IU Indy Finds Its Own Identity After Separation from IUPUI

INDIANAPOLIS — The union between Indiana University and Purdue University officially dissolved on July 1, 2024. Since then, Indiana University Indianapolis has developed its own distinct identity.

IU Indianapolis chancellor Latha Ramchand says the university is flourishing without Purdue's partnership.

"Last year, our freshman class grew by 10 percent. This year, that's going to be closer to 20 percent," Ramchand said.

The university is also growing with new construction, most notably with a STEM laboratory for science research and the James T. Morris Arena for IU Indy athletics.

"We want to make sure that when you come to our university and get what we have to offer, your life is much better at that point than when you started," Ramchand said.

Phoenix Schlebecker, a graduate student, has seen the changes firsthand. "It's been a really interesting journey to be right there at the cusp of it," Schlebecker said. "Getting used to the name is still a little bit hard, but everyone else is struggling just as much as I am."

Schlebecker praised IU Indianapolis' academic structure, saying, "I really appreciate that I can get all of the same programs and classes that are offered in Bloomington up here. The sociology department here has some fantastic people doing work on the national level. It's almost like nothing has changed, other than the name."

Ramchand wants to make sure prospective students remember IU Indianapolis' new identity.

"We can build all of these buildings, but the way it resonates through the community is determined by the students who raise their hand and say, 'I want to go to IU Indianapolis,'" Ramchand said.