Dear IU Bloomington Faculty, Staff and Student Academic Appointees,
It has been a joy to welcome more than 46,000 Hoosiers back to the IUB community and reconnect with faculty and staff these past few weeks. The positive energy on campus is tangible, and I’m looking forward to my first full academic year as provost.
This has been a busy summer for all, and I greatly appreciate the dedication and commitment of the Task Force on Graduate Education, the many students who met and provided critical guidance, and the President’s unwavering commitment and partnership for addressing issues that our SAAs and other graduate students face. Both President Whitten and I are committed to ensuring the highest level of success for our students, faculty, and staff. And, as a former graduate student and associate instructor at IU, I am particularly keen to ensure that our graduate programs continue to elevate our students to success.
While there is much work to do, I am proud of the outcomes we have achieved so far for SAAs. This has been a collaborative effort with the BFC, faculty, and students, and the ongoing conversations make me ever more excited for the future of graduate education at IU. Today, I wanted to recap key accomplishments this summer and update you on ongoing efforts.
First, I’d like to not only thank the Task Force on Graduate Education for their guidance in all that has been accomplished in the past few weeks, but also the SAAs whose voices brought forth critical areas of improvement to our graduate education. Through this collaboration, we’ve been able to enact swift changes, including:
- Increasing SAA minimum stipends to $22,000, moving IUB into the top half of BIG Ten universities in graduate student compensation
- Committing to an ongoing benchmarking process, including necessary increases, to ensure graduate student minimum stipends remain in the top half of the BIG Ten for years to come
- Providing relief through waiving all mandatory graduate student fees, as well as course-specific fees in the programs that charge them
Second, the Task Force’s working groups on health and wellness and diversity, equity, and inclusion have now formed and are holding their initial meetings. We also anticipate the working group on academics and curriculum will begin in the coming weeks as well.
I expect initial recommendations from each of these groups, which we will again consider and act on key elements as quickly as possible. The Task Force’s work will continue through the academic year, providing final recommendations next summer.
Third, the Bloomington Faculty Council and IU Student Government continue to be strongly engaged on these issues. I am particularly excited for the work of the BFC’s soon-to-be constituted SAA Affairs Committee, which will provide critical pathways to address other issues impacting SAAs, including grievances. I look forward to working with these leaders, along with students, faculty, and staff broadly, to continue to identify and act upon opportunities to improve graduate education and our institution as a whole.
Finally, I want to reinforce that our work in shaping a better graduate student experience and ensuring a best-in-class undergraduate experience will accelerate as the semester continues. Through collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, and staff, we will march forth in enhancing our educational experience to one where all are supported and can thrive. I greatly appreciate your engagement, creative ideas, and support for these efforts.
Sincerely,
Rahul Shrivastav
Provost
Indiana University Bloomington