Indiana University South Bend
Indiana University South Bend is a public university in South Bend, Indiana. It is the third largest and northernmost campus of Indiana University.
History
Indiana University began offering classes in South Bend in 1922 as an extension of the main campus of Indiana University Bloomington. In the Great Depression, the superintendent of South Bend schools asked that more classes be added for those who could not afford to attend classes at the Bloomington campus.The classes were offered at Central High School in downtown South Bend and within a few years enrollment reached 500. Classes were taught by local high school teachers with master's degrees and occasionally by Bloomington faculty who traveled once a week for class.
The university appointed a resident director in 1940: Logan from Martins, then a graduate student at the University of Chicago, took on the job. In 1941, Ernest Gerkin was named the first permanent full-time faculty member. Donald Carmony became the director from 1944 to 1950, followed by Jack Detzler, who remained in the job until 1964. In 1961 the first IU South Bend building was constructed on newly acquired land on the north shore of the St. Joseph River. It was first named the IU Center. In 1962 it was renamed the South Bend-Mishawaka Campus. In 1965, Lester M. Wolfson was appointed director and assistant dean of the campus. Wolfson was named chancellor in 1969, and his leadership continued until his retirement in 1987. Four-year degree programs were authorized in 1965, and the campus awarded its first degrees in 1967. Thirty-one students graduated the first year.
The campus was named "Indiana University South Bend" in 1968. The first master's degrees were conferred in 1970. Enrollment exceeded 5,000 in 1971, and the addition to Northside Hall was opened in 1972. The purchase of the Associates Building was completed in 1975. Groundbreaking for the Franklin D. Schurz Library was in 1986, and it opened in 1989. Chancellor Wolfson retired in 1987 and H. Daniel Cohen was named chancellor. Cohen concentrated on improving facilities, grounds, and programming. In 1994, the university purchased the former Playland Park, a 26.5-acre parcel on the south side of the St. Joseph River. Playland had been an amusement park, a golf course, and a ballpark. Cohen resigned in 1995 as a result of sexual harassment allegations against him, and long-time history professor, Lester C. Lamon, assumed the position of acting chancellor for two years until Kenneth L. Perrin was named chancellor.
During Perrin's tenure, two major projects were completed. Wiekamp Hall opened in 1998. The building provided much needed classroom, computer lab, and office space. The $15.7 million Student Activities Center was constructed and completed in early 2002.
Perrin retired in 2002 and Una Mae Reck was named chancellor. Reck was formerly the vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York at Fredonia. During Reck's administration a number of major projects were completed – student housing, a bridge connecting the campus to student housing across the St. Joseph River, the Elkhart Center, remodeling of the administration building, and the $22 million renovation of the Education and Arts Building. Upon Reck's retirement in Spring 2014, Terry L. Allison became the fifth chancellor of IU South Bend. Previously, Allison served as provost and vice president at Governor's State University in Illinois where he was also a professor of English.
Campus
IU South Bend is on a pedestrian mall on the St. Joseph River. When the campus opened in the 1960s, it featured two buildings: Northside Hall and Greenlawn Hall, a former tool and die factory. Growing over 50 years, the campus now consists of 11 buildings, including River Crossing student housing, the Franklin D. Schurz Library, the Education and Arts Building, and the Student Activities Center. The university also owns on the south bank of the St. Joseph River where student housing is located.The Student Activities Center is the site for athletics, student orientation, intramural sports, fitness classes, exercising, meetings, and recognition ceremonies.
A pedestrian bridge that bears the words "Indiana University South Bend" connects the main campus with the residential halls across the river. Construction of the bridge began in December 2005 and was completed in September 2006. On September 22, 2006, the Indiana University Board of Trustees voted to approve student housing for IU South Bend, to be located across the river. The housing facilities opened in the fall of 2008, consisting of 400 beds in eight apartment-style units, along with a community building.
In August 2007 construction was completed on the Indiana University South Bend Elkhart Center in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.
Buildings
Note: List of buildings at IU South Bend is in chronological order.Northside Hall opened in 1961. Northside includes many classrooms, laboratories, and offices. An underground walking tunnel connects the building to the Franklin D Schultz Library. Northside also houses the school's auditorium stage.
