I’m embarrassed to admit that in 1996, I refused to move up to Indianapolis and take classes full-time at IUPUI to complete the degree requirements for my Bachelor of Social Work program. At the time, I was a highly involved student at IU Bloomington and wanted to spend my undergraduate years in Bloomington.
I applied for an exemption and was allowed to commute to IUPUI once a week for classes my senior year with a small group of students who also chose to remain in Bloomington. So much has changed about IUPUI and in my life since I made that decision more than 20 years ago. I owe so much to IUPUI and the experiences I have had that I can’t believe I ever wanted to limit my time here. In 2002, I was thrilled to be hired by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at IUPUI.
I spent more than five years working for the executive associate dean where I was responsible for student recruitment and marketing. At that time, there was really no sense of pride about the education and experience we offered at IUPUI. I distinctly remember that one of the marketing pieces I inherited showed a picture of a diploma from Indiana University and the alumni with whom I worked constantly referred to themselves as IU alumni, not alumni from this campus.
I owe so much to IUPUI and the experiences I have had that I can’t believe I ever wanted to limit my time here.
Andrea Anderson, Division of Student Affairs Staff
How things have changed since then! My time at SPEA helped me to grow as a young professional. I learned how to navigate challenging situations with faculty and staff, was given autonomy to try new things, and was awarded with a Bepko Staff Council Spirit Award for my efforts. More important, I forged incredible relationships with people across campus, many of whom are still dear friends and close colleagues. In 2010, I had the opportunity to transition to a new position in the Division of Student Affairs (then the Division of Student Life).
I was hired by then Vice Chancellor of Student Life Karen Whitney to help the Division with its marketing and communications efforts. I started working in our Division the same semester that we opened the Campus Center — it was an incredibly exciting time for everyone on campus. Over the past eight years, I’ve watched as we added new on-campus housing, increased the number of our student organizations, and grew our Division of Student Affairs to keep pace with the ever-changing student population at IUPUI.
In many respects, I feel like I’ve “grown up” at IUPUI during the same time that the campus was growing up. During my 15 years working at IUPUI, I’ve gotten married, started a family, purchased and sold a home, plus I’ve advanced in my career with countless meaningful opportunities. I’ve grown up in my personal life as well as my professional life, and I can’t think of any other place I would have rather been for this journey.
Andrea Anderson
Division of Student Affairs Staff
