Dear John Whittenberger Society Members and Friends of the IMU,
The Spring 2024 semester has brought with it many exciting shifts, and an opportunity to strengthen the impact of our beloved Indiana Memorial Union to the wider campus community.
Dr. Lamar Hylton, Vice Provost for Student Life—who many of us heard speak candidly and passionately about his commitment to the Union at our 2023 Biennial—has created an IMU Visioning Committee which held its first meeting in February 2023.
The role of the committee is to ensure that the IMU remains a vital part of campus life, and to revisit many of the important questions we had last spring when we heard of proposed changes to the IMU organizational structure with the creation of the department of Student Life. Importantly:
- There are 14 members total, including 4 Union Board student directors, and myself as representative of the John Whittenberger Society. Additional members include Danielle DeSawal (UB Faculty Rep), Hank Walter (Executive Director of the IMU), and Mara Dahlgren (Director of the Student Involvement and Leadership Center), as well as individuals from the Auxiliary, Dining, and Student Life departments.
- Dr. Vicka Bell-Robinson, the new Associate Vice Provost of Involvement and Belonging who joined IU in January 2024, leads the committee. Union Board students were part of the hiring process for this position, and she was their top candidate.
The work of the committee is planned to end in April 2024, with a written report of recommendations for Dr. Hylton and campus leadership to consider. Together, we’ve been tasked with answering the following critical questions that will guide the future of both Union Board and the Union:
- What role does the IMU play in fostering and increasing student involvement and feelings of inclusion and belonging?
- What is the most appropriate organizational structure to support the student experience throughout the IMU, including the Biddle Hotel?
- How are meeting and event spaces in the IMU and the Biddle Hotel leveraged to support and increase student involvement, inclusion, and belonging, while simultaneously driving revenue?
- How will the relationship between the IMU and Auxiliary Services be understood to provide opportunity for reinvestments of funds from revenue-generating spaces back into the building, programming, and staff?
- How will student leadership, including the Union Board, and the voice of students be amplified to ensure that students have a prominent voice in the IMU’s and Biddle Hotel’s decision-making?
- How will the voice of alumni, including through the John Whittenberger Society, be appropriately incorporated into IMU decision-making?
The Visioning Committee has had several meetings to date, and while we sometimes disagree on strategy, it is clear as we dive into these questions that we share a passion for the highest-quality student experience, a commitment to the wider IU community, and a deep love for the Indiana Memorial Union.
I look forward to sharing more as the work progresses. Until then, thank you for all that you do.
With gratitude,
Anne
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Anne M. Kostyo
President, John Whittenberger Society
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