BREAKING THROUGH - Indiana University Southeast

A grant from the Lilly Endowment funded the STARS(Southeast Teams Advancing Regional Service)program in which 10 IU Southeast students wereassigned as volunteer coordinators at local non-profitorganizations.They recruited their fellow students to step upand serve with a result of 370 student volunteerscontributing over 2,500 hours to these organizations:Research projects conducted by IU Southeaststudents and faculty also benefit the community.Nursing students and faculty are leading a localpublic health research project related to the epidemiclevel of diabetes. Master’s degree candidates in theSchool of Education conduct their research at theschools where they work and apply it directly andquickly to benefit the students and teachers of areaschool districts.Core ValuesThe on-campus community took a standthis year by defining its core values—the guiding principles that define theUniversity and articulate what it standsfor. They are:• Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kentuckiana• Bliss House, Jeffersonville• Center for Lay Ministries, Jeffersonville• Floyd County Youth Services• Hospice and Palliative Care of Southern Indiana• Metro United Way, Louisville• Providence Retirement Home, New Albany• St. Elizabeth’s/Catholic Charities, New Albany• YMCA of Southern IndianaIU Southeast student organizations documented25,680 hours of community service this year to socialcauses and human service agencies like Goodwill,Success by 6, Angel Tree, Katrina Relief, and RiverSweep. They organized one-time initiatives like foodand blood drives; voter registration and poll workertraining; and fundraisers for AIDS, Alzheimer’s,hunger, and breast cancer. They volunteered innursing homes, elementary schools, homelessshelters, and soup kitchens. They learned how to leadby serving.In turn, the local community furthers the handsoneducation of IU Southeast students by offeringinternships. This year, 75 percent were paidpositions, and 69 percent qualified for college credittoward graduation.Of the 186 internships with area businesses, 134resulted in job offers, illustrating the march of IUSoutheast graduates into the local job market.Another inspirational example of campus andcommunity working hand-in-hand is the Men ofQuality Initiative, a Kentuckiana group of professionalmen of color who met monthly on campus with maleminority students. Seeking to close the “achievementgap” for underrepresented males, Men of Qualityoffers positive role models and mentors who addressissues of careers, family, health, media influences,and money management. The meetings resultedin a new student group, The Alliance of MinorityBrotherhood.The spirit of service keeps pace on campus too.In May, about 100 students, faculty, and staffvolunteers acted on their commitment to a beautifulcampus at the third annual Campus BeautificationDay, organized by Director of Physical Plant RobertSnip and supported by the Student GovernmentAssociation.A hot new community service developed out of thegraphic design concentration in Fine Arts—the DesignCenter. Offering low-cost print and electronic designto local non-profit agencies, graphic arts studentsgain valuable experience while expanding their ownIn these and hundreds of other ways, IU Southeastportfolios. By the end of this year, the Design Centerand the community of Southern Indiana and Metrohad hit its stride with 35 projects for 29 non-profitLouisville stand as proud partners in enriching theCOMMUNITYclients raising awareness and funding for historiclives of all citizens in this region.preservation, low income housing, environmentalprotection, neighborhood revitalization, and otherissues in this region.NURTURING ENVIRONMENT:Fostering a caring campus communitythat honors diversity, innovation, loyalty,teamwork, mutual respect, and fair play.Holistic Learning:Providing a rich educational environmentof academic excellence that extendsbeyond the classroom and supportsstudents in reaching their full potential.Integrity:Doing the right thing and being directin all dealings, being good stewards ofresources, and practicing ethical behaviorin all ways.Connectedness:Engaging and supporting the manycommunities to which it belongs and fromwhich IU Southeast draws its strengthand potential.9