Indiana University Northwest will officially welcome its incoming freshman to campus with an induction ceremony on Friday, Aug. 25. The event will be the first to take place in the new $45 million Arts & Sciences Building, opening in time for the Fall 2017 Semester.

Marking another historic first, the event itself is a new campus tradition designed to embrace students into a community that will help them forge new friendships, shape their future, and prepare them for a lifetime of success.

The inaugural Freshman Induction Ceremony begins at 9 a.m., Friday, Aug. 25 with a procession from the Savannah Center to the new Arts & Sciences Building, where IU Northwest faculty will adorn students’ lapels with an IU pin and ask them to pledge their commitment to their academic aspirations on the main stage of the new theater.

The ceremony will include a short introduction about campus and marks the first step in fulfilling the promise of student success. A reception will follow back at the Savannah Center where students will be able to network and begin forging new connections with each other, faculty, and staff.

Students who wish to participate in the Freshman Induction Ceremony should RSVP at www.iun.edu/induction before August 14.

Arrival is at 8 a.m. for check-in and seating arrangements with the ceremony starting promptly at 9 a.m. Students are encouraged to wear IU colors or any IU-affiliated shirt to display their RedHawk pride. This event is for students and faculty only and has no seating for other guests in the theater.

The incoming freshman class consists of approximately 1,100 students.

A Legacy of Strength

“We are excited about beginning this campus tradition that has been a mainstay of Indiana University in Bloomington for many years,” said Bonita Neff, chair of the departments of communication, fine arts and performing arts.

IU Bloomington had its first freshman induction ceremony in 1933 and the event took place annually through 1969. After an 11-year hiatus, the event reconvened in 1981 and remains part of IU’s annual orientation events.

IU’s tradition is to ask students to recite a pledge known as the “Indiana Promise,” which declares the inductees as official members of the student body.