Indiana University Bloomington

The Indiana University Advocates for Community Engagement (ACE) Program today announced the selection of 25 students charged with serving as liaisons between local nonprofit agencies and the more than 80 IU Bloomington service-learning courses during the 2009-10 academic year.

Six hundred college and university educators from 15 countries will converge on Indiana University Bloomington this week to share research and insights on what makes for effective teaching and learning. The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) will have its annual conference October 22-25 (Thursday-Sunday) on the IU Bloomington campus -- the same campus where the society had its launch five years ago.

Students considering a career in law can learn first-hand who and what law schools are looking for at the Indiana University Law School Fair, Tuesday (Oct. 20), from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the Indiana Memorial Union's Alumni Hall in Bloomington.

Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie announced Oct. 13 that the ″Matching the Promise″ fundraising campaign for the IU Bloomington campus has surpassed the $1 billion threshold on the way to its $1.1 billion goal.

Students at Indiana University Bloomington who want a holistic personal development experience with the chance to explore all academic possibilities before settling into a major have a great new option for campus housing. The Choose Your Major (CYM) Learning Community opened its doors this fall semester to 60 freshmen.

An Indiana University Bloomington campus Task Force on Undergraduate Education has completed its work, and its report has been released by Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson. The task force, appointed by Hanson in December 2008 and chaired by Professor of History Michael McGerr, made recommendations in 13 areas.

A record number of 43 freshmen Cox Research Scholars will begin their college careers at Indiana University Bloomington this fall. The 2009 freshman class joins 49 Cox Research Scholars already on campus who are in their sophomore, junior and senior years. The entering class includes 14 National Merit scholars.

Indiana University Bloomington's 2009 freshman class includes 82 National Merit Scholars, a 37 percent jump from last year. The scholars -- who as a group were in the top 3 percent of their high school classes with an average high school GPA of 3.93 -- come from 16 states and have with an average SAT score of 1,473 and an average ACT score of 33.

First-year students at Indiana University Bloomington cracked the 1,200 mark for SAT scores this year, continuing a trend of dramatic improvement in academic preparedness. The average combined math and critical reading SAT score for freshmen jumped 29 points to a record 1,203.

Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced today (June 15) that Indiana University Bloomington is initiating a program that combines academic study and real-world experience to help students develop skills for participating in American political and civic life. Called PACE -- Political and Civic Engagement -- the program will launch this fall.

Indiana University Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced today (June 4) that Harold ″Pete″ Goldsmith, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Kent State University, has been named dean of students, pending approval by the IU Board of Trustees.

Seven Indiana University Bloomington faculty have received 2009 Summer Instructional Development Fellowships from the offices of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs to develop specialized and innovative courses. They are Sonya Atalay in anthropology; Colleen Ryan-Scheutz and Kelly Sax in French and Italian; Beth Samuelson in literacy, language and culture education; Kalpana Shankar in informatics; Kay Connelly in computer science; and Rex Sprouse in Germanic studies and second language studies.

Rebecca Burns, a graduating senior at Indiana University Bloomington, has received Indiana University's prestigious Herman B Wells Senior Recognition Award. The award recognizes excellence in academic achievement and excellence of contribution to the campus community through leadership and participation in campus activities.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Sonya Stephens today (Monday, March 30) announced the appointment of Dennis Groth as Indiana University Bloomington associate vice provost for undergraduate education. Groth has been an associate professor of informatics and associate dean of undergraduate studies for the School of Informatics on the Bloomington campus. The appointment takes effect immmediately.

Noted writer, speaker, and educator John Seely Brown will discuss learning in the digital age at guest lectures on IU's Bloomington, Indianapolis, and South Bend campuses April 2-3, 2009. Brown is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California and serves as an independent co-chairman for the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation. Formerly, Brown served as the chief scientist at Xerox Corporation and the director of its Palo Alto Research Center.

Beginning this spring, Indiana University Bloomington will honor high-achieving undergraduate students with a new award that salutes sustained academic excellence. Students who have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher will be designated as ″Founders Scholars″ at IU Bloomington's Honors Convocation on March 29.

Students considering a career in health care can learn about more than careers as ″doctor″ and ″nurse″ at Indiana University Bloomington's Health Programs Fair on March 4 (Wednesday). The fair, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall, will feature more than 100 health care representatives on hand to meet with students and answer questions about educational and career opportunities.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Sonya Stephens announced the appointment of Kurt Zorn, professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, as associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Indiana University Bloomington. His appointment takes effect immediately.

Indiana University Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson announced today (Jan. 8) that Sonya Stephens has been appointed to the new position of vice provost for undergraduate education. Stephens is professor and chair of the Department of French and Italian in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington.

Twenty-five Indiana undergraduate students are serving as Advocates for Community Engagement liaisons for the 2008-09 academic year between local nonprofit agencies in Bloomington and IU service-learning courses.

Students considering a career in law can learn first-hand what law schools are truly interested in at the IU Law School Fair, Monday, Oct. 6. The fair, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union (IMU) Alumni Hall, will feature more than 104 law school representatives -- more than half of the nation's total law schools -- on hand to meet one-on-one with students and answer questions about tropics ranging from grades to personal statement to financial aid needs. The fair is free and open to the general public.

Four Indiana University Bloomington faculty members have been awarded a $150,000 grant to develop a model interdisciplinary approach that prepares graduate students to be reflective practitioners who base their teaching on appropriate learning theory and revise it based on evidence of student learning.

Upsetting and sometimes tragic events that occur locally, nationally and internationally can leave educators to cope not only with their own emotions, but also those of their students. A workshop to prepare them for managing the emotional aftermath of such events, when day-to-day teaching and learning is put aside, is being offered at IU Bloomington.

Students considering a career in health care can learn about far more than just the familiar roles of ″doctor″ and ″nurse″ at Indiana University Bloomington's Health Programs Fair on February 27. The fair will feature more than 100 health care representatives on hand to meet with students and answer questions about educational and career opportunities.

IU Bloomington faculty members Glenn Gass and John Gibson, both of the Jacobs School of Music, and Maresa Murray of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation have each been awarded an $8,000 Summer Instructional Development Fellowship for 2008 through the Office of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties to develop specialized and innovative courses.