The Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to change the name of the Intramural Center to the William Leon Garrett Fieldhouse.
(WTIU/WFIU News Staff)
IU President Michael McRobbie announced during Friday's Board of Trustees Meeting five areas that the university plans to expand diversity and inclusion efforts.
Pandemic Health Disparities Fund
Acknowledging that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected African American and Hispanic communities, McRobbie announced plans to use $1 million to support minority students who are at higher risk.
Vice President James Wimbush has been tasked with creating a committee of faculty from different medical and student service backgrounds to provide recommendations to the president on programs to help minority students on all IU campuses.
Health Resources and Services Administration Grant
The IU School of Medicine received a $7 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. This grant money will be used to help educate medical students on how to better serve minority and underserved communities.
The grant will be given in annual payments of $1.75 million for four years. It will fund the Primary Care Reaffirmation for Indiana Medical Education project. The goal of the project is to better equip doctors on how to provide primary and specialty care for underserved and vulnerable communities.
Racial Justice Research Fund
The president also announced plans to address social justice through the Racial Justice Research Fund. The fund will provide 25 grants up to $15,000 each for research by faculty on racial equity and justice.
The fund also plans to support a Racial Justice Research Workshop series to help researchers engage with other IU communities.
Campus Building Names
McRobbie also announced that the Naming Committee will begin reviewing the names of all campus buildings. The Board of Trustees also voted unanimously to change the name of the Intramural Center to the William Leon Garrett Fieldhouse.
Garrett was the first African American basketball player to play in the Big Ten Athletic Conference. He was also named as an All-American in his senior year and graduated as IU's all-time leading scorer.
Review Of Programs And Policies
McRobbie identified areas of struggle and success in programs and policies aimed at supporting people of color at IU. He announced a review of all relevant programs and policies to evaluate effectiveness. This includes the possibility of new programs and policies.
At the recommendation of James Wimbush, these reviews will take place across programs and policies for faculty, students, staff, administration, procurement and the IU Police Department.
