IU Kokomo chancellor highlights impact in State of the Campus
With more than 80 years of history as an Indiana University regional campus, IU Kokomo serves as a steward of place — enhancing educational attainment, research, creative and scholarly activity, and strengthening economic and cultural vitality of the region and state.
Chancellor Mark Canada shared concrete examples of how IU Kokomo is achieving its mission during the inaugural State of the Campus address Friday, October 30. Co-hosted by the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce, the address highlighted the campus’s strategic direction, community partnerships, and regional economic impact for an audience of faculty, staff, alumni, and community leaders from throughout north central Indiana.
“Number one here, which I think is relevant to all of you, is that 92 percent of our students graduate and work in the state of Indiana,” Canada said, adding that while the campus draws students from 23 states and 18 countries, the majority stay in the state.
“We are driving the workforce in a variety of ways,” he said.
Canada highlighted his signature Kokomo Experience and You, or KEY program, which provides experiential learning such as travel, research with faculty members, internships, simulations, and projects for local clients.
In the last year, 375 students took part in KEY experiences, with thousands participating in the 10 years since the program was founded. While study abroad is part of the program, a great deal of the learning takes place locally and domestically. Examples include hospitality and tourism students visiting the convention center and local restaurants to learn about the industries behind the scenes; science-based trips to Yellowstone National Park; and opportunities to band birds and butterflies on campus.
“There are all kinds of ways students can get their hands on their learning, and we really like to celebrate that,” Canada said. “We are opening up the world and opening up the community to our students.”
He noted that IU Kokomo students were among the first to visit IU’s new Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. and that the campus had the largest representation among regional campuses.
Students learn in state-of-the-art spaces, including Innovation Hall, a Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grant-funded space. The School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions offers two simulation labs — one designed to simulate hospital rooms, the other a clinical space for family nurse practitioner students — while criminal justice students practice skills in the crime lab. The Observatory offers a close-up look at space, as well as free monthly open houses for the community.
Canada described the computer science innovation lab as “a collaborative space that students can use to work on a variety of projects,” and said the business analytics lab provides the latest technology for students.
“Analytics has revolutionized the world of work,” he said. “Analytics has transformed the way we think of the world, and we want our students to be on the cutting edge of that, so when they graduate and go to work for you, they will be better prepared to do the kind of work you need them to do in the 21st century.”
In addition to serving students, the campus serves businesses and organizations by offering student-led consulting services, including website development, marketing and fundraising support, and more. Community partners can also upskill their teams with the AIM microcredential program, offered at low cost through in-person, online, or hybrid formats.
These student experiences come at a great value, he said, as state appropriations allow IU Kokomo to educate students for about $8,400 per year.
“We don’t have to charge as much as some other colleges do, and yet our students get a quality IU degree which is known around the world. And about half of our students graduate with no debt.”
Students also graduate and go to work — with 81.7 percent employed one year after graduation, including 79.3 percent in Indiana. In the critical areas of health professions, including nursing, 95.7 percent of 517 graduates were employed in Indiana, while 100 percent of 60 education graduates were employed in the state.
Other statistical highlights included enrollment of 614 new first-year students for fall 2026, the first class to exceed 600 since 2020. Ninety-two percent of nursing students passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) test on their first attempt, compared to 86.7 percent nationally, and the School of Business earned reaccreditation from AACSB International, a leading global business accreditation organization.
Canada shared specific examples of student success — like Sam Robinson, who was a cadet with the IU Police Department while earning his degree and is now at the IU Maurer School of Law on a full scholarship. He also highlighted Jackson McCullough, a computer science student who has completed drone security research with a professor and will transition from an internship to a systems security engineer position with V2X Aerospace when he graduates in December.
He also talked about baseball player Tahj Borom, who earned a Master of Business Administration degree and is now a student at the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and volleyball alumnae Lorelei Porter, who will graduate from the University of Pikesville medical school in May, and Sidney Gerig Munoz who is a second-year student at the IU School of Medicine. Also in medical school is Jacob Pierson, who was accepted to medical schools at Mayo Clinic, the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and IU, and chose the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine on a full scholarship.
“Look at what our students are doing,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing that gets you choked up. And we can tell you story after story after story about our students.”
Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore said city and county government leaders appreciate IU Kokomo’s contributions to local economic development. He said when the city was asked to participate in the Good Jobs, Great Cities Initiative in Washington, D.C., it was the only community represented by two college chancellors — from IU Kokomo and Ivy Tech.
“If you’re looking for good jobs, and aspire to be a great city, you have to use your educational resources,” Moore said. “Just having both chancellors participate, it was a pretty impressive message. What an incredible economic development asset you have been.”
Former Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman noted that Canada is retiring in June and thanked him for his years of service to IU Kokomo.
“It did not go unnoticed that your leadership has a lot to do with what’s on that screen,” he said, referring to the slides that accompanied Canada’s speech.
“I need to say, it’s been a labor of love working with my team and with people like you in the community,” Canada said.
Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.