Nationwide partnership will strengthen efforts to educate more Hoosiers

Today, I am pleased to announce that all Indiana University regional campuses have joined the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Student Success Equity Intensive.

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, this comprehensive multi-year initiative will provide a wealth of insights derived from partner universities sharing data and best practices. Ultimately, the Student Success Equity Intensive will help us develop new practices and programs to support our students in their path to a degree, while ensuring that race and income are no longer predictors of student success. 

The partnership will help our regional campuses — which continue to provide the most affordable path to an IU education — build upon recent progress in expanding access to an IU degree. We will continue to break down barriers for Black, Latine, Indigenous and low-income students, equipping them for long-term success in a dynamic and globally interconnected society. Efforts such as providing students with personalized learning and advising support, as well as financial counseling, will be ramped up as part of the partnership, which aligns with student success goals detailed in our IU 2030 strategic plan. 

Learnings from the partnership will inform other student success initiatives across IU, including Indiana College Core, which enables Hoosier high school students to earn college credit at our campuses. This is in addition to the Indiana Kids program, which provides a stronger on-ramp to college for sixth- through 12th-grade students by providing free tutoring and mentoring. 

Participation in the Student Success Equity Intensive will also help IU more effectively serve first-generation and underrepresented students in the Groups Scholars Program, now offered on all of our regional campuses. 

These efforts are particularly important as IU continues its commitment to be increasingly diverse. The total number of students of color enrolled at all of our campuses increased by nearly 5% this fall, with four regional campuses breaking records for the share of students of color enrolled. 

We can all be inspired by IU’s regional campuses, which are taking a leadership role nationally in leveraging their strengths to ensure all motivated Hoosiers can access a first-rate IU education.

Pamela Whitten

President
Indiana University