Strengthening Partnerships: Collaborating with Schools and Industry for Indiana’s Future

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to host key leaders from the P-12 system, from which we recruit our students, as well as industry leaders from businesses that recruit our graduates. The discussion focused on telling our story about the value of a college degree. Not only did the group affirm our premise, but they also shared their concerns about the narrative that college does not matter.  

In 2023, a high school graduate's starting salary was $36,000, whereas a college graduate earned $60,000. Notably, this 67% college premium (60K compared to 36K) increases over time, resulting in approximately a 200% difference after 20 years. This, of course, is just the beginning. When we also consider differences in health outcomes, life expectancy, and overall quality of life, it becomes clear that pursuing a college degree is more about when to do it rather than whether it's worthwhile.  

Later in the day, I was privileged to be hosted by the Central Indiana Regional Development Authority (CIRDA), thanks to Mayor Fadness of Fishers, Indiana, who invited me to share our vision and work at IU Indy with this group. Speaking to a group of mayors, superintendents, and industry leaders, I heard resonance for our vision. As an institution of higher education, we work hard to ensure that our students have more options when they graduate than when they were admitted. We do this by offering programs that are rigorous and, importantly, relevant.  

I am also pleased to note that our seamless admissions initiative, which started with 4 IPS schools, is now offered to all 12 IPS schools. In addition, we have 10 other schools that have signed up to partner with us, and the interest continues to grow. We are also working to better support high school teachers and counselors as they advise students. The decline in the proportion of college-bound high school graduates from 65% to 53% over the last decade is not a hurdle; rather, it is an opportunity. While we can always go recruit out-of-state students, we have a responsibility to our citizens and taxpayers in Indiana to meet the education, workforce, and talent needs of our state. There is much talent in our schools, and we can partner with them to graduate our students to become community leaders and industry captains who empower economic growth for our state and region.    

Go Jags!

Latha Ramchand
Chancellor