Dr. David Hormuth, an alumnus and Indianapolis-based surgeon, became the new chair of the Indiana Board of Trustees at Thursday’s board meeting in Indianapolis.
Governor Mike Braun appointed Hormuth to the board in July. Hormuth replaces Quinn Buckner as chair.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Board of Trustees, now is the time to roll up our sleeves and get the work done, because we are Indiana University,” Hormuth said.
Hormuth praised IU President Pamela Whitten’s IU 2030 strategic plan, which will guide the board’s work. The plan emphasizes three pillars: student success, research and service.
“The success and sustainability of this vision will transform this great university into an exemplary university, not just in Indiana, not just in the Big Ten, but in the entire nation,” Hormuth said.
Whitten thanked Buckner for his service as chair. He took over the role in 2021.
“I'm grateful that Quinn will continue to serve on the board. His presence, and his voice, and his insight really remain essential to Indiana University's future,” Whitten said.
The board also swore in new trustees Isaac White and Marilee Springer.
The trustees pushed a vote on its Code of Conduct to a December meeting.
IU keeps an eye on federal funding
The federal fiscal year ends this month, and Indiana University is watching Washington D.C. as it deals with decreased federal funding. As Congress sorts through the budget process, a government shutdown is at stake.
Meanwhile, public institutions such as IU are waiting to see what will happen to hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.
Michael Huber, vice president for university relations, said three critical sources could be affected.
“The ones that impact Indiana University in a significant way, in terms of order of magnitude, include National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Federal Student Aid,” Huber said.
For the 2025 fiscal year, IU researchers were awarded over $275 million from the NIH, Huber said. IU is becoming more competitive for NSF grants as well, he said. The total for all research awards added up to more than $942 million.
Trump also wants to reduce maximum awards for Pell Grants, federal student aid reserved for students with exceptional need.
The president’s budget request capped Pell Grants at $5,710 per student, though Congress recommended $7,395.
Huber said IU administrators are working to inform politicians.
“Especially when we have new members of Congress, we just want them to know this is where we're competitive, and this is where we invest the money,” Huber said
IU enrollment up
The board also heard positive updates to IU’s enrollment. Campus leaders reported enrollment generally grew across the university.
IU Bloomington saw a record-breaking fall. More than 48,000 students enrolled.
“When you walk across that campus, you can tell there are a lot of freshmen on campus,” Whitten said. “Just in the last four years alone, applications to be an entering freshman in IU Bloomington have increased 60 percent just in four years.”
IU Indianapolis also saw gains, with more than 20,000 enrolled this fall.
“The IU Indy campus enrolled 2,699 undergraduate beginner students, which was almost an 11 percent increase in the incoming freshman class over the year before,” Whitten said.
IU Online exceeded its goal of 10,000 students enrolled this year.
Regional campuses, which have struggled to increase their numbers, saw gains this fall. More than 17,000 students enrolled in regional campuses across the state. Just over 85 percent of regional IU students are from Indiana.
“Beginner student enrollment — 3,291 — is up 8.4 percent over last year and 16.7 percent over the previous two years,” Whitten said. “Just an extraordinary turnaround and really bodes so well for the future of our regional campuses.”
