Latest news with #PamelaWhitten
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Republicans Trying to Control Indiana University Meet Little Resistance
The sweeping changes to Indiana's public universities came suddenly this spring, with little time for debate. Republicans passed a new law that would require university boards to measure the productivity of tenured faculty. Faculty were downgraded to 'advisory only' roles in university decision-making. Degree programs that graduated too few students would be closed. And at Indiana University, whose flagship campus in Bloomington is ranked among the nation's top 100 schools, the state's governor was given new power over the school's governing board. The moves align with a conservative playbook to reduce faculty power on campuses perceived by many on the right as bastions of liberal thought. This year, several other Republican-led states passed laws requiring reviews for tenured faculty and the reorganization of programs at public institutions that have low enrollment. Democrats, civil liberty groups and many university presidents have responded with outrage as the Trump administration has tried to force private institutions like Harvard and Columbia to give the federal government similar powers. Harvard's leadership sued. At Indiana University, the president, Pamela Whitten, has stayed silent on the state's recent moves. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- General
- Indianapolis Star
IU is lucky to have Pamela Whitten weathering the MAGA storm
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. Briggs: Indiana's school letter grades will help housing prices more than parents 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. Briggs: Jim Banks would let Trump commit any crime you can imagine 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. Briggs: Micah Beckwith and his Indiana DOGE bros are livin' large 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.
Chicago Tribune
08-04-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
IU Northwest provides new space for CURE
A program that connects the community to a wide-reaching partnership with Indiana University Northwest now has its own place where senior citizens can learn how to use their iPhones and middle school kids can learn college and career skills. Led by IU President Pamela Whitten, officials snipped a ribbon Monday outside of CURE's new headquarters just outside the south lobby entrance in the Library Conference Center. 'This is exciting and it took us so long to get here,' said interim chancellor Vicki Román-Lagunas. 'It's a deeply rooted commitment to our community… we dedicate every resource to that partnership.' Launched in 2004, CURE aims to engage the university and the community to create sustainable programs and initiatives, led by its director Ellen Szarleta. CURE's activities support the development of positive and sustainable collaborations between the university and the community, officials said. Its program offerings and partnerships include Senior University, Kids College, adult education, a community garden, police candidate training, the Indiana Civic Health Index, an annual Forum on Child Abuse and Neglect, and Partners-In Conversation, recorded conversations between students, faculty and community members to stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'We were in a very sense created by the community with CURE as the permanent gateway,' said former IU Northwest chancellor Ken Iwama, who's now director of IU's regional campuses and online education. Before it gained its new space in the Library Conference Center, Szarleta said its ages 55-and-over Senior University courses were held at various classroom sites across the campus. With the new single location, Szarleta said it's easier for seniors to foster relationships and settle into a course. She said CURE also is assisting the City of Gary with its Love Your Block mini-grant program application for community residents. Tiara Williams, Gary's Love Your Block project manager said the application deadline closed Monday. Williams praised CURE's involvement. 'It's like a fire is ignited to get the word out,' she said. The Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation funds Love Your Block. 'Any time there is a CURE issue, Ellen is the doctor,' said Melton. 'Her team has been instrumental for us every year.' Whitten cited the 2023 efforts by IU-Northwest students who worked with Lake County officials to examine and document more than 7,000 'churner' properties that are offered again and again at tax sales. Their effort led to a 2023 law transferring the ownership of properties that fail to sell twice at tax sales to the county or a municipality for redevelopment. 'This space will undoubtedly enhance the ability to serve the region,' she said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indiana University closes on building in Washington, D.C. How much did it pay?
