IU Southeast ramps local training and industry ties to bolster Southern Indiana workforce

At the One Southern Indiana annual meeting on Aug. 11, IU President Pamela Whitten described the university’s “IU 2030 Playbook” and tied IU priorities—student success, research and service—to workforce and economic growth. Whitten noted IU held tuition and mandatory fees flat for in-state undergraduates for the 2025–27 academic years and said 55% of IU undergraduates complete degrees without student loan debt.

Whitten emphasized IU Southeast’s role connecting students, employers and community partners in southern Indiana, pointing to the recent ribbon-cutting for IU Southeast @ NovaParke and Redwire (attended by Gov. Mike Braun) and to IU Innovates, launched in 2023. She cited campus outcomes—about 80% of IU Southeast graduates remain in the area and 97% are employed or pursuing further education within a year—and highlighted a Medical Laboratory Science degree launched in January 2025 under a five-year partnership with Baptist Health, Norton Healthcare and UofL Health.

BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.