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Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

40 Years

Brief Information


Created as a partnership between two world-renowned universities and destined to be the state’s urban research campus, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has rapidly grown in size and stature since it was established in 1969. IUPUI 40 Years logoFrom its beginnings, IUPUI has drawn upon the strengths of Indiana University and Purdue University to expand educational opportunities for Hoosiers.

Today, IUPUI is the third strong pillar supporting public higher education in Indiana, offering a tremendous range of degree programs for 30,000 students who come from all 50 states and more than 120 countries.

Looking back over just four decades, IUPUI has made remarkable progress that reflects a culture of partnership and collaboration based upon outstanding faculty who reach across disciplines, reach out into the community, and reach toward excellence in education and research.

Mission Statement

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, a partnership between Indiana and Purdue Universities, is Indiana's urban research and academic health sciences campus. IUPUI's mission is to advance the State of Indiana and the intellectual growth of its citizens to the highest levels nationally and internationally through research and creative activity, teaching and learning and civic engagement. By offering a distinctive range of bachelor's, master's, professional, and Ph.D. degrees, IUPUI promotes the educational, cultural, and economic development of central Indiana and beyond through innovative collaborations, external partnerships, and a strong commitment to diversity.

In pursuing its mission and vision, IUPUI provides for its constituents excellence in:

  1. Teaching and Learning
  2. Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
  3. Civic Engagement, Locally, Nationally, and Globally

With each of these core activities characterized by:

  1. Collaboration within and across disciplines and with the community,
  2. A commitment to ensuring diversity, and
  3. Pursuit of best practices
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IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz:

“IUPUI has distinctive academic programs that take advantage of both our Indiana University and Purdue University connections and our urban location. Our faculty lead the world in research from the life sciences to the liberal arts and have developed award-winning programs that help students succeed in achieving their academic goals, including nationally recognized service learning, undergraduate research, and effective first-year experience programs for students. The willingness to be creative with teaching strategies, to be innovative in research, and to engage the community in finding solutions has created a 40-year cascade of impact that has both made IUPUI a school to watch in the future and the fulfillment of the vision of our founders, who said in 1969, ‘A great city needs a great university.’”

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History of IUPUI

Established on a "fast track" over a six month period in 1968, IUPUI was created out of the vision of then Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar, IU President Joseph L. Sutton, Purdue President Frederick L. Hovde, IUPUI's first Chancellor, Maynard K. Hine, and other visionary leaders in the community. In 1969, IUPUI was formed as a partnership between Indiana University and Purdue University in an effort to bring together all of the Indiana University and Purdue University schools existing in Indianapolis. By 2005, all IUPUI schools had moved to what is now the IUPUI campus, just two blocks west of the Indiana State Capitol. In 40 years, IUPUI has truly come into its own, becoming what Richard Lugar called for, "a great state university in Indianapolis."