KOKOMO, Ind. — IU President Michael A. McRobbie visited IU Kokomo on April 13-14, where he toured a historic glass factory, met with students and faculty, discussed IU’s research vision with community leaders and dedicated IU Kokomo’s Main Building.
Throughout his “McRobbie on the Move” tour, designed to highlight the importance of IU’s regional presence to Indiana as a whole, McRobbie has emphasized the contribution of each campus to Indiana’s economic vitality.
According to the most recent figures available, operations at IU Kokomo had an overall impact of $52.1 million in 2011 — about half of that coming from direct effects and the rest attributed to indirect or induced impact. The campus carries a total employment impact of 626 jobs and generates more than $2.7 million annually in state and local tax revenue.
“Nowhere is the impact of IU’s regional campuses more greatly felt than here in Kokomo.”
— IU President Michael A. McRobbie
Additonally IU Kokomo faculty, staff and and its total student enrollment — which fluctuates between 3,400 and 4,100 students per semester — are estimated to generate more than $3.4 million annually in charitable donations and volunteer services.
“Nowhere is the impact of IU’s regional campuses more greatly felt than here in Kokomo,” McRobbie said during a Wednesday evening speech at the IU Kokomo Art Gallery. “Nearly 80 percent of IU Kokomo graduates stay in the region, using their new skills and knowledge to strengthen the local economy and enrich their home communities.”
McRobbie also noted that as IU approaches its bicentennial in 2020, the most ambitious research effort in IU history — the $300 million Grand Challenges Program — involves five finalist proposals that each offer “major potential” for Kokomo, Howard County and the surrounding north central Indiana region.
One example involves a proposal to develop new technologies, data systems and policies to ensure the sustainability of high-quality water for the region.
“As you know, the Environmental Protection Agency added a 300-acre plume of contaminated groundwater beneath Kokomo to its Superfund National Priority List last year. Our river basins also face periodic threats from water scarcity and flooding, as the devastating 2013 flood here in Kokomo illustrated,” McRobbie said.
“The aim of this project is to conduct research that will lead to the creation of new tools for effective water resource planning and decision-making and new tools that can be used to address and reverse threats to water quality all across the state and beyond.”
Earlier in his visit, McRobbie toured the nation’s oldest art glass company, Kokomo Opalescent Glass. He also met with students and faculty about their experiences at IU Kokomo, where he emphasized the importance of overseas study programs.
“In a world where there’s no area not impacted by globalization, it is essential that students gain that experience,” McRobbie said. “These stories underscore how important study abroad is.”
To read more about McRobbie’s visit to IU Kokomo, click here:
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NEW ALBANY, Ind. — The IU Southeast campus in New Albany carries an annual economic impact of $125 million. It is one of southeast Indiana’s largest employers and boasts one of lowest student-to-faculty ratios in the state. Upon graduation, nearly 85 percent of IU Southeast alumni remain nearby, contributing to the region’s civic, economic and cultural life.
Although Indiana struggles to produce enough technically skilled workers to meet manufacturers’ demands, IU President Michael A. McRobbie said campuses such as IU Southeast are the key to addressing such challenges.
During a March 23 visit to the campus — part of a statewide tour to each of IU’s regional campuses — McRobbie said IU Southeast is well-positioned to help companies like Samtec Inc., a New Albany-based electronic connector producer, find workers with the proper training while helping students obtain the skills required for success.
“They (Samtec) have a real challenge in recruiting technically trained people, engineers and others as well,” McRobbie told the New Albany News and Tribune. “Clearly, I think this is an opportunity that probably, we need to be doing more [outreach] to companies like Samtec and some of the other critical companies that have established themselves in River Ridge [Commerce Center] to understand in more detail what are the kinds of professions and skills they need.”
All told, the 36,000 students at IU’s regional campuses comprise about one-third of IU’s total enrollment. As the university pursues its Bicentennial Strategic Plan — part of which involves establishing a statewide culture of “building and making” toward long-term prosperity and innovation — IU Southeast plays a critical role in achieving such goals.
McRobbie noted that since 2013, IU Southeast — which also serves the greater Louisville area — has introduced 50 new majors, minors, certificates, tracks, concentrations and masters programs that either have been approved or are in the approval process. IU Southeast also has adopted a “banded” tuition system that allows undergraduates to pay the same for course loads that range between 12 and 18 hours.
“Data shows that students who take at least 15 hours per semester tend to get better grades, are less likely to drop out and are more likely to graduate on time,” McRobbie said. “Keeping an Indiana University education affordable in both the short and long term is essential for our students’ success and for the well-being of their families.”
Programs such as the recently launched Regional Research and Creativity Initiative also encourage increased innovation among IU Southeast faculty, McRobbie said. In its first year, IU Southeast awarded three grants toward research and creative activity that enhances the region’s quality of life. A second round of funding has been requested by IU Southeast Chancellor Ray Wallace.
Read more about McRobbie’s visit to IU Southeast here:
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