The Vice President convenes committees and task forces to promote collaboration among the regional campuses addressing the ever-changing landscape of higher education. These groups direct energy and resources to solutions that serve all students.
To express an opinion or get involved, please click here. Expect a contact within seven days of submission.
IU regional campuses were selected as one of the AASCU institutions participating in the third cohort for the Student Success Equity Intensive (SSEI), working to achieve equitable outcomes for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. The SSEI, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will enable teams from multiple AASCU institutions to come together to work collectively on student success, learn from one another with support from AASCU, subject matter experts, and access tools and strategies through our engagement in national networks.
Other institutions were selected from across the country, including Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific-Islander serving institutions (AANAPISIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and diverse representation of geographic reach, including rural, urban, and suburban institutions. IU regional campuses demonstrate a similar passion for closing equity gaps for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. This multi-year project will help regional campuses achieve equitable student success, reflect on what factors contributed to the success, and disseminate promising practices to the rest of higher education. Regional campuses’ leaders, faculty, and success teams completed the Institutional Transformation Assessment (ITA) and participated in the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) in fall 2023. Campuses meet for “sensemaking” reflective conversations about ITA results over Capacity areas such as: institutional policy, leadership & culture, strategic finance, institutional research/data use, information technology, and state policy; and Solution areas such as advising, developmental education reform, digital learning, emergency aid (holistic student support), and pathways during spring 2024.
Objectives for this project include:
Coaching Conversations model has been adopted by academic advisors. Trainings took place on multiple regional campuses yielding 43 out of 52 (83%) academic advisors certified and using coaching conversations for holistic student support. Additionally, over 40 non-academic advisors also took advantage of the free training provided by VPSS partners. Coaching Conversations Foundations I & II training helps advisors understand the core concepts and assumptions of coaching and identify the differences among therapy, advising, mentoring, and coaching. Advisors learn one specific model for guiding a coaching conversation and practice both generating and asking powerful open-ended questions, listening to and observing the coachee, transitioning in and out of coaching conversations, and applying the core concepts and the coaching model. Finally, advisors get to observe coaching demonstrations, practice coaching in several contexts, and learn how to document the coaching conversations in IU campuses. Coaching conversations training is available free to IU regional campus advisors and non-advisors. Please find registration information and training schedule below.
The regional campuses of Indiana University convened a belongingness work group of faculty and staff for each regional campus, DEI Task Force, to focus on the best practices and supports needed to help retain diverse staff and faculty. This is related to the diverse faculty hiring initiative that President Whitten announced in 2021. One of the recommendations from the DEI Task Force meetings is to have a regional cross campus mentoring program so that diverse staff and faculty are able to connect with others who have experienced promotion or advancement in their units.
The Mentoring Program will do our best to create pairs that are beneficial to both the mentor and the mentee. Participants will also help us craft what this initial program will look like and with what support is needed to keep it in place after the pilot round. Please let us know if you have any questions but we are excited to have you participate in this process with us.
Another recommendation from the DEI Task Force meetings is to have regional cross campus affinity groups so that diverse staff and faculty are able to connect with others both in a professional support and social settings, provide professional development, and to contribute to the campus dialogue about related diversity issues.
Affinity groups are a collection of individuals who share a common identity characteristic, usually traditionally underrepresented. They promote inclusion, diversity and other efforts that benefit isolated campus members, such as safe spaces for networking, access to resources for mentorship towards career mobility, or training for professional development.
The DEI Task Force will launch this effort with a focus on our Asian and Desi, Black and Latine communities. Each community will have its own affinity group and will be brought together in person at least once per year along with ongoing virtual meetings throughout the year. An upcoming in-person convening will take place April 6, 2024 in Indianapolis. Previous in-person convenings took place on March 31, 2023 and September 29, 2023. A large virtual meeting took place on December 9, 2022, and smaller separate virtual meetings are occurring throughout the year.
