Featured Article
Talent to Transform Campaign
Has Implications for Indiana's Future
What does it take to impact a life, a business, a community or an economy? In nearly all cases, talented people make the difference. This is the concept behind Kelley Indianapolis' major fundraising campaign, Talent to Transform, which is part of IUPUI's campus-wide development effort, IMPACT IUPUI. Beginning this fall and continuing through 2013, Kelley plans to raise $6 million to support student scholarships and endowed faculty chairs at the business school.
"Our mission 'to transform lives, organizations and communities through education and research' is fulfilled on many levels and widens in influence to benefit our community and state," says Phil Cochran, associate dean of Indianapolis operations for Kelley. "Offering outstanding faculty the chance to teach exceptional students means our graduates leave here prepared to meet the challenges of today's marketplace, and that's good for Indiana business in the long run."
An investment in Indiana
Because more than 70 percent of Kelley Indianapolis graduates choose to live and work in central Indiana after graduation, Cochran says supporting students and faculty on the IUPUI campus is a two-fold investment.
"If you consider that most of our students stay here to work and to raise families, investing in their educations is also an investment in Indiana's future," Cochran says. "They will be leading our businesses, starting new ventures and supporting our economy. It's really a win-win no matter how you look at it."
"Offering outstanding faculty the chance to teach exceptional students means our graduates leave here prepared to meet the challenges of today's marketplace"
Ensuring students are equipped with the right tools for business leadership requires an astute, highly qualified business faculty – something synonymous with a Kelley education. Attracting and retaining the best faculty requires funding to support year-round research and other activities that help elevate faculty to positions of prominence in their fields. In a weakened economy, state schools like Kelley must rely on fund-raising to provide the necessary faculty support.
"Part of our campaign focus is to establish more endowed faculty chairs on the Indianapolis campus," says Glenn Bosch, director of development for Kelley Indianapolis. "Not only are these positions a plus for recruiting seasoned faculty, they also provide additional funds for research endeavors both nationally and internationally – dollars that are in short supply when state funding for higher education shrinks."
Giving students a chance to succeed
In an article on the next page, Ken Carow, associate dean of Indianapolis research and programs, offers insight on the lengths to which IUPUI students often go to earn their undergraduate degrees. The need for scholarship funding is real, especially for the growing number of IUPUI students who are the first in their families to attend college.
"These are young people, predominantly from Indiana, who are intelligent, hard working and eager to give something back to their families, workplaces and communities," Carow says. "I am constantly amazed at their ability to juggle multiple obligations, with the intention of staying in school and earning a degree. With a top-quality Kelley education and multi-tasking skills already in place, Kelley Indianapolis students have a real opportunity to make a mark on Indiana business – and that benefits all of us."