Welcome Back, Jaguars!

Dear colleagues,

Welcome back. It is hard to believe that the fall semester is here, and with it comes the excitement of having our students return. The start of a new academic year is always invigorating, especially as we officially launch our first semester as IU Indianapolis.

Our enrollment is higher this year compared to last – undergraduate, graduate, new and returning students. More than 2,200 students participated in Bridge Week, and more than 100 first-year students are looking forward to the 1st Year Research Immersion Program.

I am truly grateful to our faculty, staff and all our student workers who welcomed and helped our new students move in. Thanks to all of you, IU Indianapolis will always be the place where student success is our north star.

Whether it is the progress on our strategic plan, the work of our expressive activity taskforce that shared their recommendations with record speed, or the efforts of our IFC leadership who are helping us prepare for the implementation of SEA 202, a spirit of true collaboration combined with a can-do mindset defines who we are at IU Indianapolis. Thanks to all of you, our work continued over the summer.

Here are a few highlights:

• The official launch of IU Indianapolis on July 1! The launch event was attended by hundreds of people from across campus. Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed July 1 IU Indianapolis Day.
• Continuing progress on our IU Indianapolis 2030 Strategic Plan goals, including the launch of a new metrics dashboard.
• Expansion of the Seamless Admissions Initiative and announcement of the Groups Scholars Program supporting first-generation and underrepresented students—expanding to IU Indianapolis.
• Approval of Expressive Activity Policy by Board of Trustees, which strengthens the university’s longstanding commitment to protecting and supporting the right to free speech.
• Discussion and development of resources related to Senate Enrolled Act 202.

Our momentum will continue this fall, and I encourage you to follow me on LinkedIn as I share additional stories of the people and progress of IU Indianapolis. We want you to participate in every activity that we have planned. Our students are taking the lead on this year’s Regatta, our canoe race on the Downtown Canal, which will celebrate its 16th anniversary in its debut as the IU Indianapolis Regatta. As our students shared, on September 28, you gotta Regatta!

And nothing will build campus pride faster than cheering on our Jaguar student athletes. See the full Athletics schedule here. I hope to see you at these events as we celebrate the Jaguar spirit.

As the new Olympic motto goes, we will go “Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together.”

Welcome to IU Indianapolis. Let’s have a great year!

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor