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Black America Web
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
IU Bloomington to Cut 100+ Academic Programs by 2026
Source: Nicholas Klein / Getty BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In one of the most significant academic overhauls in its history, Indiana University Bloomington will suspend or eliminate more than 100 academic programs beginning ahead of the 2026–2027 academic year. The move is part of a larger statewide restructuring prompted by House Enrolled Act 1001 (2025), which introduces strict thresholds for degree program enrollment and completion. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education released the list of affected programs in a document shared during its June 30 meeting. The cuts impact undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs and span nearly every academic area—from arts and humanities to education, science, public health, and foreign languages. Among the undergraduate degrees facing elimination are longstanding liberal arts programs such as the Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Diaspora Studies, Art History, Comparative Literature, French, Gender Studies, and Spanish. Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Ballet, Cognitive Science, and Environmental Geoscience are also on the chopping block. Graduate and professional programs are equally affected. Several master's and Ph.D. programs will be phased out or merged, including doctoral tracks in Art History, Astrophysics, Japanese, and Gender Studies. The School of Education will also see multiple degrees—such as the in English, Mathematics, Journalism, and Social Studies—eliminated entirely. The drastic changes follow the university's recent announcement of a $100 million budget realignment and come on the heels of a shift in leadership on IU's Board of Trustees. The new majority, aligned with Indiana Governor Mike Braun, has emphasized prioritizing 'practical degrees' tied to workforce development outcomes. Gov. Braun remarked that IU President Pamela Whitten wanted to 'spruce up' the university—a comment that has sparked debate among students, faculty, and alumni about the deeper implications of the restructuring. Critics argue that the cuts disproportionately affect identity-based and humanities programs—disciplines that have historically been underfunded and under-enrolled but play a vital role in shaping civic, cultural, and ethical understanding. Supporters of the legislation, however, point to low graduation rates and dwindling enrollment in certain programs, saying the changes are necessary to make higher education more efficient and career-focused. As the 2025–26 school year approaches, students and faculty are left to grapple with what these sweeping changes mean for academic freedom, intellectual diversity, and the future of Indiana's flagship public university. RELATED: Indiana Governor Signs Bill into Law Establishing Online Agricultural Portal Source: SEE ALSO IU Bloomington to Cut 100+ Academic Programs by 2026 was originally published on
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IU's governance crisis reflects dangerous trend undermining democracy
Recent commentary in IndyStar defended Indiana University's leadership and questioned the focus and intensity of faculty criticism. But what's happening at IU isn't just a campus controversy — it's part of a national trend. Across the country, public institutions are quietly dismantling the democratic processes that once guided their decisions. IU has become a flashpoint not because of any one leader or protest, but because it shows how shared governance and expert input are being replaced by top-down control. For over a century, American universities have followed a model known as shared governance. That means faculty, administrators and trustees work together to shape a school's mission and values. It's not just tradition — it's a safeguard. It ensures that decisions about teaching, research and student life are made by the people who do the work. In recent years, IU's shared governance has been steadily eroded through a series of top-down decisions. The April 2024 no-confidence vote in President Pamela Whitten by IU Bloomington faculty — 827 to 29 — wasn't about politics or personalities. It was a response to a pattern: refusing to recognize graduate workers' union efforts; sending state police to arrest peaceful protestors in Dunn Meadow; and canceling a long-planned exhibition by Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby without consulting curators or faculty committees. These decisions bypassed longstanding university processes like faculty review, shared governance consultation and curatorial oversight — processes that have historically guided how academic and cultural decisions are made. Now, that erosion has been written into law. Indiana's House Enrolled Act 1001, passed in 2024, officially reduced faculty governance to an 'advisory only' role. Some argue that faculty governance was always advisory in practice — but this law removes any doubt. It replaces collaboration with control. Opinion: I was running for IU Board of Trustees — until Mike Braun took it over What is happening at IU is a symptom of a pattern playing out more broadly. We're seeing the slow dismantling of democratic decision-making in public institutions. At the federal level, the National Institutes of Health was recently blocked from posting notices in the Federal Register, which froze the review of over 16,000 new research grant applications — worth about $1.5 billion. Around the same time, the agency abruptly canceled more than 1,400 already awarded grants, halting active research projects without the usual expert review or explanation. Both the review of new applications and the continuation of awarded grants typically rely on deliberative panels of scientists to ensure decisions are fair, transparent and based on merit. In both of these cases, those processes were bypassed. Though some meetings have resumed, the damage is clear: Critical systems can be disrupted with little warning and no input from the people who are supposed to guide them. Other federal agencies have followed suit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have recently bypassed their own expert advisory committees in making major public health decisions. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was not convened to review or vote on the 2024–2025 influenza vaccine strain selection, breaking with decades of precedent. Around the same time, both ACIP and VRBPAC were sidelined in the rollout of new COVID-19 vaccine guidance and, just this week, the entire 17-member ACIP committee was fired. A top CDC vaccine adviser resigned, citing concerns that the agency was ignoring its own deliberative processes. Whether in universities or federal agencies, the pattern is the same: Leaders are cutting out the people who should have a voice. That might seem faster or easier — but it comes at a profound and ultimately self-defeating cost. When decisions are made without input from those most affected, institutions don't just lose trust — they undermine their own legitimacy and effectiveness. And in a democracy, trust is everything. Opinion: IU deserves a serious president. Pamela Whitten must go. This isn't a partisan issue. No matter your politics, the loss of open, thoughtful decision-making should be alarming. Processes like faculty governance, peer review and public advisory boards aren't meant to slow things down or push a political agenda. They exist because they lead to better decisions. When they're ignored, we don't just lose transparency. We lose trust. Indiana's public universities — and all public institutions — can only succeed when decisions are made with the people who do the work, not imposed on them from above. When we exclude the experts, educators, scientists, and advisors who sustain these institutions, we don't just weaken the process. We weaken the outcomes. Gabriel Bosslet, is a professor of clinical medicine and Tracey Wilkinson an associate professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana University's shared governance is under attack | Opinion
Indianapolis Star
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
IU's governance crisis reflects dangerous trend undermining democracy
Recent commentary in IndyStar defended Indiana University's leadership and questioned the focus and intensity of faculty criticism. But what's happening at IU isn't just a campus controversy — it's part of a national trend. Across the country, public institutions are quietly dismantling the democratic processes that once guided their decisions. IU has become a flashpoint not because of any one leader or protest, but because it shows how shared governance and expert input are being replaced by top-down control. For over a century, American universities have followed a model known as shared governance. That means faculty, administrators and trustees work together to shape a school's mission and values. It's not just tradition — it's a safeguard. It ensures that decisions about teaching, research and student life are made by the people who do the work. In recent years, IU's shared governance has been steadily eroded through a series of top-down decisions. The April 2024 no-confidence vote in President Pamela Whitten by IU Bloomington faculty — 827 to 29 — wasn't about politics or personalities. It was a response to a pattern: refusing to recognize graduate workers' union efforts; sending state police to arrest peaceful protestors in Dunn Meadow; and canceling a long-planned exhibition by Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby without consulting curators or faculty committees. These decisions bypassed longstanding university processes like faculty review, shared governance consultation and curatorial oversight — processes that have historically guided how academic and cultural decisions are made. Now, that erosion has been written into law. Indiana's House Enrolled Act 1001, passed in 2024, officially reduced faculty governance to an 'advisory only' role. Some argue that faculty governance was always advisory in practice — but this law removes any doubt. It replaces collaboration with control. Opinion: I was running for IU Board of Trustees — until Mike Braun took it over What is happening at IU is a symptom of a pattern playing out more broadly. We're seeing the slow dismantling of democratic decision-making in public institutions. At the federal level, the National Institutes of Health was recently blocked from posting notices in the Federal Register, which froze the review of over 16,000 new research grant applications — worth about $1.5 billion. Around the same time, the agency abruptly canceled more than 1,400 already awarded grants, halting active research projects without the usual expert review or explanation. Both the review of new applications and the continuation of awarded grants typically rely on deliberative panels of scientists to ensure decisions are fair, transparent and based on merit. In both of these cases, those processes were bypassed. Though some meetings have resumed, the damage is clear: Critical systems can be disrupted with little warning and no input from the people who are supposed to guide them. Other federal agencies have followed suit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have recently bypassed their own expert advisory committees in making major public health decisions. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was not convened to review or vote on the 2024–2025 influenza vaccine strain selection, breaking with decades of precedent. Around the same time, both ACIP and VRBPAC were sidelined in the rollout of new COVID-19 vaccine guidance and, just this week, the entire 17-member ACIP committee was fired. A top CDC vaccine adviser resigned, citing concerns that the agency was ignoring its own deliberative processes. Whether in universities or federal agencies, the pattern is the same: Leaders are cutting out the people who should have a voice. That might seem faster or easier — but it comes at a profound and ultimately self-defeating cost. When decisions are made without input from those most affected, institutions don't just lose trust — they undermine their own legitimacy and effectiveness. And in a democracy, trust is everything. Opinion: IU deserves a serious president. Pamela Whitten must go. This isn't a partisan issue. No matter your politics, the loss of open, thoughtful decision-making should be alarming. Processes like faculty governance, peer review and public advisory boards aren't meant to slow things down or push a political agenda. They exist because they lead to better decisions. When they're ignored, we don't just lose transparency. We lose trust. Indiana's public universities — and all public institutions — can only succeed when decisions are made with the people who do the work, not imposed on them from above. When we exclude the experts, educators, scientists, and advisors who sustain these institutions, we don't just weaken the process. We weaken the outcomes.