Please complete the involvement form to join one or both programs. Contacts for each program are as follows:
Mentoring Program: Rosalyn Davis (rosddavi@iuk.edu) and J.R. Pico (jrpico@iu.edu)
Black Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Andrea Griffin (griffane@iun.edu)
Latine Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Felix Burgos (fburgos@iu.edu)
Asian and Desi Faculty and Staff Affinity Group: Sau Hou Chang (sauchang@ius.edu) and Zihang Shao (zihsha@iu.edu)
If you have any questions, please contact VPRCOE Faculty Fellow, Seuth Chaleunphonh, schaleun@ius.edu or one of the DEI Task Force representatives:
Felix Burgos (IUE) fburgos@iu.edu
Zihang Shao (IUE) zihshao@iue.edu
Rosalyn Davis (IUK), faculty co-chair, rosddavi@iuk.edu
April Evans (IUK) aplevans@iuk.edu
Andrea Griffin (IUN) griffane@iun.edu
Amy Diaz (IUN), staff co-chair, amyjdiaz@iu.edu
Chloe Robinson (IUSB) chnrobi@iu.edu
Michael Harley (IUSB) mlharley@iusb.edu
Sau Hou Chang (IUS), faculty co-chair, sauchang@ius.edu
Higher education is threatened from all sides, and regional campuses are especially vulnerable to recent historic shifts in demographics, technology, enrollment patterns, skills credentialing, cultural attitudes about the value of college, legislative support for higher education, and the changing nature of work and society. Institutions face a host of both external and internal challenges from a diverse array of stakeholders, and the path forward is neither clear nor straightforward.
IU has the opportunity to be a leader among forward-thinking institutions of higher education. We see FutureIU as the community to facilitate this work. FutureIU aims to be a grassroots community of problem-solvers—engaged faculty and staff from across IU—dedicated to researching, exploring, and testing solutions to the unique challenges faced by IU, the state of Indiana, and higher education in the 21st century. Our mission is to chart the landscape of contemporary higher education and its most intractable problems; delve into its complex history and speculate about its future; research best practices and new challenges as they emerge; test solutions and evaluate results; and provide actionable recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
The most challenging contemporary problems in higher education transcend traditional siloes, and their solutions require collaboration across all functional areas of the university. The most significant opportunity for change exists within the academic realm—a space where faculty leadership is central. These are the three C’s on which the work of FutureIU is focused:
Paul Cook, IU Kokomo
Adam Maksl, IU Southeast
Mark Baer, IU Northwest
Created in 1968 at Indiana University Bloomington, the Groups Scholars Program is a long-standing scholarship program that provides academic, financial and social support to help first-generation and financially disadvantaged students attain a bachelor’s degree at Indiana University at Bloomington. The effort is now expanded to the five regional campuses: IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend and IU Southeast.
The Groups Scholars Program helps selected scholars from the moment they enter the program until graduation. In addition, wrap-around support such as tutoring, academic advising, success coaching and a sense of community are available to help scholars throughout their college journey.
This year, regional campuses admitted the following number of students to their Groups Scholars Program—East, 23; Kokomo, 31; Northwest, 43; South Bend, 14 and Southeast, 18. Over 98% completed their summer bridge program called the Summer Experience Program. This included summer courses, excursions, receiving book vouchers, laptops, and connections to peers and campus resources. The persistence rate for fall 2023 to spring 2024 was 89%.
The holistic support the Groups Scholars Program provides makes a difference in students’ success. Indiana University Northwest, which launched its inaugural Groups Scholars Program in June 2022, achieved a 100 percent persistence rate from fall 2022 to spring 2023, and 87.5% fall to fall retention rate.
Groups Scholars Program: IU East
Groups Scholars Program: Indiana University Kokomo (iu.edu)
Group Scholars Program - Indiana University Northwest (iu.edu)
Groups Scholars Program : IU Southeast
The Regional Faculty Council (RFC) is convened by the Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education and comprised of the Faculty Presidents from each regional campus. Additional ad hoc members may be appointed by the VP to support the group. The RFC meets monthly throughout the academic year.
The RFC is not a decision making or voting body. All policy proposals considered by the RFC must be passed by the campus faculty governance bodies.
