements between Sung Kyun Kwan University, Seoul National University and IU to continue joint study programs. The Korean Global School of Business will continue to collaborate with the Kelley School of Business on student and faculty exchanges and short term courses. The Department of Economics will continue to work with the Global Economics Program, and the Maurer School of Law will continue to work with the Global School of Business on a joint Masters in Business and JDA program. These relationships date back more than 10 years, Associate Vice President for International Partnerships Shawn Reynolds said.“Our goals are cultivation of alumni, furthering our existing partnerships and looking for new opportunities for partnership,” Reynolds said. “Any major university you look at in South Korea, you’ll find an IU Ph.D.”The Provost will visit the Seoul Arts Center and Korean National University of the Arts Tuesday. “This is an area rich in both culture and innovation, and deeply committed to education,” Robel said. IU has yet to work with these arts institutions. The Jacobs School of Music may collaborate with the SAC and K’ARTS, Senior Director of International Alumni Relations Eric De Haan said. “The largest group of international alums that Jacobs has are in Korea,” De Haan said. “There’s a rich tradition of fine classical music and performing arts.” The trip will strengthen IU’s long-standing relationship with South Korean students, IU Provost Communications Specialist Elisabeth Andrews said.On Wednesday, Robel will meet with Seoul National University to renew an agreement on behalf of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Andrews said. This meeting will serve the SPEA and SNU dual Masters of Public Administration degree program, Reynolds said. Robel’s immediate group includes Andrews, De Haan and Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives M.A. Venkataramanan. South Korea, India and China have the largest international alumni chapters.Robel said IU’s South Korean alumni are some of the university’s most active supporters, and serve in public and private leadership roles in South Korea. “The bridges we have built in business, law, and public affairs, and other academic areas are unquestionably beneficial for our domestic and international students as they prepare for success in a 21st-century global setting,” Robel said. Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(11/01/13 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Faculty Council has made official its long-standing opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.The Faculty Council unanimously endorsed President Michael McRobbie’s decision that IU join Freedom Indiana, a state-wide coalition working to defeat the House Joint Resolution 6, Associate Vice President of IU Communications Mark Land said.McRobbie’s decision was announced Monday, and the Faculty Council voted on its endorsement at its Tuesday meeting, Herb Terry, the group’s co-secretary, said.Terry had drafted the Faculty Council’s resolution with co-secretary Jack Windsor, a professor at IUPUI’s School of Dentistry, prior to McRobbie’s announcement. They were “on the verge” of presenting it to the council, Terry said. After McRobbie’s announcement was released, it seemed fitting to vote on an endorsement at the group’s Tuesday meeting, Terry said.In its resolution, the council affirmed its opposition to House Joint Resolution 6, endorsed the University’s decision to join Freedom Indiana, and urged faculty governance bodies at all IU campuses to adopt similar resolutions.Time was allotted for dissent during the meeting, but no council members expressed opposition to the endorsement, Terry said. “No questions were raised about doing this,” Terry said. IU faculty has publicly expressed its opposition to the amendment since 2007, when the council voted “nearly unanimously” to oppose an equivalent amendment, Terry said. “The council wanted to stand for what it stood for years,” Terry said. “You could say the administration caught up to us.” Members of the Faculty Council will now work to encourage other colleges on campus to announce their support of McRobbie’s decision. “I would hope that faculty groups and staff groups and student groups at least consider whether they want to join in this,” Terry said. “I anticipate several of these coming out from various sources in the next few weeks.” The University has not announced the exact role it will take within the Freedom Indiana coalition. Terry said the University’s action depends on whether the General Assembly will decide to move forward in testifying for the amendment. Terry said the Council supports the fact Freedom Indiana hopes to continue its fight even if the amendment passes. Although the University’s decision reflects many years of faculty support in the fight, McRobbie’s announcement is monumental, Terry said. “We haven’t taken positions on social issues,” Terry said. Terry said many faculty members, especially within the Kelley School of Business, see the potential economic detriment that could come with the amendment. In order to take advantage of its workforce, the state needs to be able to welcome and recruit all types of workers, Terry said. Other faculty members argue the amendment would contradict IU’s policy to encourage a welcoming environment for all students. A state-wide constitutional ban on same-sex marriage would, in turn, make IU unattractive for students, Terry said.“This is a social issue. This is a business issue. This is a moral issue,” Terry said.
