Indiana University’s class of 2028 and other dorm-dwelling students moved into campus over the weekend, ahead of the start of classes on Monday, Aug. 26.
The weekend also marked move-in day for IU’s other campuses, including IU Indianapolis (formerly Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) and IU South Bend.
While IU has not yet released enrollment numbers for the freshman class, IU Bloomington’s total enrollment has grown exponentially in recent years , from 43,064 students in 2020 to 47,527 in 2023. Prior to 2021, IU’s total enrollment had been declining by about 200 students per year since 2016.
IU has also grown more racially diverse in recent years. In the fall of 2023, IU enrolled 4,291 Asian American students, a 131% increase from 2014. The number of students who identify as “Hispanic/Latino” increased by 80% and those of two or more races went up 92% since 2014.
School year begins on heels of tumultuous spring semester
The 2024-2025 school year begins after a tumultuous semester last spring. The Indiana Graduate Workers’ Coalition lodged its first strike against the university since the spring of 2022, decreasing the popularity of IU President Pamela Whitten. The situation culminated with a 93% vote of “no confidence” from 948 faculty members.
Following the IU administration’s controversial actions with deploying police and arresting pro-Palestinian protesters in Dunn Meadow, faculty from IU’s individual colleges also overwhelmingly voted in favor of terminating Whitten .
The 2024 fall semester also marks the first since the enactment of Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 202 . The Republican-led legislation requires IU's board of trustees, and other state university governing boards, to review tenured faculty members every five years to ensure they meet “criteria related to free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity.”
Faculty at IU largely condemned the law when it was on the Senate floor last spring, warning it could stifle academic freedom and chill speech. Prior to the SEA 202’s passing, Whitten said the bill could “weaken the intellectual rigor essential to preparing students with critical thinking skills.”
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com . Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews .
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Freshman move-in weekend marks beginning of Indiana University's 2024-25 school year
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