Chicago Tribune
11-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Officials: Indiana libraries expect to face financial challenges at state and federal levels
Local libraries in Indiana will face financial challenges in the years ahead as the state and federal governments make drastic cuts to funding, local officials said. At the state level, libraries will see budget cuts amid the state budget and property tax reform. At the federal level, the Institute of Museum and Library Services funding was gutted, which will cut millions from the state library budget, said Julie Wendorf, the director of the Crown Point Library and president of the Indiana Library Federation board of directors. 'Libraries have been functioning in the state of Indiana since the late 1800s and doing the work in their communities. It's sad that we're under fire like we are right now,' Wendorf said. Under Senate Enrolled Act 1, the property tax relief bill, libraries across the state will see a decrease of $18.6 million in 2026, $26.1 million in 2027 and $24.2 million in 2028, according to the bill's fiscal note. Beginning in 2028, municipalities will have the option to raise the local income tax to 2.9% but libraries would only receive 0.2% of that revenue, Wendorf said. Under the new local income tax structure, Wendorf said libraries will be 'significantly' impacted because some libraries in the state receive about half of their budget through local income tax as opposed to property taxes. 'This would hit them because they would actually get less of that local income tax distribution,' Wendorf said. In Lake County, libraries currently don't receive local income taxes because the county reserves all the local income tax at the county level, Wendorf said. With Lake County Council approval, local libraries have the opportunity for a portion of local income tax revenue starting in 2028 but 'it would certainly not be a dollar-for-dollar replacement,' Wendorf said. Further, Wendorf said the libraries will share their portion of local income tax with other eligible units. 'For literary illustration, does it become a 'Hunger Games'? We're not really sure how that's going to work. We haven't really heard any answers on that yet. I think they have a lot to do to figure out how they are going to handle it. I think that's why they've pushed it off, so they have time to figure it out,' Wendorf said. In addition to the decrease in revenue on the property tax end, Wendorf said libraries saw cuts in the state budget House Enrolled Act 1001, which Gov. Mike Braun signed Tuesday. The state library saw a $1.1 million decrease from the 2023-2025 biennial budget to the 2025-2027 budget. Further, the library saw millions in program cuts, according to the budget document. In the previous state budget, the state library received approximately $3.7 million, while in the recently approved budget, the state library received $2.6 million, according to the respective budget documents. The 2025-2027 budget also removed funding for the Indiana Academy of Science, the historical marker program, Inspire, local library connectivity grant and others that were previously funded. The inspire and connectivity portions were removed in the final 24 hours of the legislative secession, Wendorf said. '(The budget) really impacts the state library, and the state library in turn provides a lot of services to public libraries. There's a hidden hit to public libraries in that, that the state library won't be able to perform those services for us and we'll have to pay for those services or source them elsewhere,' Wendorf said. For example, the state library helps with transportation of books throughout the state, Wendorf said, which allows libraries to borrow books from other libraries. That process helps libraries receive books visitors request without buying the book, she said. By removing the local library connectivity grant, Wendorf said the Crown Point Library – which doesn't receive the largest funding – will have to pay $13,000 more for internet services next year. Libraries will maintain internet services because it's a basic need the libraries provide, but that means other areas of library budgets will be impacted, Wendorf said. Inspire is a collection of databases for K-12 students to help them with workforce development and research, Wendorf said. Officials with the state library have said it will move the Inspire cost, about $1.3 million, into its operating budget, which means there's even less money for the state library to further support local libraries, she said. Porter County Public Library System Director Jesse Butz said it's difficult to understand the full impact the state budget and property tax relief will have on libraries because of the various moving parts. 'What we're focused on is what we always focus on, which is we're a very fiscally conscious library system in general. We use zero-based budgeting. We run a lot of data, a lot of metrics, and we alter our services in response to budgetary constraints,' Butz said. 'There will almost certainly be some sort of modifications we'll need to put in place. But until we know these numbers officially, it's tough to say what those 100% will be.' Further, at the federal level, the IMLS was defunded, which further hit the state library's budget by $3.5 million, Wendorf said. That reduction in the IMLS funding will 'cascade' down to local libraries, she said. 'It's really a domino effect. There's so many small dominoes and they are all falling in the wrong directions on top of libraries,' Wendorf said. The impact on local libraries will depend on how the state library responds to the state and federal cuts, Butz said. For example, under the state's digital library, Butz said the state library pays $70,000 annually for the platform fee and the member libraries pay for materials. If that ends, Butz said the libraries would have to pay more to maintain their e-book collections, he said. 