The collection consists of two series: Administrative records and Correspondence files with the majority of the records dating from John Ryan's tenure as Indiana University President from 1971-1987. A small portion of the files within the collection contain items from before and after his presidency dating from 1963 through 1990.

The Administrative records (1963-1990) are arranged alphabetically by folder title and then chronologically.

The majority of the collection consists of files relating to the various administrative offices, academic departments and schools which comprise the university and include administrative correspondence, policies and annual reports. Schools and departments prominently featured include: College of Arts and Sciences; Division of Continuing Education; the Graduate School; the Schools of Law, Business and Music and Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) ; and School of Medicine and International Programs. These are often are listed under their own title ("History, Department of" or "Law, School of"). The Regional campuses of Indiana University are featured prominently in the collection and are filed under "regional campuses" followed by the specific campus. Likewise, other files relative to the various campus administrative departments include the Office of Affirmative Action, Alumni Association, and Athletics, Halls of Residence, and Safety Division.

Other sections of the collection relate to various associations and outside entities with which the University interacted. These include other universities such as Purdue University and the University of California. Files relating to the City of Bloomington and the State of Indiana include information relating to statewide programs, legislature, and correspondence with political figures such as mayors, governors and senators. Topics prominently featured include: the state budget, Indiana Legislative workshops and task forces and Higher Education Telecommunication Systems (IHETS). Others include the Association of American Universities (AAU); Association of College and University Business Officers (ACUBO); and Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (ASULGC), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, and the Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities (MUCIA).

Large portions of this series contain files on campus committees, including both student and administrative committees. Some which may be of interest include the Board of Aeons, Committee on Dedications and Ceremonies; Committee on Campus Beauty and the University Committee on Names.

Other portions of this series are more topical in nature. The "faculty" files contain information on governance, promotions, statistical data, collective bargaining, and retirement information while the "Ryan, John" files contain invitations, calendar and travel information, and miscellaneous other information about the president. Other subjects of interest include those on enrollment, campus budget, computers and computing, campus bus service and parking, and university reorganization.

The Correspondence files (1969-1987) are arranged chronologically and then alphabetically and divided into three sub-series: Mail Logs, Chronological files, and Alphabetical files. Each of these contain the outgoing correspondence from the President's Office, arranged wither chronologically or alphabetically by correspondent.