The RFC serves the following functions:
Gin Morgan, IU Kokomo
Carolyn Schult, IU South Bend
Gregory Dam, IU East
Ranjan Kini, IU Northwest
Susan Popham, IU Southeast
Mark Baer, Faculty Fellow to the VP of Regional Campuses
U Bring Change to Mind student groups were established on each regional campus in 2022-2023 academic year. The purpose of this initiative is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness on regional campuses. Through fun awareness activities and a spirit of inclusion and education, U Bring Change to Mind targets both local and national change, and both individual and institutional change. By emphasizing “connectedness” the group can change attitudes, generate social support, and advocate to improve campus services, in order to eliminate barriers to care and to fulfill lives.
Based on the philosophy of “By Students, For Students,” UBC2M is composed of students committed to making an impact in their campus communities. These impassioned students work not only to reduce the stigma among their peers but also with administration on making policy more accommodating to students with mental health needs. Each campus also has a Chancellor’s Council on Mental Health and received budgets for programming.
The work in improving the lives of people with mental health issues begins with creating an environment where they are not stigmatized. U Bring Change to Mind, in following the mission of Bring Change to Mind, is the first to specifically focus on reducing stigma by targeting how people interact and speak about mental health issues.
U Bring Change to Mind targets an entire campus population rather than only students with direct interaction with mental health issues. By attracting a larger demographic of students, we introduce them to our mission.
Looking for funding, trainings, and resources available to regional campus and online students? Explore more below!
Any Indiana University student, faculty, staff, or unit are invited to share your ideas with the IU Black Philanthropy Circle by submitting a BPC grant application. Your application should specifically focus on the ways in which the Black community at IU will be supported by your project. We are looking for proposals that aim to make IU a more equitable, welcoming, and accessible university for the Black community. Applications for the annual grant cycle are available between November 1st and February 1st for the following academic year. Projects ranging from $2,000-$7,000 have been previously awarded. (Funds from the Queer Philanthropy Circle and/or the Women’s Philanthropy Leadership Council are requested on the same application.)
As a partner of CEA, all IU campuses are eligible for exclusive funding for projects, research, and collaboration in community engagement for civic engagement, MLK Day of Service, election engagement, and community dialogues.
A safe and welcoming environment for our staff, faculty, and students is of utmost importance. That’s why IU Regional Campuses are pleased to offer FREE DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING Vector LMS, Higher Education to our staff and faculty. We’re confident you will find these professional development courses to be informative and helpful towards maintaining a safe and welcoming learning environment. Thanks to the support of the OVPDEI and OVPRCOE, and campus diversity officers to make trainings available through December 31, 2024.
Vector LMS
After logging into the platform, users can access the available modules through the Extra Training tab on the left side navigation menu. Courses are organized by category/topic. Simply click on a course and follow the on-screen prompts to further review. A good beginning module is either the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Module or Personal Skills for a Diverse Campus Module, which can be found under Extra Training tab, in the Campus Prevention Network/Faculty and Staff sections respectfully. There are additional modules for managing bias: DIB for Leaders, Communication For Inclusion, The Influence of Unconscious Bias In Decision Making, Search Committees and more! Upon completion of a course, participants will have the opportunity to print or download their certificate of completion. Badges for LinkedIn accounts can also be created. This resource will provide foundational training and complement the existing in-person trainings offered by the regional campus diversity officers.
All IU campuses have access to past virtual workshops archived by OVPDEI with over 30 topics which include ableism, implicit bias, microaggressions, privilege, and more!
All IU campuses are eligible for internal funding to support development of your research and creative activities from $3,000-$50,000+.
ICHE, HLC, and all IU Academic Approval Processes. Supports the academic leadership council—technical committee and executive leadership in overseeing academic program development, approvals, monitoring accreditation, and archiving.
All IU campuses may request funding from OVPDEI to support high impact programs/projects that foster inclusion and welcoming environments. Submit applications that directly addresses issues of diversity and inclusion by the 25th of each month. Submissions will be reviewed on mission alignment, goals, narrative, and planning.
Study abroad and matching scholarships ($275-$2,500) are available to students enrolled at IU regional campuses for all IU-administered programs. Financial need and academic performance are considered.