Indiana University has purchased a building in Washington, D.C., for $17.5 million where it intends to provide programming and housing for students. The eight-story building at 1619 Massachusetts Ave. NW has an assessed value of $43 million, according to Washington property records, and sits along Embassy Row, a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue where hundreds of international embassy offices are located. From October: Indiana University tight-lipped about its new $43 million building in downtown D.C. IU spokesman Mark Bode confirmed the IU Foundation had a contract to purchase the building from Johns Hopkins University last October, but at the time declined to comment on the building's purpose. The building was purchased by the IU Foundation on March 14, according to property records. In a press release, IU said the building will 'bring together and expand IU's ongoing academic programs and business operations in the nation's capital.'The news release stated the building had been 'in the works' since President Pamela Whitten took office in 2021. IU Bloomington has at least four Washington, D.C.-based programs, including the Hamilton Lugar School's Global Leadership Forum, the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs' D.C. Accelerator and Washington Leadership Program, and a Washington-based internship in the political science department. IU Indianapolis' O'Neill School also has a Washington Leadership Program. In the release, IU hinted that the university's multiple campuses may expand programming in Washington. 'Each campus will be encouraged to engage through programming and opportunities spanning a few days to entire semesters,' the press release said. 'Additional plans for the building's use and IU's presence in the capital are expected to develop over the coming academic year and beyond.' IU said the building will provide housing to IU students who previously had no dedicated housing arrangement in the capital. Washington and neighboring city Arlington, Virginia, are among the 10 most expensive cities in which to rent in the country, according to rental search company Zumper's National Rent Report. In an October presentation to the Dupont Circle advisory neighborhood commission, an attorney for the university said IU plans to have approximately 40 beds split evenly between the building's sixth and seventh floors, with communal hall bathrooms on each floor. IU said the building is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2026, pending approval from the Board of Trustees on a lease agreement between the university and the IU Foundation. The next Board of Trustees meeting is on June 12 and 13 at IU Bloomington. Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@ Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana University purchases Washington DC building for 17 million
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After riot police targeted protesters, IU gave Whitten a raise
In April 2024, hundreds of students protested Indiana University's support for Israel's attack on Gaza. On the first day of the protests, demonstrators were swarmed by militarized riot police wielding assault weapons, grenade launchers and shotguns while being flanked by armored vehicles, helicopters and drones flying overhead, as well as snipers on a roof with the rifle pointing down at the students. I was among the 50 people arrested during two separate raids on the protest encampment. For reasons that are still unclear, I was given a five-year ban from campus. Shortly after my arrest, friends who were monitoring police radio chatter told me that the sniper had mentioned me specifically, singling me out as a 'main actor.' Body cam footage from the officers on the ground shows them specifically targeting me and another student for arrest, labeling me 'Black afro guy.' Minutes after this, while attacking other protesters, police pointed at me, told me not to run, to get on the ground and then put me in zip-ties. Pamela Whitten: I visited all 92 counties. Here's what Hoosiers want from Indiana University. Even though the Monroe County prosecutor quickly dismissed the arrests as "constitutionally dubious," and all of the bans were eventually rescinded, the administration has yet to issue any apology for its actions. Quite the opposite: Since last summer, the board has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a law firm to produce a report to justify the administration's actions. The board has formalized its hostility to dissent by implementing a speech restriction policy that is arguably unconstitutional and currently being challenged in a lawsuit by the ACLU (in which I am one of the plaintiffs). The board has also decided to award IU President Pamela Whitten a $200,000 salary increase and a contract extension to 2031. The money and contract extension is seemingly Whitten's reward by a body that has demonstrated that it has no interest in the academic or social mission of the university. This would be outrageous if the assault on Dunn Meadow protesters was Whitten's only transgression, but it goes far beyond that. The attacks on student protesters came shortly after graduate workers went on a three-day strike for union recognition and a living wage in which I participated. Despite years of organizing and a four-week graduate strike in 2022, the university has refused to recognize these workers' rights to collectively bargain. The April strike also came on the heels of a historic, university-wide vote in which over 90% of faculty voted no-confidence in Whitten alongside Provost Rahul Shrivastav and Vice Provost Carrie Docherty. Unlike many similar cases at universities in which overwhelming votes of no-confidence result in removal or resignation of the president, IU's board and president responded to faculty with a middle finger in the form of widely-mocked "listening sessions." The vote In part this was a response to the summary suspension of professor Abdulkader Sinno for his role in assisting the Palestine Solidarity Committee book a room for a speaker. But, in part, the no-confidence vote was the culmination of tensions simmering since Whitten was selected to be president against the recommendations of faculty and with clear disregard for established processes. After the board of trustees created a 17-member search committee made up of faculty and other stakeholders, the body came back with four final candidates. The board then rejected these candidates without explanation and instead chose Whitten. Since then, the board has refused to offer any meaningful clear that Whitten is at the university to advance an unpopular agenda of corporatization, program-cutting and union busting. Under her leadership, the university has mandated cuts to the humanities departments deemed to be unprofitable. Important centers of research have been defunded. The intensive freshman seminar, a key program that assisted me during my first year at IU, is now being cut. The board of trustees don't seem to care. At its core, this is a reflection of the rot within the U.S. political system. The Indiana General Assembly recently passed a bill that ensures seven of the nine board seats are controlled by the governor. Given that the Republican Party is waging a war against higher ed around the country, it is unlikely that Gov. Mike Braun has any love for higher education. How do we change a university system that displays such hostility to the needs and desires of the community it is ostensibly there to serve? The answer is, and has always been, to organize. Bryce Greene is an organizer and doctoral student studying informatics at Indiana University. His writing has appeared in Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting, Salon, Current Affairs and other publications. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU's Pamela Whitten gets $200K raise for serving GOP agenda | Opinion