(10/29/13 4:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU announced its decision Monday to join a statewide bipartisan coalition, Freedom Indiana, in its effort to defeat the House Joint Resolution 6.HJR6 would amend the Indiana state constitution to add the state’s current statutory ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions to the state constitution. IU is Indiana’s first college to announce its support for the campaign, which was launched this summer.“HJR6 sends a powerfully negative message of Indiana as a place to live and work that is not welcoming to people of all backgrounds and beliefs,” IU President Michael McRobbie said in a press release. “We are proud to join the Freedom Indiana coalition and, in doing so, stand with some of Indiana’s most respected employers and organizations on the side of fairness.” IU joins other prominent employers including Eli Lilly and the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce in denouncing the amendment. The Indiana General Assembly will vote in January 2014 on whether to approve HJR6 for placement on a statewide referendum — slated for November 2014. Freedom Indiana campaign leaders stated in a press release that having the state’s largest university as a part of the coalition will strengthen the force of their message to lawmakers, who will consider HJR6 during the upcoming legislative session. James Wimbush, vice president of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, said the proposed amendment was in direct contradiction to his office’s commitment to provide broad access to IU’s outstanding educational opportunities.“Not only would this amendment have a profound impact on Indiana’s economy, but it would codify intolerance in a way that directly contradicts the welcoming community that we strive to nurture at IU,” Wimbush said.“Indiana University is a large employer here in Indiana. To remain competitive in attracting the best scholars to teach the most highly qualified students, we must keep our state open to all types of teachers and learners.”About 20 student volunteers gathered in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services office Monday evening for the campaign’s weekly phone bank.Freshman Freedom Indiana volunteer Morgan Mohr said she was relieved the University announced its support. “IU is taking an important stance towards equality today,” Mohr said. “Bloomington is one of this state’s strongholds.” Doug Bauder, director of GLBTSSS, said the IU administration advocated for LGBTQ equality legislation more quietly behind the scenes in recent years, making Monday’s public statement more effective. “It mirrors the growing number of Hoosiers that are understanding the value of marriage equality,” Bauder said. “The administration has just come out as our allies.”Mark Land, associate vice president of public affairs and government relations, said IU’s move to publicly announce support of Freedom Indiana was a result of senior leadership’s decision to step up for equality. “IU has made no financial contribution to Freedom Indiana as of now,” Land said. McRobbie said the passing of HJR6 would deter prospective employees, which would add to the state’s challenges of remaining economically competitive. “The University looks forward to lending a strong voice in the effort to ensure that the state’s Constitution is not altered to codify an intolerance that is not representative of the best of Hoosier values,” McRobbie said. Follow reporter Matt Bloom on Twitter @matthew_bloom.
