Service

IU Kokomo is committed to providing for the post-secondary educational needs of our service region. To meet that commitment, we will serve as careful stewards of Indiana University resources and develop programs that are needed by employers, as well as cultural programs to serve the needs of our region.

Objectives:

• Create KEYConnect, a group of programs designed to connect with and address regional talent, workforce, and economic development needs, reinforcing IU Kokomo’s vision to be the region’s first choice for life-long learning opportunities.
  • Design and launch a vibrant program featuring the KEY Academy and active microcredentialing program known as Achieve, Improve, Master (AIM) that will serve our region’s workforce needs and promote partnerships and life-long learning.
  • The campus will collaborate with alumni and regional community members to identify needs and determine what partnerships are needed to address those needs.
  • IU Kokomo will design a recognition/reward program to highlight community-engaged work and scholarship.

Metrics: 

• Conduct an audit of current community partners to establish a baseline by Spring 2025.
• Increase community partners year over year after baseline is established.
• Increase number of completions of KEY Academy programs or microcredentials to 200 a year by 2030.

IU Kokomo is dedicated to the idea that all P-12 students have the right to pursue post-secondary education. To that end, we welcome students to campus to see what college is like, and we partner with our high school colleagues to deliver dual credit opportunities and introduce other pathways to college.

Objectives:

• Create and support a model for growing P-12 partnerships, and programming (e.g., workshops, networking activities) to promote development of DEI-related research and scholarship.
• Increase the number of P-12 students within the IU Kokomo community who are exposed to the idea of going to college and increase the number of college applications from students at IU Kokomo P-12 partner schools by creating a model for engagement with these students and leaders at P-12 schools.

Metrics:

• Conduct an audit of P-12 community partners. Baselines will be established using enrollment data from 2019-2022.
• Increase the number of P-12 students in the IU Kokomo service area who engage in partnerships with the campus (via dual credit, career exploration, College Goal Sunday, Power Up to College, Tomorrow’s Teachers, etc.).
• Increase the number of students who matriculate to IU Kokomo following engagement in a partnership program (e.g., dual enrollment pathway, internship, KEY Academy, etc.).

IU Kokomo has more than 15,000 living alumni, approximately 80% of whom live in the state of Indiana. We are committed to keeping as many of our alumni connected to IU as possible.

Objectives:

• Establish an enrollment program in which IU Kokomo alumni reach out to prospective students to positively impact IU Kokomo enrollment and establish a relationship of support between alumni and students.
• Increase alumni participation in the Kokomo Experience and You (KEY), the KEY Center for innovation (KCI), and in a new microcredentialling program called Achieve, Improve, Master (AIM).
• Alumni Relations will work with different schools/units to bring alumni and their families back to campus for events (i.e., Homecoming, senior days, etc.) to encourage engagement.

Metrics:

• Increase the number of alumni recruited to participate in the enrollment program initiative to 20 by 2026, and 50 by 2030.
• Increase philanthropic funds supporting KEY by $100,000 prior to 2030.
• Increase by 200% the number of alumni participating in the KEY activities by 2030.
• Increase by 100% the number of available projects for students in the KCI by 2030.
• Increase by 50% the number of large IU Kokomo employers participating in KEY Academy and AIM by 2030.
• Achieve an average of 50 alumni participating per major event by 2025, maintaining or exceeding that participation rate through 2030.
• Increase number of IU Bloomington and IUPUI graduates and their families residing in Howard and Tipton counties participating in alumni events.
• Increase alumni participation in on-campus events (i.e., alumni events, guest lectures in classes, career services events, student organizations, athletics, other special events, etc.) by 10% by 2030.
• Increase alumni award nominations.
• Increase pipeline for university awards such as the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
• Increase number of alumni participating in the IU Kokomo Athletic Giving Levels by 75 prior to 2027 (with a target increase of 15-25 alumni per year from FY 24 to FY 27).

Objective:

• Create new campus-employer partnerships and engagement efforts targeted toward cultivating both new and established relationships.

Metrics: 

• Hold a minimum of six alumni events at the region’s largest employers of IU Kokomo alumni.
• Utilize alumni survey results identifying regionally-owned businesses and cultivate new partnerships. This includes hosting events and lunches at alumni-owned businesses and including them as IU Vendors for other campuses to consider as potential vendors.
• Hold a retreat with the Office of Business Partnerships, the IU Foundation, campus deans, and campus leadership by the end of 2024 to develop a plan to expand our employer relationships and strengthen those relationships already established (e.g. Stellantis, StarPlus Energy, etc.).