The Indiana University Council for Regional Engagement and Economic Development (CREED), addresses regional economic concerns and identifies ways that IU can use its resources to advance economic development efforts in the state. Each IU campus has a CREED representative, appointed by that campus’s Chancellor or Provost.
Amy Conrad Warner has represented IUPUI on CREED since its inception. She is the vice chancellor in the Office of Community Engagement. She was kind enough to answer questions for Crimson Catalyst.
Crimson Catalyst: Why is community engagement important to IUPUI?
Amy Conrad Warner: Community engagement is a founding principle upon which our campus was built. IUPUI encourages and supports a mutually beneficial partnership between the campus and the central Indiana community. IUPUI inspires innovation, improves the quality of life and fuels the economic vitality of the region. Through an engagement strategy and philosophy, we develop civic-minded professionals who in turn tackle complex issues facing our communities, the state of Indiana and the world. We attract funding to our institution to solve pressing public health issues in Indiana, prepare urban teachers for the classrooms of tomorrow, translate research into practice which open doors to the future. We leverage our institutional hiring and buying power to benefit our community and state. At IUPUI, community engagement remains one of the three themes of our strategic plan to attract talent to the region and to our institution; attract resources for relevant, time-sensitive research; and leverage the institution’s human capital to improve the quality of life in our region.
CC: Why is regional economic development important to IUPUI?
AW: Every city in the nation strives to attract and keep qualified, diverse talent. Located in America’s 16th-largest city, our campus is inextricably linked to the economic vitality of Central Indiana. As Indianapolis grows, so grows IUPUI. As a major employer with an annual operating budget of over $1 billion, our faculty and staff require quality housing, good schools, safe neighborhoods, green spaces, arts and culture. Quite simply, a great city attracts and keeps talent. IUPUI employees are part of the Central Indiana region; we live side-by-side with our neighbors and have the same aspirational goals for the success of our city and welfare of our families.
CC: What vision or priorities does your chancellor have regarding regional engagement and economic development?
AW: Chancellor Nasser Paydar believes in the vision of IUPUI to be a leading urban research institution recognized for three priorities: the success of our students; our advances in health and life sciences; and our intellectual, economic and cultural contributions to the well-being of the citizens of Indianapolis, the state and beyond. The strategic direction of the campus includes a goal to deepen the campus commitment to community engagement through service learning, experiential learning, stimulating the local economy and addressing mutually beneficial urban community needs. The chancellor has endorsed our Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative, supported the Great Places 2020 initiative in River West and the Indy East Promise Zone, and the partnership with Madam Walker Legacy Center to inspire economic development along historic Indiana Avenue.
CC: How has the region benefited from the campus’s involvement and leadership?
AW: First and foremost, our campus serves Indiana by designing relevant degree programs and preparing the talent pipeline for the major economic clusters in our region: health and life sciences, information technology, advanced manufacturing and logistics, etc. New degree programs and innovative curricula remain rigorous and relevant inside and outside the classroom. Last year, 390 faculty members led 9,737 students in 1,224 community-based learning courses, producing over 1,106,000 hours of engagement. Second, faculty on our campus conduct breakthrough research on Indiana’s grand challenges on addictions, precision health and responding to environmental change. Improving the quality of life and invigorating the local economy reach deep into the community, with over 60 new startups since 2009 and over 370 jobs created.
CC: What potential opportunities exist for IUPUI and your region?
AW: As a major enterprise in the region, IUPUI has the opportunity to expand our excellence in community engagement, service learning and innovation to the operational business functions of the campus. As an education and research organization, we eagerly anticipate the expansion of the emerging innovation district (16Tech) just north of our campus. We expect full engagement in co-locating research and development activity within and around the innovation district. Through selection in the Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative with Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities and The Democracy Collaborative, IUPUI is perfectly positioned to embrace the “Live, Hire, Buy” economic development strategy of our region to encourage employees to live near campus, hire local residents for full-time positions on campus and focus our buying power to invigorate the central Indiana economy.
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