'There's all these ways in which they are able to support us that are kind of hidden. Until they are able to decide, or at least prioritize and triage, what they need to, we won't know which, if any, will actually impact us,' Butz said. Under state law, libraries aren't allowed to have a capital fund and a limit on reserves, Wendorf said. That means, Wendorf said, that libraries don't have 'a cushion' for funding. With all these fiscal impacts, Wendorf said library officials will have to choose between buying fewer materials, reducing hours and services, and cutting staff. 'There are many ways, and it will be unique for each library in how they are able to best deal with that in their community,' Wendorf said. The impact of libraries in Indiana has been significant, Wendorf said. In 2023, 39 million materials were checked out, which equates to 557 books per seat at the Lucas Oil Stadium. That same year, 117,000 programs were hosted, which is 152 programs per point scored by Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark in 2024, and there were 20.6 million WiFi uses, which is equivalent to the number of 'Off the Wall' albums sold. In 2023, there were approximately 21.5 million library visits, which is more than four times the amount of corn acreage harvested in Indiana that same year. That same year, 15 million digital materials were checked out, which is more than double the population of Indiana, Wendorf said. Library officials throughout the state testified before legislators about the importance of libraries throughout the session, Wendorf said. 'It just was falling on deaf ears,' Wendorf said.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Braun signs Indiana's next $44B budget into law
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signs legislation into law from his Statehouse office on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (From Braun's official X account) Indiana's next two-year, $44 billion budget at last became law on Tuesday with Gov. Mike Braun's signature, along with 62 other measures. Legislative leaders sent them to the governor's desk on April 29, the last day of the legislative session. That started a seven-day clock for Braun to either sign or veto the stack; afterward, they would've passed into law without him. 'This morning, I signed a balanced, responsible biennial budget that protects Indiana's strong fiscal foundation while investing in our future,' an afternoon post on Braun's X account read. 'This budget will preserve our reserves, maintain our AAA credit rating, and deliver on key priorities — including education, public safety, and tax relief for Hoosiers,' the post continued. '(I'm) Grateful to our fiscal leaders for their work navigating a tight revenue forecast and ensuring government stays efficient and focused on what matters most.' A grim revenue forecast forced the state's budget architects to chop $2 billion in spending from the 232-page House Enrolled Act 1001 in just a week. That entailed 5% cuts to public higher educational institutions and most state agencies, a 25% cut to the state's quasi-public economic development arm, and a 60% cut to public health funding, among others. Funding was nixed entirely for trails, public broadcasting, and musician-philanthropist Dolly Parton's Imagination Library — which mails free books to children up to 5 years old to promote literacy. First Lady Maureen Braun has launched a fundraising initiative to sustain the last program. Lawmakers also raised taxes on tobacco products after years of resistance. The budget gives the Department of Correction, the Department of Child Services and the Family and Social Services Administration a combined augmentation fund of $300 million to cover unexpected expenses. Money will be distributed at Braun's discretion. That trio of agencies receives the most state money besides K-12 education, which eats up 48% of the budget. Public schools earned a modest 2% increase. And in the budget's second year, Indiana will drop remaining income limits and move to a universal taxpayer-funded 'school choice' voucher system. Other bills nab signatures Major legislation establishing price transparency requirements for clinical laboratories and diagnostic imaging centers, limiting 'anti-competitive' health provider-insurer contract provisions, curtailing nonprofit hospital service charges, mandating health care ownership reporting and banning hospital-physician non-compete agreements also become law Tuesday. Advocates celebrated. 'Americans across the country and in Indiana are grappling with unaffordable health care costs driven by the unchecked growth of big health care corporations. … Indiana is no exception, suffering from some of the highest health care costs in the country,' Sophia Tripoli, a senior director of health policy at Families USA, said in a statement. Legislative paperwork lies arranged in baskets in the House chamber on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Tripoli called the new laws 'a major step to fight back against these main drivers of high health care costs and bring down prices for patients and their families.' She urged lawmakers at state legislatures across the country, as well as in Congress, to 'follow (Braun's) lead.' Braun has indicated there's more to come, telling reporters last week that tackling Indiana's high health care costs and poor outcomes is his top priority. He repeatedly asked health care industry players for solutions while threatening punishment for stasis. Other newly minted laws include: To see the full list of signed bills, visit the governor's 2025 Bill Watch page. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
