Listening and Learning - My first week at IU Indianapolis

My first meeting on my first day as the inaugural chancellor at IU Indianapolis set the tone for the rest of the day and the entire week. It was inspiring and exciting for many reasons. I met with students, and we talked about what is special about IU Indianapolis: internships, connection to health and health care education, location (think NBA All-Stars, swimming championships, restaurants and festivals), a sense of belonging, opportunities to network with other students and the community, traditions (Jagathon and Regatta were mentioned), and the opportunities for undergraduates to do interdisciplinary research starting in their freshman year.

If our students are happy about their experiences, our staff and faculty deserve the credit. Speaking to Staff Council leaders in my second meeting of the day, it was clear that we have a dedicated group of leaders who care deeply about our students, appreciate the need to educate the next generation, and are eager to support the work of faculty and our research. Staff members with whom I spoke are eager to ensure that their work makes an impact and contributes to our mission.

At my meeting with Faculty Council leadership, my third meeting of the day, I was struck by their commitment to our institution that went beyond their college, school, division or department. My takeaways after talking to this group: I can count on faculty for their “can-do” spirit to address challenges no matter how ostensibly difficult. I learned that faculty would like to break down silos and unite under the IU Indianapolis banner. They are keen to change our current resource allocation model and replace it with one that fosters even more collaboration. I was also delighted to learn that faculty are very interested in growing support for undergraduate research.

The week was filled with other learning opportunities: meeting with my cabinet as we work through the details of our realignment plan, meetings with the enrollment management team, with vice presidents and vice chancellors to better understand our opportunities and our challenges.

Thanks to President Whitten for hosting the welcome reception on Monday where I was humbled by the number of attendees. Dinner at the Indiana Chamber event on Tuesday reinforced the message that our community leaders and industry partners are eager to work with us as we graduate the next generation of leaders for our region, and as we engage in cutting-edge research that leads to innovation and economic development for the region.

Overall the themes of my first week: momentum, opportunity, and a can-do attitude.

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor