Welcome to Bloomington!

Welcome to Indiana University Bloomington. Those of you who have already been to the campus know what a beautiful place it is; I hope the rest of you have the opportunity to visit soon. Bloomington is special. Many of us who have been here a long time -- more than 30 years for me -- are still trying to describe succinctly the spirit and atmosphere of this place. There are, to use the words of William Wordsworth, "these beauteous forms," some pictured here. These forms, of course, represent campus treasures: a towering library with a collection of almost 6 million volumes; the Musical Arts Center with its stage along the lines of European opera houses; the Art Museum designed by I.M. Pei; a splendid art deco Auditorium; Assembly Hall with everything that it implies about IU Athletics; hundreds of classrooms with their proofs that teaching and learning is at the heart of the campus; the list goes on.

Still, it is not only the woodland campus, the quiet setting in a midwestern town, the campus treasures that makes this place feel like college ought to feel. It is the student body and the faculty and staff - some of the finest minds in the nation and in the world - that make this a learning community. Returning to Wordsworth, it is the action and activities of these individuals that "....have no slight or trivial influence / on that best portion of a good person's life."

Welcome to our campus! We hope that you find in these pages a representation of the warmth and the vitality that makes this a special place indeed.

Kenneth R. R. Gros Louis

Vice President and Chancellor

Indiana University

A special university in a special town

Indiana University is one of the oldest state universities west of the Alleghenies. Founded in 1820, it began as the Indiana State Seminary, with an enrollment of 10 young men. It has now grown into one of the world's most distinguished public institutions of higher learning.

The major campus of Indiana University, Bloomington offers some 5,000 courses in over 100 degree programs. It is also home to the world-class Schools of Music, Business, Education, Journalism, Library Science, and Public and Environmental Affairs, and to numerous championship athletics teams. For information about the other Indiana University campuses, see their Web pages.

The 1,860-acre Bloomington campus is located 50 miles south of Indianapolis. Each fall, the 26,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate, professional, and non-degree students seem to slip into Bloomington almost overnight. They arrive from 50 states and over 100 countries to find one of the five most beautiful campuses in the U.S., according to Thomas A. Gaines in The Campus as a Work of Art.

Bloomington features a major research library with over five million volumes and 12 million print and media items; 15 departmental libraries; 12 residence hall library centers; and the renowned Lilly Library collection of rare books and manuscripts.

The computing and information technology environment has been called one of the best in the nation by its very toughest critics: the students, faculty, and staff. Those who transfer to IU Bloomington from other universities praise the computing facilities highly; those who leave or graduate miss them immediately. For many years, IU has committed to providing the highest quality computing services for all 35,000 students.

Many IU schools, departments, and programs have won national and even international recognition for excellence. These include anthropology, art history, astronomy, astrophysics, biology, business, Central Eurasian studies, chemistry, Chinese, classics, comparative literature, East Asian studies, education, English, history, Italian, Japanese, journalism, kinesiology, law, library science, mathematics, microbiology, music, optometry, philosophy, physics, political science, prelegal education, premedical education, psychology, public and environmental affairs, recreation, religious studies, Russian and other Slavic languages, sociology, Spanish, speech communication, speech and hearing sciences, telecommunications, theatre and drama.

Indiana University Bloomington is special to many people. Many who come as students settle here permanently. Two of the 1,500 faculty say this about the university:

"There is a generosity and a grace here that is unique. It is founded, I think, on a profound and simple respect, respect for all who make up the university. It is a place where you can dare to be different and the only requirement is that you care about thinking and learning. It is a family." - Anya Royce, Professor of Anthropology

"We call a place like this a university because it aspires to put everything together; because it is an intelligent sampling of the universe. Indiana University is a microcosm of all that humans know and do, a place where one can begin to glimpse the whole of things. That is the chief virtue of a place this large, this various, and this vital." -- Scott Sanders, Professor of English

Bloomington, the town

Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of the New York Times, selected Bloomington as one of the top 10 college towns in America for its "rich mixture of atmospherics and academia." Rand McNally chose Bloomington as one of the eight most desirable places to live in the U.S., based on economy, personal safety, climate, housing, services, and leisure activities.

Home to Indiana University, three lakes, two forests, and a thriving business community, Bloomington's eclectic charm is reflected in its tremendous diversity of personalities, activities, services, ethnic restaurants, unusual shops, and live music clubs.

Nestled in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, this comfortable town is enhanced by offerings typically associated with big cities. Broadway plays, a world-class opera program, and numerous jazz, rock and roll, and alternative music clubs attract musicians studying at Indiana University's internationally ranked School of Music.

Outdoor fun

Lake Monroe, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state, was built in the early 1960s. This 10,750-acre lake is the largest in Indiana. It is visited by more than 1.5 million people each summer, who enjoy the facility for swimming, skiing, boating, and fishing for some 14 species. Bordering the lake on two sides is 7,000 acres of Hoosier National Forest. Campers may enjoy private, state, and national campgrounds. Resorts surrounding the lake offer hotel and condominium accommodations, golf, boat rentals, tennis, and dining.

A taste of Bloomington

Bloomington offers more than its share of culinary delights. Many college towns boast a variety of ethnic restaurants, and Bloomington is no exception. In addition to these, Bloomington is also home to health food and specialty grocery stores that enable foreign students and visitors to enjoy their customary cuisines at home. With two wineries and the first small brewery in Southern Indiana, Bloomington attracts visitors of all tastes.

Lodging

For homecoming and fall football weekends, make your lodging reservations early at one of Bloomington's 17 hotels, four bed and breakfasts, or five nearby camping facilities. The Indiana Memorial Union hotel, located in the center of the Bloomington campus, offers 190 rooms, some of which are furnished with a unique collection of art and antiques. For maps and information about attractions, lodging, dining, shopping, and events in Bloomington, contact the Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-800-0037.

Bloomington on the Web

To learn more about Bloomington, Indiana, see Hoosiernet, a community-wide digital education, information, and communications network for Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana.

Last updated: February 20, 1997
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~blcampus/index.html
Comments: vpcs@indiana.edu
Copyright 1995, The Trustees of Indiana University