Forty-nine percent of students seeking a bachelor’s degree at Indiana University-Bloomington earn that diploma within four years. The number increases to a still lacking 72% within a six-year period. But the flagship IU campus is far ahead of the state’s other public higher education institutions in those statistics.

Timely graduation is just one focus of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s developing strategic plan. The title is Reaching Higher: Strategic Directions for Higher Education in Indiana. The other areas of emphasis are access, affordability, college preparation and contributions to Indiana’s economy.

Imagine this: You stroll through the entrance of a business and see elaborate instruments hanging through a glass window and four big-screen televisions in the lobby. You then walk down a long hallway only to see a cafeteria and a gameroom for employees that includes virtual golf. A quick jaunt upstairs reveals a workout facility and a raquetball court. Oh, and buried in the walls are Nashville-esque sound studios and a plush auditorium fit with state-of-the-art technology.

No, you’re not at some high falootin’ Silicon Valley headquarters. You’re right here in the Hoosier state at Fort Wayne’s Sweetwater Sound, one of Indiana’s greateast success stories. Read all about this thriving business, which began in an old van, in the Chamber’s BizVoice magazine.

When the Indiana Chamber asks employers the top challenges facing their companies, among the leading concerns is health care costs. Although no one has come up with the definitive solution yet, workplace wellness programs are gaining momentum and yielding positive benefits — for employees and their organizations.

Wellness is a frequent topic at Chamber conferences, finds its way into several publications, is a frequent topic in BizVoice magazine (nutrition tips for eating on the go are offered in the current issue) and a popular program for our organization. Lunch hour yoga, kickball (yes, I said kickball), a walking club, healthy snacks, health screenings and more are helping the Chamber and its staff.

There are numerous resources to help you get started or enhance an existing program. Let us know how we might be able to help.

Sports? Why write about sports in a business magazine?

OK, I’ll admit it’s a lot of fun. After all, I spent countless hours at stadiums, courts, diamonds and the like during 13-plus years of newspaper work. But that’s not the primary reason for the Indiana Chamber and BizVoice® magazine to report on the business of sports.

It’s sponsorships. It’s advertising. It’s suite sales. It’s new companies, community support, economic development and much more. Read Matt L. Ottinger’s feature story here and a series of sports shorts here. See if you agree about the importance of the business-sports connection.

Each issue of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce’s BizVoice magazine contains a roundtable discussion with expert opinion on the topic of the day. The March-April edition hit a home run with the following high-profile panel discussing higher education issues and trends:

• France Cordova, president at Purdue University since July 2007
• James Edwards, president at Anderson University since 1990
• Jamie Merisotis, who came to Indiana in January as president of the Lumina Foundation for Education after more than 20 years of work in education policy
• Chris Murphy, a member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for six years and chairman since 2006

You don’t want to miss what they have to say in the BizVoice focus on higher education.