IU is lucky to have Pamela Whitten weathering the MAGA storm

Indianapolis Star

5 days ago

I've been IndyStar's opinion editor for 17 months. That means I've reviewed every pitch and submission from people who want to publish guest columns and letters to the editor (if you're still waiting on a response from me, sorry!).
I've received one pitch more than any other, and it's not even close. The angle: Indiana University President Pamela Whitten needs to go.
I attribute the surplus of anti-Whitten screeds to a few factors.
First, as The Herald-Times in Bloomington has reported, the process that led to Whitten's hire, and even her candidacy, is a total black hole. No one has any idea how Whitten became president. She materialized from thin air to lead one of Indiana's most prominent institutions, giving her tenure a cloud of illegitimacy.
Second, whatever her personal politics, Whitten has surrounded herself with conservatives and operated in line with the Republican-dominated Indiana General Assembly. When IU faculty members rendered an overwhelming no-confidence vote on Whitten in April 2024, they offered somewhat vague reasons amounting to a case that Whitten failed to stand up for left-leaning political causes, as university presidents commonly do. One complaint, for example, involved the rare suspension of a tenured professor over an unsanctioned Palestine Solidarity Committee event.
These sentiments blew up in the following weeks when Whitten took a hard line on pro-Palestinian protests over the Israel-Hamas War, eventually tightening restrictions on protests altogether. That led to more protests calling for Whitten's resignation.
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Faculty and students, who lean left, almost uniformly oppose Whitten. They also happen to be well-educated, articulate and motivated to share their views, which leads to a disproportionate volume of anti-Whitten content in IndyStar and elsewhere.
Some criticism seems fair. Whitten, for example, does not seem as collaborative as you might want someone to be in her position. There are substantive concerns over budgeting.
At the same time, though, the obsession with Whitten is excessive. The IU president isn't there to be likable or to serve as the great liberal hope in a red state. She is there to advance the university's research programs and educate students. That is the mission IU advertises on its website, and anyone looking for something different is free to go elsewhere.
Faculty members and students who oppose Whitten purely on political grounds need to grow up. A good life lesson is that you aren't always going to like your leaders. College is as good a place as any to learn it.
What college is not is a place designed for students to set up pro-Palestinian encampments. To be sure, American colleges have long fostered political engagement and activism. IU should encourage students to find their voices and learn how to use them. But, when demonstrations distract from IU's primary objectives and pose potential public safety risks, it's reasonable for the president to ask students to take their tents elsewhere (although the approach taken by the Indiana State Police is another matter).
Anyone moping over Whitten's supposed authoritarianism should look around. President Trump is using the full force of the government in an apparent attempt to destroy Harvard University, as higher education institutions everywhere face a barrage of political attacks from the right.
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Meanwhile, IU's faculty are free to pursue progressive interests even in red-state Indiana under the protective cover of the president they despise. Although the Indiana General Assembly has targeted DEI and the Kinsey Institute, Republicans are generally supportive of IU under Whitten's leadership.
Conservatives ranging from Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks have published columns in IndyStar praising Whitten. That gives tremendous latitude to those underneath Whitten to continue with business as usual, even if that means repeatedly calling for her resignation.
Whitten's critics no doubt see Republicans' embrace as the problem. They would prefer a president willing to fight Republicans, particularly in a political environment that feels apocalyptic. They should consider the more likely alternatives.
Gov. Mike Braun just used his new power to remove alumni-elected members of the IU board of trustees, replacing them with appointments including far-right attorney and activist James Bopp Jr. and sports broadcaster-turned-MAGA-influencer Sage Steele. Those are the types of figures who would determine IU's next president — who could be expected to reflect their sensibilities more than Whitten does.
Whatever you think of Whitten, she has not approached her job as an activist. Nor is she guilty of obeying in advance, as progressives like to charge. Whitten is a bulwark against political extremism on the right, as well as the left. She is leading IU through a MAGA storm in pursuit of an agenda that aligns with IU's reason for existence, nothing more or less.
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Whitten has stayed above the political fray, mapping out a strong strategic plan for IU through 2030, while also overseeing expanded research capacity and record enrollment in Bloomington. She's also helped make college acceptance easier in Indiana.
Whitten seems to be making a sincere effort to tailor IU to the state's needs. The one time Whitten told her own story in IndyStar, it was to discuss having visited all 92 counties. There's a performative element to that tour. But it also signals intent.
University presidents have many ways to spend their time — and they often involve self-promotional out-of-state trips. Whitten's style of self-promotion is to be present in Indiana. Families making college enrollment choices might appreciate that, even if tenured faculty members don't.
Whitten will continue to be present for the foreseeable future. Whitten in February received a raise and a contract extension through 2031 (count that as a big miss in my predictions column from January). During the course of that contract, colleges across America will navigate culture wars and enrollment declines. IU is positioned to persevere better than most.
The only thanks Whitten can expect is continued calls for her resignation. Fortunately for Whitten, she doesn't seem to care.