Welcome to Engage IUB!
I deeply appreciate your engagement, collaboration, and contributions during my inaugural months as provost. Since I returned to Bloomington in February, it has been my thrill and honor to meet with and learn about the incredible people on this campus, whose work advances teaching and learning, drives new discoveries, and literally improves lives.
This month alone, I have had the chance to spend time with Chairs from the Gill Center, who are pioneers in brain research; the Mandela Washington Fellows, remarkable emerging leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa; innovative new members of the Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching; and family and friends of jazz legend and longtime faculty member David Baker, in whose honor we recently dedicated Baker Avenue.
The breadth and depth of scholarship, research, creativity, and teaching led by our colleagues and students at IU Bloomington is inspiring. I am learning from all of you about the intricacies of this world-class campus. In many meetings and conversations, I am hearing from many of you about our successes, along with a desire for more transparency in our processes and future direction.
Engage IUB was created to help clarify our goals as we further the teaching, research, and community engagement missions of IU Bloomington. I hope this newsletter highlights our tangible progress toward new and emerging strategies, leaders, programs, and directions. Engage IUB is a complement to existing communications from campus partners, including the IU Bloomington Today newsletter, where you will continue to find important “news you can use” and campus updates every Monday and Wednesday during the academic year.
In addition to this newsletter, you will receive regular updates on progress toward our goals for graduate education, as well as continued timely communications on other important issues.
Through Engage IUB, I will regularly share a topical column recapping highlights from recent weeks and opportunities ahead. Additional stories will celebrate vibrant life across campus—including snapshots of life in Bloomington and features about the people who make this place so special. I hope these stories spark further admiration for your colleagues, appreciation for our innovative staff, and connection with our students, whose achievements and well-being are critical to our success as a campus. As the fall semester nears, I will share progress reports from campus working groups along with action steps regarding our strategic priorities.
And while we work together toward a brighter future, there is so much to appreciate today.
The IU LGBTQ+ Culture Center is offering a free, two-hour Training Outreach Program on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and specifics on how your department or office can work toward equity. On Monday, with President Whitten, we were proud to observe IU’s first official commemoration of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans that clearly aligns with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and offers another reflection point on the work that must done going forward.
And on this auspicious day, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of two important pieces of federal legislation, both passed on June 23, 1972:
When I walk through campus, I can feel the palpable excitement from students and their families engaging in New Student Orientation to prepare for their Hoosier journeys. This calls to mind my own journey as an aspiring doctoral student here many years ago. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve you, and I look forward to sharing more soon. Thank you, as always, for all you do to make this such a special place.
With appreciation,
Rahul