(10/15/13 3:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A committee assembled by IU President Michael McRobbie is currently reviewing the Center on Congress, IU’s resource for congressional affairs, with intention to strengthen the center’s digital capacity.The center’s mission is to help community members understand the role of Congress in our representative democracy and to teach the skills of active and informed citizenship, said Lee Hamilton, former congressional representative and director of the Center on Congress.“We’re working in a field of fast-changing technology,” Hamilton said. “We try to develop materials that are appealing to young people, students.”The center is working on various projects that will benefit students, faculty and community members, Hamilton said.The Library of Congress project promotes teaching with primary sources by distributing primary sources to students and providing professional development opportunities for teachers in Indiana and the Midwest. “It’s a complex process both in terms of how you design and put these programs together,” Hamilton said. The center is also developing interactive multimedia materials to help students understand the effect of major congressional decisions and creating an Indiana Civic Help Index with the Indiana Bar Association.The Index will measure how well Indiana does on key aspects of citizen participation including voting and volunteering, Hamilton said.“We have a lot of projects underway and planned for the center,” Hamilton said. “These projects have been developed by my staff and me over a period of time, and I welcome additional insight and thoughts about how we can do it better.”IU professor of political science Russell Hanson is on the three-person reviewing committee.“All departments at our University undergo periodic review, and so do centers,” Hanson said. “Right now we are coordinating meeting times, gathering materials, identifying stakeholders who are invested in the Center and its future and generally getting the review underway.”Hanson is joined by committee chair Bruce Cole, former chair of the art history department and IU Trustee and Mark Sample, vice president for Public Affairs and Governmental Relations.“I really am not fearful or worried about anything here,” Hamilton said. “It’s a very good initiative. I think the Center on Congress plays a very important role in getting information out of the Congress.”While Hamilton said he is not worried about the future of the Center on Congress, he said he is concerned about the future of representative democracy. “We live in an environment politically where most of the attention is on the executive branch,” Hamilton said. “I want to make the mission of the congress more vital and use the resources available to us more effectively and more efficiently.”Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @HannahAlani.
(10/08/13 4:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Bloomington seniors remember not paying a repair and rehabilitation fee.Their sophomore year, 2011, the fee first appeared on Bursar bills. Their junior year, the fee doubled to $180 per semester. Now in its third year, the fee is back at the same rate and poised to bring in almost $25.6 million across all campuses.Repair and rehabilitation fees are intended to help finance projects such as repairing sewer lines, installing fire alarms and electrical systems and fixing sidewalks and roofs. “R and R is a lot of things that are under the ground and above the ceiling,” said Tom Morrison, vice president of capital planning and facilities.In 2011, IU received no state funding for R and R and decided the fee was necessary, Morrison said.“If it’s not coming from the state of Indiana, the students are our other source of revenue,” he said. This fiscal year, IU is receiving $11.5 million for R and R from the state of Indiana, the first time in almost half a decade it has received state money. “We did not get rid of the fee or reduce the fee even with the state funding,” said Mark Land, associate vice president of public affairs and government relations for IU. “Even with the state money we have demands for R and R that go beyond those two funds.”Land said a student fee is necessary for now in part to help lessen $700 million in deferred projects the University has accumulated. These are projects that don’t involve immediate safety needs and were put off because of low funding.Morrison could not provide a specific time frame for when the deferment backlog grew.As recently as 2000, the IU Board of Trustees meeting minutes indicate that R and R deferrals were under control. “We do not have large backlogs of deferred maintenance at Indiana University because we have been successful in convincing the General Assembly to support this very important need,” then-Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Terry Clapacs said at the May 2000 meeting.Four years later, Clapacs shared a different story. “Essentially all we’ve done for the last four to six years are those projects that are truly emergencies,” Clapacs said in a June 2004 trustees meeting. “We are way behind in building very rapidly a very large deferred maintenance set of projects that we’ve not been able to do.”In 2005, the Board of Trustees charged the facilities committee to review the growing deferred maintenance and consider alternate ways of funding R and R.Morrison said from approximately 2006 to 2009, the deferment rose from $600 million to $700 million as state funding continued to decrease.