 |
Executive Summary
Indiana University graduates are leaving Indiana for post-collegiate
employment primarily because of a lack of attractive in-state career
opportunities. Unfortunately, the graduates who leave the state
are those most desirable to employers – they possess higher
GPAs and are more likely to possess the technical backgrounds that
are critical in today’s knowledge-based economy. Indiana University,
a recognized leader in fostering Indiana’s economic growth,
development and vitality, seeks to use its human and financial resources
in a collaborative effort to reverse this trend to retain our best
and brightest graduates. We are pleased to partner with Lilly Endowment
Inc. to create and implement programs that will result in the identification
and development of meaningful economic opportunities in Indiana
for the state's college graduates.
Indiana University recently reviewed its current programs and developed
initiatives that will cultivate an economic environment that encourages
students to remain in Indiana after graduation, supports new and
exciting entrepreneurial ideas, and increases the state’s
economic vitality. Significant progress has been made on all of
our campuses through existing programs, and we are greatly encouraged
by recent university/business collaborations that have resulted
in promising, new employment opportunities. Still, we acknowledge
that much more can be done in several important areas to retain
our graduates.
We have identified the enhancement of internship and job placement
programs, entrepreneurial development, community outreach and a
strong commitment to service learning as the primary areas in which
to focus our efforts. By strengthening our internship and job placement
programs, we will go beyond traditional out-of-classroom experiences
and encourage students to establish business relationships that
ultimately lead to the formation of professional and personal networks
that can help bond students to Indiana. Through a focus on entrepreneurial
development, we will provide our students with the required skills
to start their own businesses. Through community outreach, we will
better respond to the business community’s need for individuals
trained in specific areas of expertise. And, by means of our commitment
to service learning, we will engage students in real-world settings
so their academic insights benefit from a real-world context, thereby
enhancing their education and strengthening their connections to
the state. Although varying somewhat in degree, these basic themes
run throughout all of the campus proposals, creating great potential
for synergy among the campuses, while still allowing focused attention
on specific local needs.
Over the next three years, Indiana University will develop educational
programs that are innovative, results-oriented, sustainable and
directly related to the goals outlined by the Lilly Endowment Initiative
to Promote Opportunity through Educational Collaborations. We also
will build on a growing spirit of cooperation among students, alumni,
faculty and Indiana business leaders who all have a significant
interest in developing new employment opportunities for our state’s
college and university graduates.
|
|