Administration Building was originally a part of the original Associates Investment Corporation complex. The Administration Building was purchased in 1975.
Greenlawn Hall was the home of the former Hutchins Tool and Die Company. Greenlawn was purchased in 1966 and was opened to provide more classroom space. It was condemned in 2013, and it was torn down in April 2015.
Riverside Hall was IU South Bend's fourth building and was completed in 1969 to house the Dental Education program.
Associates Building was purchased from the Associates Investment Corporation in 1975 with an agreement the Associates Corporation would be able to have access to the buildings on a "temporary, rolling basis." IU South Bend moved into the building in 1977 and added to it in 1986. After a $22 million renovation, it is now known as the Education and Arts Building.
Child Development Center: In its early days, the Child Development Center was known as the Day Care Center. It has had three locations: in 1970 at 114 Ironwood Avenue; in 1982 it moved to 1101 East Jefferson Avenue; and in 1986 it came to the IU South Bend campuses and was then renamed the Child Development Center.
Fine Arts Building was originally the Stanz Cheeze Processing Plant. The building was purchased in the 1980s and was built circa 1950s.
Franklin D. Schurz Library was built in 1989. Franklin D. Schurz, chairman of the board of Schurz Communications, Inc., a media broadcasting company as well as former editor and publisher of The South Bend Tribune, gave IU South Bend generous donations to complete the construction of the building. Other monies were provided by rental income from the Associates Building's computer facility and the Indiana state bonding authority. In addition, then library director, James Mullins made significant efforts towards the building of the new library. Architects were Edward Larrabee Barnes and John M.Y. Lee Architects.
Purdue Technology Building: The Purdue Technology Building dedication was held October 28, 1993. Purdue School of Technology courses have been offered continuously since the 1933, with two year diplomas being awarded for the first time locally in 1986. IU South Bend acquired and renovated the former Army Reserve Center adjacent to the campus on Northside Boulevard, with new classrooms and technology laboratories for Purdue University programs. The Purdue Polytechnic Institute program began to move off the IU South Bend campus in late 2019. In March 2021, the building was renamed Parkside Hall. It currently houses the Dywer Healthcare Simulation Center.
Wiekamp Hall: April 14, 1994 was the groundbreaking for the Dorothy and Darwin Wiekamp Hall housed classrooms and offices; the first purpose-built classroom facility added to the campus in more than thirty years. Dedicated in 1998, it is – with Northside Hall – the largest building for classrooms on campus.
Parking Garage was built on the north end of campus in fall 1994. IU South Bend opened the parking garage. After extended negotiation, IU South Bend purchased the Coca-Cola Bottling Factory on the north end of campus and cleared the space for the construction of Wiekamp Hall as well as its adjacent parking garage. The funding for the parking garage was secured through faculty, staff, and student parking fees. The parking facility opened in fall 1994.
Student Activities Center groundbreaking was September 25, 1999. Dedicated in 2004, it serves as the primary center for student offices and activities, including the Student Government Center, the student newspaper, meeting rooms, a cafe, a workout facility, basketball, and racquetball courts.
IU School of Medicine-South Bend was dedicated in October 2005. Housed directly across from the University of Notre Dame campus, this facility offers Indiana University medical students the opportunity to take courses in their field in South Bend. The IU School of Medicine began offering classes in South Bend in 1968.
IU South Bend Elkhart Center was completed in 2007, providing a permanent base and presence in Elkhart, Indiana. It is a 25,000 square feet building located in downtown Elkhart. The IU South Bend Elkhart Center offers credit classes year-round; the Elkhart Center had previously been housed in rented space.
River Crossing Campus Apartments were dedicated in August 2008. This marked the first time that IU South Bend students had standalone on-campus housing. the land is directly across the St. Joseph River from the campus, connected by a pedestrian bridge. The land, the former Playland Park had been purchased in 1994.
Education and Arts Building: The Associates Building underwent a $22 million facelift beginning in June 2011. The 125,000-square-foot building was built in 1958 and purchased from the Associates Corporation in 1975. The Education and Arts Building houses the School of Education, the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, and the Dental Hygiene program of the College of Health Sciences. The building also houses classrooms, offices, a 130-seat lecture room, rehearsal and art studios, and the dental clinic.