“We had to stop the hemorrhaging,” Morrison said.* * *The fee was first introduced on the Bursar bill in 2011 as the “temporary repair and rehabilitation fee.” This year, the word “temporary” was dropped from the Bursar bill, though it reappeared in the State of the University address Oct. 1 when President Michael McRobbie referred to the fee as a “special temporary student fee.” Even before the fee, students helped fund R and R projects through their tuition via the University’s general operating fund.Land said creating a fee rather than increasing tuition allowed the money to be channeled specifically into R and R.“All we did a couple years ago with the R and R fee is to absolutely say, ‘This is where your money is going,’” Morrison said. “We were just being more transparent.” IU reinvests in its buildings through annual repairs, a cost ranging from $40 million to $50 million a year. This year, IU plans to spend $44 million on R and R across all its campuses.Student fees will generate almost $25.6 million this year, more than half of which will come from IU Bloomington. Students at other IU campuses pay a lower fee than students in Bloomington, though their campuses contribute significantly less to the deferment total. With the student fee and the state funding, about $7 million will still have to be taken from the University’s general operating fund.Morrison said state funding would have to cover yearly R and R needs before the student fee could be eliminated. This mostly likely won’t be happening soon, he added, looking at the history of state funding during the past decade.Land said he cannot predict when the fee will be removed.“Until such time that it occurs, that the state more fully funds R and R, we’re going to have the fee,” Land said.* * *If there have been student complaints about the R and R fee, Land hasn’t heard them.He said he believes it is because the fee was frozen at the same rate. Likewise, IU Student Association Treasurer Casey Baker said she hasn’t heard any student comments about the fee, though she said the overall rising cost of tuition is always a big issue. “I think it’s a delicate balance of keeping our campus beautiful, updated and attracting students, but it’s also that you don’t want to charge too much to students,” she said. Land acknowledged the fee adds an extra burden to students’ bills.“We realize it was an additional fee to everybody, but it wasn’t like the state gave us all the money we needed,” Land said.But, he quickly added, IU is grateful to have state funding at all this year. Without money from the state, IU would have looked to raise the fee.Repair costs of a deferred project increase as the building or system ages. Seventy-six percent of IU Bloomington buildings are more than 40 years old.“Just because the funding doesn’t come doesn’t mean the roof doesn’t leak or the sidewalk doesn’t crack,” Morrison said. “The need doesn’t go away. Everyone can recognize that.”Between the state and student funding the deferred project total will reduce by 21 percent to $558 million, Morrison said. This is the first time in a decade the deferral amount will reduce, he said.During the State of the University address, McRobbie said his primary goal is to chip away at small deferred projects totaling about $170 million before tackling large projects. Such projects would include entire building renovations of Swain Hall, Ballantine Hall and the Geology Building, Morrison said. “A lot of it isn’t sexy,” Land said. “But it’s this vital structure, making campus safer and more comfortable for students.”Follow reporter Megan Jula on Twitter @MeganJula.
(10/01/13 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When IU sophomore Melissa Crabtree gets out of class during the school week, she heads outside the Indiana Memorial Union to catch the X bus, where she is usually greeted by a line that stretches down the street and around the corner. Soon, this line could get even longer.Despite increased student enrollment at IU, the IU Campus Bus Service cut the number of running X buses from four to three per day in 2012, and that trend continues. The number of X buses during fall semester should remain steady at three a day, Campus Bus Service operations manager Perry Maul said in an email. In 2014, however, the service plans to decrease the number again to two running buses per day with a third added in the afternoon. “In general, ridership on IU Campus Bus Services has declined over the past two fiscal years in comparison to prior years, even with stable enrollment levels,” Maul said. Junior Xander Harty said he is typically among 40 to 50 people waiting in line to catch the X bus. Crabtree said she recalls having to wait in the X bus line countless times because it’s the best route to get her home to her off-campus apartment. She usually has to wait for two buses because the vehicle fills up so quickly, and there are so many students waiting to board.