About Us
HISTORY OF UD
Under the leadership of President Herman B. Wells, IU Bloomington established a "Junior Division" in 1942. The Division was a practical response to wartime circumstances. Many students were having their college careers interrupted by the war after only a year or so at IU. IU administration wanted to ensure that these students would have an identifiable unit of academic work completed. From a curricular perspective, this unit of work was designed to have a stand-alone value. In addition, for any student who returned to IU, it also would serve as certification fulfillment for study in the "upper division" where the student would take his/her academic major. Historical papers documenting the formation and purpose of Junior Division note that it also was intended to provide uniform entrance requirements for the University, improve the guidance/testing program for first-year students, and study curricula and academic problems of freshmen and make appropriate recommendations (Annual Report of the Junior Division, September 1942 -- August 1943). From its very inception, the academic emphasis in the Division's mandate has been clear.
In 1970, IU's Board of Trustees officially expanded the Junior Division concept with its approval of the proposal to change its name to "University Division." The key reason cited for the change was that the Division "will no longer serve as just freshman division, but will be a two year program for those students who have not selected their major area. The effective date of this change is July 1, 1970" (Minutes of the Board, May 1970).
Thus was born the present-day University Division. Shortly thereafter the Division also expanded in a very physical sense by introducing a decentralized, residence center-based system of academic advising for freshmen. All of this change marked another stage in the evolution of IUB's commitment to giving students the support they need as they adjust to college life. The re-envisioned Division now included expanded sevices for sophomores that addressed the unique challenges of continuing students. In redefining the Division in this way, the University formally recognized that not all students develop at the same rate, that some students need longer than others to explore their emerging interests and values before deciding on a course of study.
In addition, this change acknowledged that, over the years, requirements for entry into upper division academic units had diversified to a considerable extent. It was no longer always possible for students to complete the coursework needed for certification in only two semesters of study. By 1970, students were demanding more of the University, and this trend has continued to the present day. They now expect their education here to prepare them for lifelong intellectual growth and development; they expect to find personnel and facilities to support directed exploration of academic majors and career choices; and they expect ever faster and more productive interfacing through up-to-date communication technologies. In turn, the upper divisions of the University are demanding more of the students they accept. That is, they now expect that students come to them with both a broad general education and a mastery of the many specific skills needed to succeed in college work in the disciplines they represent.
All of these heightened expectations have resulted quite naturally from the successful implementation of the vision originally put forward by Indiana University leaders several decades ago. University Division today continues to be known for its comprehensive curricular expertise, providing academic support for students of all majors and interests. Yet because UD understands that the college years are a time of marked personal as well as intellectual growth, it strives to offer diverse services that meet the needs of the “whole student”. And while being very much attuned to the character and needs of today's college student, the present-day mission of University Division retains much of the original vision for its work.
