September 19, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
I hope the start of the semester has been going well for you. It certainly is an exciting time at IU South Bend!
Dwyer Healthcare Simulation Center
This month we celebrated the grand opening of our new Dwyer Healthcare Simulation Center.
On the job, nurses must make hundreds of decisions every single day. Our students will now be able to practice more high-stakes scenarios in a realistic environment which will better equip them with the skills needed to serve their patients.
And it’s not just nursing students who will see a big change. Our radiography program will now have access to technology that – until now – they could only use for training in a clinical setting. The center has energized labs which will allow our radiography students to take actual X-rays. They’ll be able to practice in the lab and better understand positioning and safety concepts BEFORE they head into the field.
By having this new technology available to students, we’ll also be able to expand the number of graduates who go out into local healthcare organizations to improve the health of those who reside in our region. That’s good news for our students, but it’s even better news for our community when you consider that Indiana is experiencing a critical nursing shortage right now, that is projected to get even more dire over the next six years. With this new center, we are well positioned to help meet this need. Thanks again to the Vera Z. Dwyer Trust for their amazing support of this center!
Fall 2024 Enrollment
In case you missed our , enrollment continues to increase. Fall 2024 enrollment shows the total number of students at IU South Bend grew by approximately 4% over last year. Overall, there are 4,631 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at IU South Bend.
This highlights a pattern of growth for IU South Bend, following notable enrollment figures in 2023 that achieved the first year-over-year increase in 14 years. Also, the diversity of the student population remains on the rise, reflecting the community’s demographics.
The number of Hispanic/Latino students is up by nearly 10%, as IU South Bend gets closer to achieving a Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) status. Overall Hispanic/Latino enrollment is now at 24.1%, less than 1% away from the 25% needed to obtain the HSI federal designation. We have established an HSI Steering Committee, co-chaired by Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement Kory Vitangeli and Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Raman Adaikkalavan to help us plan intentionally for this milestone. The Steering Committee will be rolling out subcommittees this fall – if you have not already signed up for a subcommittee and are interested in participating, please contact Kory Vitangeli at kvitange@iu.edu.
New Professional Development Opportunities
There are new professional development opportunities available for faculty and staff. These on-line courses are designed to help enhance skills for collaboration in a diverse work environment and gain understanding and encourage positive action.
If you complete the Communication for Inclusion Course by October 31st, you will receive a coupon for a free drink at Starbucks in the Courtside Cafe.
If you view more than one additional course in the Vector platform beyond “Communication for Inclusion” by November 30th, you will receive a coupon for a personal pizza at the Courtside Cafe.
My first Coffee with the Chancellor will be Wednesday, October 16th from 3:00pm to 4:30pm in the Grill. I hope you will join us!
With Hoosier Spirit and Titan Pride,
Susan Elrod
Susan Elrod, PhD
Chancellor
ÂþÂþߣ South Bend