Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship campus of Indiana University and its largest campus with over 40,000 students.[8][9] Established as the state's seminary in 1820, the name was changed to "Indiana College" in 1829 and to "Indiana University" in 1838.
Indiana University is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".[10] Its schools and programs include the Jacobs School of Music, Kelley School of Business, School of Education, Luddy School of Informatics, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Hutton Honors College, and Maurer School of Law.[11] The campus also features the Lilly Library, Eskenazi Museum of Art, and the Indiana Memorial Union.
Indiana athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are known as the Indiana Hoosiers. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Since it does not have a mascot, all teams are known simply as "Hoosiers". The Indiana Hoosiers have won 24 NCAA national championships and one Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship, in addition to 145 NCAA individual national championships. Titles won by teams include eight by the Hoosiers men's soccer team, a record-setting six straight in men's swimming and diving, five by the Hoosiers men's basketball team, three in men's cross country, one in men's track and field, and one in wrestling.
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
Indiana's state government in Corydon established Indiana University on January 20, 1820, as the "State Seminary."[12] Construction began in 1822 at what is now called Seminary Square Park near the intersection of Second Street and College Avenue. Classes began on April 4, 1825.[13] The first professor was Baynard Rush Hall, a Presbyterian minister who taught all of the classes in 1825–27. In the first year, he taught twelve students and was paid $250. Hall was a classicist who focused on Greek and Latin and believed that the study of classical philosophy and languages formed the basis of the best education.[14] The first class graduated in 1830. From 1820 to 1889 a legal-political battle was fought between IU and Vincennes University as to which was the legitimate state university.[15][16]
21st century[edit]
In 2023, the university attracted national attention when the university barred a faculty member from teaching after alleging that he improperly assisted the Palestine Solidarity Committee, a student group, in reserving a space on campus.[28] Shortly thereafter, the university's administrators also cancelled a planned art exhibition by Samia Halaby, a Palestinian-American artist.[29] Both of these events occurred after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel and in the wake of national attention on alleged antisemitism on college and university campuses. They also occurred in the midst of changes to Indiana laws that some perceive as attacking academic freedom. In the spring of 2024, the university's faculty voted no confidence in the Indiana University system president, the Bloomington campus's provost and executive vice president, and the Bloomington campus's vice provost for faculty and academic affairs.[30]
Location
Indiana University Campus, Bloomington, Indiana
20 acres (8.1 ha)
1884
Multiple
Late Victorian, Gothic, Romanesque
September 8, 1980
Media outlets of Indiana University include:
Sustainability[edit]
IU Bloomington's Von Lee Theatre building is LEED Certified.[162] The "More Art, Less Trash" recycling initiative included a design contest for recycling bin artwork and promotes both recycling and outdoor art.[163] The university employs a group of student sustainability interns each summer,[164] and students can get involved in campus and community-based sustainability initiatives through the Volunteers in Sustainability coordination group[165] or the Student Sustainability Council.[166] IU launched its Environmental Resiliency Institute in 2017 to enable more efficient collaboration between the university, local communities, and businesses on greenhouse gas reduction and sustainability projects. Cities that have participated in the program include Bloomington, Fort Wayne, Gary, West Lafayette, and Zionsville among others.[167]
Transportation[edit]
A campus bus system operates several routes on a regular schedule around the IUB campus throughout the semesters. In December 2014, a shuttle service ("Campus Connection") has been introduced between the IUB and the IUPUI campus as well.[168] In March 2020 this Campus Commute service was discontinued.[169] The campus buses are free to all IU affiliates and are handicap accessible. IU students and employees also gain free access to Bloomington transit buses around the city.[170]
