This is a very significant year for IUPUC – the university celebrates its 40th anniversary. 

In celebration of this historic milestone, IUPUC will host a 40th Anniversary Community Celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 7. This event, which is free and open to the public, will include free food, tethered hot air balloon rides, pony rides, giveaways, student performances and more. Mayor Fred Armstrong will be proclaiming October 7 “IUPUC Day” in Columbus.

Also in celebration, IUPUC will release a 64-page magazine highlighting the university’s history. The magazine will feature stories about faculty, staff and students, and historic campus photos representing 40 years of growth. The publication will be released on October 7 and will be available at the anniversary event.

IUPUC has grown dramatically in its 40-year history. When the doors first opened in 1970, the school employed two full-time staff members and only part-time faculty members. Our very first students attended classes at the local high school and middle school because an official classroom building had not yet been designated.

Today, the list of IUPUC graduates totals more than 4,500. IUPUC employs 47 full-time faculty members, 130 adjunct faculty members and 249 staff members. In the fall of 2010, student enrollment totaled 1,651. 

Many things have changed in our four decades, but we remain a partnership of three: two world-class universities in one unexpected and unforgettable location.