“I feel like it’s a lot more convenient for people who live off-campus,” she said of the X route. The X route is a University bus route that only makes three stops: Memorial Stadium, the IMU and the IU Auditorium. In 2012, ridership on the X bus decreased by 15 percent, according to Campus Bus Service records. It continued to drop by another 4 percent in 2013, bringing the board to their decision to drop one of the running buses, Maul said.The ridership numbers are collected daily by the bus operators themselves, who count each student entering the bus with a mechanical counter.Maul said that ridership may have declined for several reasons, but the biggest factor is IU’s goal of increasing pedestrian rather than vehicular traffic on campus. “The IUB Campus Master Plan states that walking is to be the primary mode of transportation for the campus,” Maul said. “Routes and schedules have been restructured to support this goal over the past several years.” Crabtree’s other option is the A bus, but she said that since it has a busy route and goes down Third Street, it fills up quickly with freshmen who live in the Northwest neighborhood.Maul said changes have already been made to the A and B bus routes to avoid bus traffic crowding central parts of campus. These changes fulfill a Master Plan goal to simplify vehicular transportation on campus to only north-south and east-west routes, using the most direct paths possible. In addition to these simplified courses, a loop shuttle would run, connecting the different rigid routes. “Near-gridlock traffic conditions on campus streets means it is faster to walk than take the bus during most of the school day,” Maul said. The need to simplify bus routes and create a better public transportation flow on campus comes from the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board’s initiative to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicles on campus by 20 percent by 2020. Funding for IU buses comes from the mandatory student transportation fee, Maul explained, and is not a factor that has influenced this recent cut.Alex McNeilly, a bus operator who drives the X route, said he thinks there is not too much to worry about. When he drives on Monday afternoons, it is rare that the bus reaches its full capacity, he said.There are times, though, when it’s too full, and he has to turn people away. Maul said that all buses, including the X bus, are busiest at the beginning of the semester and during bouts of bad weather, which other bus riders said influenced their decision to take the bus in lieu of biking or walking.“To some degree, crowded buses at the start of the semester is to be expected,” Maul said.Follow reporter Anicka Slachta on Twitter @ajslachta.
(09/26/13 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret called President Michael McRobbie’s recent two-week trip to Africa “remarkably productive.” Zaret reflected on the trip’s highlights during a forum Wednesday night in the IU Auditorium. The primary goal of the trip was to connect with peer institutions in Africa to pursue new opportunities for IU, Zaret said. The team departed Africa with numerous agreements, Zaret said, including parternships with Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya, and Gordon Institute of Business Science in Johannesburg, South Africa. The group visited the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, home of a large collection of anti-apartheid documents, Zaret said. He said he hopes IU’s social science fields can form a partnership with the school to gain access to this research.The current deputy dean of research at the University of the Western Cape, Renfrew Christie, is an old friend of Zaret’s and helped move the historically black university into a top research institution, Zaret said.Renfrew was incarcerated for five years for being the primary source of leaking information about South African attempts to gain nuclear weapons, Zaret said. “There is a certain resilience of someone who is happy and pleasant after they go through an experience like that, and emerges to do great work at the University of the Western Cape,” Zaret said.McRobbie and his team also visited the University of Pretoria, which IU has worked with for about 10 years. The universities agreed to explore opportunities in the areas of health sciences, human rights and assistance with African language instruction. Within the past year, IU has funded about 200 students’ and faculty members’ trips to Africa for various research and teaching activities. About 200 African students currently attend IU, Zaret said.He said the involvement of IU and the universities in Africa have been and will remain to be a “partnership of equals.”“Now is the part of heavy lifting, trying to figure out where are the best opportunities?” Zaret said.Follow reporter Ashlyn Bridgewater on Twitter @ash_bridgewater.
