IWU Gets $2.5 Million Grant from Lilly Endowment

Indiana Wesleyan University has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.'s latest educational Initiative to Recruit and Retain Intellectual Capital for Indiana Higher Education Institutions.

Most of the grant, $2.25 million, will be placed in an endowment to fund six initiatives outlined by IWU officials in its grant proposal titled The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. "This type of scholarship is designed to strengthen the University's intellectual capital," said Dr. Jim Barnes, IWU president.

Barnes said the proposed initiatives reflect three areas of noted strength within IWU's teaching heritage: the teaching and mentoring of traditional-age students; the training of new and veteran teachers; and the teaching of adults.

The initiatives to be funded with the Lilly Endowment grant are:
• Research learning. Select faculty will receive released time dedicated to the research of teaching and learning.



• Student intern programs to assist with research. IWU's growing number of honor students will assist professors with research.



• Visiting scholars program. Outside scholars will be invited to provide lectures and consultation related to teaching and learning; or to teach a class while assisting with ongoing research.



• Scholarship fund. The fund will make it possible for scholars to pursue collaboration, participate in scholarly meetings and obtain needed resources for their research.



• Seminar series. Select scholars and gifted students will be invited to participate in an annual seminar that targets a research topic on teaching and learning.



• Annual workshops. The IWU Education Department will establish workshops to share new knowledge created by the other five initiatives.

Barnes said the Lilly Endowment grant will allow IWU to broaden its search for more gifted faculty members and students.

To remain competitive and true to its historic mission, IWU tuition remains low, Barnes said. Likewise, the University's endowment is relatively small with little ongoing support earmarked for faculty research.

"As a teaching institution in an explosive growth mode, there will be consistent pressure to teach instead of do research, even if the latter is intended to help improve teaching," Barnes said. "The latest Lilly Endowment initiative is timely in IWU's quest to improve scholarship."

Dr. Jerry Pattengale said that in the new economy funds for such research have become increasingly difficult for small, private colleges to secure. Pattengale, who wrote the grant proposal, is IWU's assistant vice president for academic support.

"This timely grant provides creative initiatives that will support scholarship related to our mission," Pattengale said. "It's humbling to think that long after we retire, faculty and students will be engaged in scholarship made possible through this effort. Our great grandchildren will benefit from this Lilly Endowment grant and so will their community.

"This grant increases hope among some wonderfully gifted colleagues to pursue their dreams and to recruit others to Marion to do the same," Pattengale said.

The $2.5 million grant that IWU received was part of $100 million in total grants that Lilly Endowment awarded to 37 colleges and universities was part of its Initiative to Recruit and Retain Intellectual Capital for Indiana Higher Education Institutions.

For More Information:

Dr. Jerry Pattengale
Assistant Vice President for Academic Support
Indiana Wesleyan University
765-677-2170
jerry.pattengale@indwes.edu