Who Are Our Peers?

As we carve out our brand as IU Indianapolis, it is a good time for us to consider our peer and aspirant institutions. Such institutions are critical for benchmarking, collaboration, and maintaining competitiveness in higher education. Typically, peer institutions have common qualities such as student headcount, institutional goals, and level of resources. For IU Indianapolis, one of our defining features and advantages is our urban location, and so that factors into the institutions we consider our peers.

At the last IU Indianapolis Faculty Council meeting, Dr. Jay Gladden shared our current peer group, which is comprised of the following institutions:

• Boise State University
• Georgia State University
• Portland State University
• University of Cincinnati – Main Campus
• University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Nevada – Las Vegas
• University of Utah
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Wayne State University

Based on preliminary analysis by the Office of Research led by Dr. Phaedra Corso, we are considering adding the institutions shown below:

• University of Louisville
• University of North Carolina – Charlotte
• University of Houston
• University of Memphis

We are also considering removing a few on the current list that are shown below:

• Portland State University
• University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
• Boise State University
• Virginia Commonwealth University

Choosing the right peers can lead us to set our own bigger and bolder goals. We can then turn to our peer institutions to study the factors that have helped them achieve their own increasingly impressive accomplishments. For instance, what budget models do R1 research institutions adopt to expand their research portfolios? What organizational structures are used at schools that are urban serving institutions? What changes might we need to consider at IU Indy to help us attain our goals? In other words, the choice of a peer group can help us set goals and develop a better understanding of the structural and financial models used at peer institutions that may be associated with their success.

Some faculty have reached out with their suggestions based on similarities in research portfolios, and/or student demographics specific to urban institutions. I thank you if you have emailed me your suggestions. If you have not, I encourage you to consider the question and send me your suggestions.

What peer institutions should we consider adding to our current list?

What institutions should we remove from our current list?

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor