The Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development, or CREED, held its first quarterly meeting of 2020 on Feb. 18 at IUPUI.
Bill Stephan, IU vice president for government relations and economic engagement, welcomed attendees. He summarized the board of trustees meeting that took place at IUPUI Feb. 13-14, including the authorization of new degrees and increased residence fees.
IU Office of Business Partnerships
Valerie Gill, associate vice president for business partnerships, summarized the purpose and goals of the newly created Office of Business Partnerships (OBP). Announced in October 2019, the office focuses on developing deeper holistic relationships with corporate university partners to maximize opportunities across multiple areas.
The OBP has devised a business partnership index to note core partners and their reach; the tool will allow the office to identify the university’s top 25 strategic corporate partners before moving on to determine the top 250. OBP will also devise a marketing and communications plan for corporate partners in order to promote relationships and develop a complementary website that identifies partnering opportunities.
IU Ventures
Tony Armstrong, president and CEO, and Jason Whitney, associate vice president, both of IU Ventures, summarized the history of IU Ventures as well as its activity and goals. Its overlying mission is to support the IU entrepreneurial ecosystem through student opportunities, startup support, alumni engagement and community collaboration.
Startup support is available through the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, which has approved 19 investments to date, totaling $6.15 million to companies based on IU innovations or that have IU alumni in leadership roles.
IU Ventures is engaging with alumni through the newly launched IU Angel Network, which will hold at least one formal event per month for Angel Network members to learn about companies with IU connections.
2020 Education-to-Employment Convergence
Joe Carley, the university’s director of economic development, and Kirsten Adams, senior sponsorships and projects specialist, recapped the 2020 Education-to-Employment Convergence, which focused on enhancing the college-to-career transition for IU graduates. The event emphasized the key role of career services professionals.
More than 40 people with IU connections attended, including current students and recent alumni. David Johnson of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership delivered the keynote address, followed by two panels with representatives from industry and education. More information about the event is available online.
Focus on IUPUC
Melissa Fairbanks, director of the Center for Business and Economic Development (CBED) at IUPUC, spoke about the student population and new developments in Columbus.
IUPUC is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2019-20. Offering both bachelor’s and graduate degrees, IUPUC is nationally recognized for its Nursing Simulation Lab. In April, it will celebrate the opening of the Tom and Barbara Schoelkopf Mental Health Counseling Center, which will offer services to members of the IUPUC community and assist in training master’s degree students in mental health counseling.
CBED holds workshops on business-focused topics, such as leadership development, for industry personnel from Columbus-based companies. Utilizing faculty and staff with complementary expertise, in 2018-19, CBED held 78 customized workshops for more than 500 participants, achieving a 99 percent success rate, according to the results of participant surveys.
Economic Impact Study
David Gard, assistant vice president for economic engagement, provided an overview of a comprehensive, university-wide economic impact study to be conducted in 2020.
The next CREED meeting will be held May 19 in Indianapolis.