Ahead of the official start of the semester on Monday, August 21, Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) hosted its Campus Convocation on its Gary campus to kickstart the school year. IU Northwest faculty and staff gathered at Anderson Library Plaza to listen to the staff and student speakers representing all the corners of campus.
Student Body President Cicily Porter represented her peers, addressing IU Northwest’s faculty and staff with a message about unifying the whole campus.
“By coming together and working for one common goal, we will make Indiana University Northwest the best it can be,” Porter said. “This starts with the faculty and staff and will trickle down to the students, so I encourage you, the leaders of IU Northwest, to encourage collaboration with students. Encourage students to get involved, to come to events, and to come to sporting events. Empower the students to be the best they could be so we all together can be the best we can be. I can't wait to see what we can accomplish this year.”
Director of TRIO Student Support Services Juan Casas shared this desire for unity and encouraged campus-wide collaboration to take IU Northwest to new heights.
“We're on the Staff Advisory Committee, but as a whole, we're a whole campus community,” Casas said. “There's faculty, there’s staff, and there’s students here who are representative of different areas. What I want to do is continue to collaborate with faculty. We want to break down any silos we may have. I know I represent the staff, but I do want to work with everybody on campus; the whole Staff Advisory Committee wants to do that.”
After working with multiple higher education entities, Chancellor Ken Iwama praised IU Northwest for its unique culture of inclusivity. The IU Northwest faculty, staff, and student’s ability to work together for the betterment of the campus community is a quality that Iwama believes makes IU Northwest stand out in the Region.
“I’m approaching my fourth year here. It’s been an incredible joy leading with you,” Iwama said. “I've been doing this long enough to know that we work together in a way and at a level I have never seen before, now, and probably in the future. I've never seen faculty, staff, and students work together in higher education like they do here.”
In the classroom setting Professor of Management - Information Systems Ranjan Kini has witnessed how a staff that is committed to its students is able to sharpen their minds and prepare them for the future.
“Our physical or virtual classrooms are the crucibles in which ideas are born and nurtured. Each of you, in your own way, kindled the flames of curiosity sparking your students' imaginations by furthering an environment where ideas can flourish,” Kini said. “We as faculty have the power to elevate our students' minds and aspirations, engage, and empower them with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate a changing world and guide them toward excellence in all their endeavors.”
Once the speeches concluded, attendees were able to grab a sack lunch from IU Northwest’s new dining partner, sit down together, relax, and celebrate the start of the 2023-24 school year.
“Today was the whole campus’ sneak preview of our new dining partner,” Executive Director for Marketing & Communications Aaron Pigors said. “Today is the first chance for everybody to try their food and start that up. We’ll be opening full steam ahead with classes on Monday, so we’re excited to welcome the students back.”
Classes began on August 21st, but registration for the Fall semester continues through Sunday.
To learn more about Indiana University Northwest, visit https://northwest.iu.edu/index.html.
