IU trustees approve tuition rates ahead of upcoming meeting
The Indiana University Board of Trustees approved tuition rates for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years during a special meeting this month.
The resident undergraduate tuition and fee rates for all IU campuses will increase by 2.5 percent each of the next two academic years. The increase in tuition and mandatory fees equates to $267 for IU Bloomington, $237 for IUPUI and $183 for IU’s regional campuses. The funding provided by the increase will support IU’s academic programs across the state.
IU President Michael A. McRobbie recommended the tuition increases, which were approved by the trustees during a special meeting immediately following a public hearing June 5 at IUPUI.
During the hearing, IU Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John Sejdinaj illustrated IU’s competitiveness in tuition rates relative to peer and in-state institutions. You can learn more about the university’s budgeting process in Sejdinaj’s From the Desk article.
The trustees meet Thursday and Friday at the Walb Union at IU Fort Wayne. A schedule and an agenda for the meeting are available on the board of trustees’ website. IU will be live-tweeting and using the hashtag #IUBOT.
IU to acquire fastest university-owned AI supercomputer
Indiana University and Cray Inc. have announced IU’s acquisition of the fastest university-owned supercomputer in the nation to support its advanced research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and scientific and medical research.
The new system, Big Red 200, is named for the IU Bicentennial and will replace the highly successful Big Red II Cray supercomputer, which began service in 2013 but is becoming obsolete. Big Red 200 will become fully operational on IU’s bicentennial anniversary, Jan. 20, 2020.
IU researchers make extensive use of the university’s advanced computing systems and look forward to moving their research teams to Big Red 200. Health and medical areas are one of the fastest-growing research domains for advanced machine learning applications. Computational systems for advanced AI research are becoming increasingly critical for recruiting and retaining the best research talent in the state.
Give feedback on the new Guardian safety app
Students, faculty and staff at Indiana University can now use the new Guardian safety app to access personal safety resources and to reach police more easily.
The free app is available at the Apple Store and on Google Play. Public safety officials encourage the university community to download and use the app so it can be improved with community feedback.
Features of the app include an inbox for IU-Notify emergency alerts, crime notices and public safety advisories, a safe walk timer, the ability to send tips to police, and more.
Two alumni vying for seat on the IU Board of Trustees
Two candidates are running for the Indiana University Board of Trustees seat open this year. Voting by alumni began June 1 and continues until 10 a.m. June 28.
This year’s candidates for trustee are MaryEllen K. Bishop of Carmel, Indiana, who earned her bachelor’s degree in 1979 and her law degree in 1982, and Brian Robert Davidson of Chicago, who earned his bachelor’s degree in 2004.
Degree-holders from all IU campuses are eligible to vote. For more information about the candidates or to vote online, visit the Trustee Election website.
The IU Board of Trustees is composed of nine members. IU graduates elect three of the trustees, one each year, for a three-year term. The remaining six trustees, including the student board member, are appointed by Indiana’s governor.
Sign up for the IU Social Media Summit
Are you prepared to handle a social media crisis? Is your Instagram game on point and your TikTok strategy locked and loaded? If you’re not sure, the IU Social Media Summit version 4.0 is here to help.
Happening Wednesday, Aug. 7, on the IUPUI campus, the Social Media Summit features expert tips, strategies and hands-on workshops to take your social media game to the next level.
Registration includes lunch and access to two keynote addresses, including a morning talk by IU alumnus Matthew Kobach, the man behind the New York Stock Exchange’s social media strategy, and a lunch keynote by Jon McBride, a media relations and social media manager at Brigham Young University who spreads the digital reach of the university with influencer relations. Register on the event page.
IUAA honors top alumni volunteers
The Indiana University Alumni Association honored five alumni volunteers who exemplify the values of service, loyalty and volunteer leadership during the Cream and Crimson Weekend this month.
The 2019 recipients of the President’s Award, the highest award the IUAA bestows on volunteer leaders, are Bernadette Brier-Slawinski of Ogden Dunes, Indiana; Bill Hyde of Naples, Florida; Phyllis Lewis of Indianapolis; Janice Mucker of Indianapolis; Sandy Searcy of Bloomington; and Mike Shumate of San Diego. Read more about their accomplishments.
Students working with Indiana cities to inventory greenhouse gas emissions
Indiana University students are working with several local governments this summer to complete community-scale greenhouse gas inventories as part of the Indiana Sustainability Development Program.
The Resilience Cohort is a new project under Sustain IU’s extern program, and the eight students in the program will be hosted by cities, towns and counties in Indiana that are committed to addressing the challenges associated with climate change.
The students will complete greenhouse gas inventories for their host communities, which will provide data on topics such as the amount of energy consumed, the diversity of the energy supplied to their grid, and residents’ vehicle types and fuel usages. Communities can use the inventories’ data to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and develop a plan for achieving these goals.
IU Bloomington joins multi-institutional effort to advance equity and inclusion in STEM
Indiana University will create a team of faculty who will work with faculty from nine other large public institutions to more fully understand student success in foundational STEM courses.
The project, Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses – known as SEISMIC – will take place over the next three years in a variety of different ways. Each partner institution will conduct research, participate in parallel analyses and share results on how to best support students typically underrepresented in these disciplines.
Through participation in this work, IU Bloomington will work toward achieving the outcomes represented in its five-year strategic plan, including developing best practices for STEM teaching and learning and improving equity, inclusion and greater student success in STEM.
Chuckstrong Tailgate Gala raises nearly $2 million for cancer research
More than $1.8 million was raised at the 2019 Chuckstrong Tailgate Gala to support scientists at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.
More than half of those funds came from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who pledged $1 million to the cancer research. The money was raised in honor of former Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who was diagnosed with leukemia during his first season with the Colts.
The $1.8 million set a record for the 8-year-old fundraising campaign to recruit new researchers and purchase laboratory equipment for innovative cancer research.
