Since I joined Indiana University as the Bloomington provost just over a year ago, I’ve been impressed by the dedication, professionalism and expertise of our staff.

We all know a lot has changed for employees everywhere since 2020. (Also, what count as “pants” now, and how is it possible that three years into the pandemic, we keep forgetting to unmute our Zoom calls?) So, after months of work, Vice President Todd Richardson and I were excited recently to share a new set of initiatives designed to improve the lives of IU Bloomington’s truly impressive staff.

Academic advisor Paloma Orozco meets with a Groups Scholar during office hours. Photo by Cat DeSantis, Indiana University

It is important for us to keep staff top of mind as we plan for the future. Our staff form an integral part of the university and play an important role in student success, research and service to the state — the three broad pillars of our emerging strategic plan.

Our talented staff contribute to IU’s success in so many ways: advising, mentoring and guiding our students; supporting faculty research and teaching; ensuring that our campus remains one of the most beautiful in the world; helping shape our visitors’ first impressions of IU Bloomington; keeping our campus running in all kinds of weather; and ensuring that we are safe and informed.

With all that in mind, I will briefly remind you of the four overarching goals of this effort, which we are developing in close partnership with and parallel to the IUB 2030 strategic plan, which will roll out over the course of the next seven years. To keep moving forward on our goals and the many types of metrics we use to measure our success, we absolutely must continue making IU Bloomington a place for staff to work, learn and continually grow through:

• Nurturing a sense of community and belonging.
• Addressing equity in compensation, workloads and working environments across campus.
• Providing growth opportunities and clearer career paths.
• Learning more about the staff experience to help incorporate employee ideas and opportunities.

I hope you’ll take a moment to look over the nine specific improvements we announced earlier this month — and that, no matter what your role is here, there are items on the list that are motivating for you.

I look forward to sharing more good news in the months and years to come. As always, please know that your hard work is noticed and appreciated.

Rahul Shrivastav is IU Bloomington provost and executive vice president.