INDIANAPOLIS — After more than 50 years, Indiana University and Purdue University are officially ending their partnership. That means students will no longer be attending IUPUI this upcoming fall.
“I feel like myself along with the other students have been right in the middle of it,” said Nolan Campbell, an IU Indianapolis student. “We came in as IUPUI students which was exciting and then we got this little shakeup which is even more exciting to be IU Indianapolis. Everyone is really interested to see how things are going to look when we come back in the fall but we are really excited to see the direction the campus is going.”
On the one side, you have the brand new Indiana University Indianapolis Campus which is going to put a strong focus on biosciences. This includes a $250 million dollar investment with two new research institutes. There will also be new construction on a $110 million athletics facility on campus.
“This is an exciting time,” said Latha Ramchad, the inaugural chancellor at Indiana University Indianapolis. “We really believe this is going to be a turning point in our history.”
And on the other, you will see Purdue University in Indianapolis with a brand new campus to be built in the near future. The hope is to start construction this fall. Students will still attend classes in a space that the university currently owns on the former IUPUI campus.
“The reaction to this campus, the reaction to this extension, to have the opportunity to have an urban experience while at Purdue has really brought in a very interesting and a new type of student to apply for us,” said Dan Hasler, the Chief Operating Officer at Purdue University in Indianapolis. “A student who wanted a Purdue education but also wanted some of the amenities of an urban environment.”
The split happened for a number of reasons. This includes allowing each university to focus on its individual strengths while giving students new opportunities.
“It's really all about serving the needs of the region in separate ways but I really believe it will be good for economic prosperity all around,” Ramchand said.
Administrators want to remind students that none of the core values at IUPUI will change, they will just be seen on two different campuses.
“None of the values that IUPUI is known for, some of which are working with the community, keeping students success, serving the needs of the state, bipartisanship with communities/industries, those things are not going away,” Ramchand said.
It will all become a reality very soon within the next few days.
“I truly believe that great things are going to happen for IU Purdue, and the community by letting these horses run their own races at their own paces, and there will come a day when you are standing on West and Michigan looking at crimson and cream on the left and black and gold on the right and thinking, oh my gosh, this is amazing,” Hasler said.
The split will be finalized on Monday, July 1.