Get Involved : First Year Programs : IUPUI

Get Involved at IUPUI

Whether you're interested in meeting new friends or making a difference in the world or just want to further develop a hobby or interest, the right opportunity awaits you at IUPUI! Choosing to be involved will enrich your time at IUPUI in many ways. Making personal connections with other students and faculty, and being "in the loop" about campus events can help transform a place that can sometimes seem large and overwhelming into a space that's yours. Getting involved also gives you the opportunity to explore new interests, develop skills, enhance your academic pursuits and have an impact on IUPUI and your community.

Top 10 Reasons to Get Involved

How do you get involved?

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

Do I want to get involved to meet new friends or socialize?
Do I want a connection with my major or career interests?
Do I want to explore an area or topic of interest?
Do I want to offer service to the campus or community?
Do I want to get involved to be physically active or for fitness?
What kind of skills do I want to develop?
Do I want to pursue a leadership position?
How much time do I want to commit?

Once you've determined they type of involvement you are interested in, be open to new experiences. IUPUI offers an incredible assortment of opportunities for getting involved on campus:

Stop by the Office of Student Involvement in the Campus Center or visit the web site
Join one of the 150+ registered student organizations
Play Campus Recreation
Volunteer or participate in Community Service
Attend one of the lectures, movies, concerts, or special events sponsored by Student Activities Programming Board (SAPB)
Help plan or attend an event during one of the Cultural Heritage Months
Participate in a Leadership program or retreat
Join a Fraternity and Sorority
Support Jaguar Spirit Athletics
Participate in Housing and Residence Life events
Develop your Leadership skills

Once you've chosen a way to get involved, get started. Go to meetings, introduce yourself to people, ask questions, express ideas, and be sure to volunteer your time and energy. The more you contribute, the more you'll gain.

University College Student Council

University College Student Council (UCSC) is comprised of students from University College at IUPUI. UCSC represents UC students in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) on various issues. UCSC also plans entertaining and educational events throughout the year to help students meet new people and have fun.

UCSC is a great opportunity for first year students to get involved at IUPUI as well as meet new people and have a lot of fun. Contact UCSC today to get more information on how to join.

UCSC also provides co-sponsorship funding with other organizations that want to create programs/events/initiatives that support UC students and their interests. If your organization has a program/event/initiative that you would like UCSC to consider for co-sponsorship funding or if you are a peer mentor who is looking for funding for your First Year Seminar class celebration or activity, please fill out the UCSC FYS Funding Form.

University Common Theme

IUPUI's inaugural Common Theme is "Consuming Well for the Wealth of Communities from IUPUI to the World" and it spans 2009-2011. To support this year's Common Theme, many of IUPUI's classes are reading Colin Beavan's No Impact Man. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009) Learn more about the reading at http://noimpactproject.org.

Visit the Common Theme web site for more information.

In partnership with the Common Theme, First Year Programs designed a workshop to increase student awareness of sustainability. Students are asked to reflect how they use renewable and nonrenewable products through their daily lives and participate in a group activity to discuss and debate both sides of an environmental issue. Students are encouraged at the end of the presentation to make a personal commitment to sustainability by answering "How Are You Going Green?

Jag Corps Student Leaders

Each year First Year Programs hires several Jag Corps Student Leaders to help with summer orientation sessions and Weeks of Welcome. These students represent some of the most involved and engaged students on campus. Most Jag Corps Student Leaders are members in one or more student organizations; they participate in volunteer opportunities and project a positive attitude toward their experiences at IUPUI.

Each spring we recruit for Jag Corps through the Career Center on JagJobs. Contact fyp@iupui.edu for more information on how you can become a Jag Corps Student Leader.