Beyond Bloomington
As student unrest grew in the 1960s, a quiet revolution was taking place in the basic structure of the university. The campuses scattered around the state gained increasing autonomy. Growing enrollments coupled with additional state funds led to expanded programs at the former extension units. By 1971, when John W. Ryan was inaugurated as IU’s 14th president, baccalaureate degrees were being granted at Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Northwest (Gary), Southeast (first at Jeffersonville, then at New Albany), and Kokomo -- though East (Richmond) would have to wait until 1986 for four-year programs to be authorized.
Ryan, who had been in charge of regional campus development before becoming president, directed a major administrative reorganization in 1974 that created a statewide system of eight campuses. Soon the combined enrollments of the other campuses surpassed Bloomington’s and changed the university’s demographic profile.
The typical student was no longer between 18 and 22 years of age, pursuing a degree full time in the context of a residential campus. More students were now older, returning to school after periods of employment, childbearing, and other significant life experiences. Many attended IU part-time and commuted to campus. Members of this “new majority” often had needs different from those of the traditional college student, and IUPUI and the regional campuses evolved to serve this growing constituency.
The commitment to “one university with eight front doors” was affirmed by Thomas Ehrlich, IU’s president from 1987 to 1994. Ehrlich served seven years as president after posts in government and the Ivy League. Though his academic background was in private institutions, he chose to lead a public university because of the responsibilities and challenges of providing both broad access and quality education. After Ehrlich’s retirement, Myles Brand served as IU’s president from 1994 to 2002. He presided over a period of remarkable growth, including record student enrollments and national leadership in information technology and the life sciences, while maintaining the university’s traditional strengths in the arts and humanities. Brand was succeeded by Adam W. Herbert, who from 2003 to 2007 oversaw transformative initiatives in teaching, research, and public engagement. Indiana University’s current president, Michael A. McRobbie, has served in this role since 2007. His strategic goals include increasing external funding for IU programs, enhancing the university’s global presence, and expanding the amount of space available for the purposes of instruction and research.
As the opportunities and challenges posed by the multi-campus system are worked out in the ensuing years, the growth of IU beyond Bloomington may be considered as significant as the founding of the university in 1820 or the move to Dunn’s Woods in 1884.
Like any complex and dynamic institution, Indiana University defies easy summation. In the light of history, however, we can discern significant patterns in the changing panorama of events and personalities that have shaped the university. The ideals of liberal culture, research, and professional education have been embodied in IU’s development from a pioneer state college to a major academic center known throughout the world. Looking back at the rich legacy of the past, we celebrate the spirit that has sustained Indiana University for nearly 190 years.