(09/18/13 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Foundation has named Richard Dupree its executive vice president for development. Dupree will assume his new role Oct. 1, according to a press release. Founded in 1936, the IU Foundation works to seek out private support from stakeholders to finance IU projects at all campuses. It oversees an endowment with a market value of almost $1.7 billion, according to a press release.In fiscal year 2013, IU received $305.9 million in private funds.Dupree will be responsible for developing and leading fundraising programs for all IU campuses as an executive officer. He plans to integrate strategic planning and performance metrics to maximize funds for the University, according to the release. Dupree is the current assistant dean of development and alumni relations for the Kelley School of Business, where he has worked for more than 20 years. At Kelley, Dupree managed four fundraising initiatives, bringing in more than $375 million for the school. He also organized the school’s “Count Me In” campaign to fund the construction of the Hodge Hall Undergraduate Complex.IU Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith announced Dupree’s new position Tuesday. “He is recognized not just at IU, but nationally as an innovator in fundraising operations,” he said in the press release. — Samantha Schmidt
(09/17/13 10:47pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Provost Lauren Robel presented an update on the communications merger to members of the Bloomington Faculty Council Tuesday in the Kelley School of Business. Robel said the proposal to the Board of Trustees will include three key points. A new media program, including the current School of Journalism and two College of Arts and Sciences departments — telecommunications and communication and culture — will be delegated to COAS. Also included in the proposal are a dual certificate program with the School of Informatics and Computing and the $21 million renovation for a new media studies facility in Franklin Hall.Robel said the new media studies program will possibly be called “M-School,” short for “Media School.”Vice President for Capital Planning and Affairs Tom Morrison took the meeting floor to explain the elimination of parking on 10th Street due to construction of the School of Global and International Studies.A few hundred parking spots will be reestablished upon completion of the SGIS building, Morrison said. He also discussed the IU Foundation’s proposal to use the Phi Delta Gamma fraternity property to extend either the Maurer School of Law or Swain Hall, re-locating Fiji to 8th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.“This is an agreement and principle with the fraternity,” Morrison said. “If they don’t raise the money, nothing changes.”Robel said the restructuring of media studies is critical for students wanting to enter careers in journalism. “We’re all being re-organized by the digital revolution,” she said. The administration is looking at offering dual degree programs and dual certificates. “In journalism there have been long standing concerns about de-professionalization,” Robel said. “We will never de-emphasize research,” Robel said. When Robel opened the floor for questions, a BFC member asked how the administration planned to include student voice in the process. “I would love suggestions about how to include student voice,” Robel said. She spoke about the importance of including graduate students in conversations.“Their degrees will be visible and meaningful,” Robel said. COAS Dean Larry Singell agreed.“Undergraduates are only here for four years and may not have a long-term vision for the college.” Singell said. “Faculty spend their careers here. The lengths of their interests in the institution vary.”Singell is meeting with six undergraduate students from the School of Journalism today for lunch in the Tudor Room to discuss the merger.Robel’s presentation to the BFC can be found online at indiana.edu.The “main takeaway” that Robel hoped BFC members took home is that much is undecided regarding the merger. “There’s no axe hanging over everybody at this moment,” Robel said. “We have a lot of time to have these conversations.”Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter @hannahalani.
(09/17/13 4:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU President Michael McRobbie presented the President’s Medal for Excellence to former Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs Edwin Marshall at a farewell reception for Marshall Sept. 12. According to a press release from the IU Newsroom, the President’s Medal is the highest honor an IU president can bestow.It recognizes distinction in public service and service to IU.Marshall retired recently after 40 years at IU. He was a professor of optometry in addition to his six years as vice president of DEMA.Marshall launched and led the President’s University Diversity Initiative, according to the release. He worked with the University provost to increase the amount of scholarship funds available through the Hudson and Holland Scholars program. In 2003, Marshall became the first optometrist elected chair of the executive board of the American Public Health Association. He’s also a founding member of the Vision Care Section for the APHA, according to the release.“Throughout his entire career, Ed has always reinforced inclusion and respect,” McRobbie said at the reception. “He has been a champion of equity for all students at Indiana University.”Marshall has served as chair of the IU Public Health Coordinating Council since 2009.In 2002, he was the first optometrist elected president of the Indiana Public Health Association. According to the press release, Marshall was instrumental in Indiana University launching the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI and the School of Public Health on the Bloomington campus. Marshall has four degrees from IU, including Doctor of Optometry and Master of Science.— Tori Fater