25-04-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Alumni have elected Indiana University trustees for decades. A budget bill could end that
AI-assisted summary
A budget bill provision could give Indiana's governor the power to appoint all Indiana University trustees, eliminating alumni-elected seats.
This change would end a century-old tradition of alumni trustee elections.
The bill also shortens student trustee terms and imposes term limits on all board members.
Indiana University alumni could lose their power to elect members to IU's Board of Trustees, a tradition that dates back more than a century.
Language in a last-minute budget bill gives Gov. Mike Braun the power to appoint all nine members of the board, stripping away three trustee seats that have been elected by IU's alumni body since 1891. The provision was added on April 23, with voting expected on April 24.
The language, nestled on pages 181 and 182 of the Republican-authored 215-page bill, grants the governor sole appointment authority for all nine trustees, at least five of whom must be IU alumni. It also gives the governor power to remove and replace any existing trustee who was elected by IU alumni. If passed, the provision would take effect immediately, allowing the governor to start replacing current elected trustees at will.
The non-budgetary provision, first reported by Axios Indianapolis, is a drastic restructuring of the trustee body. Alumni trustee elections take place in June, with degree holders from all Indiana University campuses eligible to vote.
Provision comes after past attempts to reign in elected trustee power
Republicans in the General Assembly have sought to curb the number of elected positions on the board before. Senate Enrolled Act 202, the controversial bill that overhauled the tenure process at Indiana public universities, originally included language to shrink the number of elected trustee positions from two to one. The language was removed from the bill before it passed.
It's unclear why the provision eliminating elected trustees was added to the budget bill, but Indiana Republicans have shown interest in exercising tighter control over state universities, with a stated goal of curtailing liberal 'indoctrination' on Gov. Micah Beckwith has demanded greater financial transparency from IU – and even floated defunding the university – over its connections to the Kinsey Institute and Indiana Daily Student, falsely asserting that both may receive 'covert' taxpayer money through IU. Attorney General Todd Rokita has threatened IU over its response (or lack thereof) to antisemitism on campus, warning of federal funding cuts if the university fails to adhere to nondiscrimination laws.
Combined with SEA 202, which puts the Board of Trustees in charge of evaluating professors' tenure appointments for 'intellectual diversity,' the bill would give the governor greater power over the board's composition and political leanings.
Bill shortens student trustee terms, imposes term limits
IU's board has a tradition of voting unanimously, but in the past year, cracks have started to form.
Last July, elected alumni trustees Vivian Winston and Donna Spears, and student trustee Kyle Siebert were the only three board members to vote against IU's controversial expressive activity policy.
Winston, an alumna and resident of Monroe County, has gained a reputation for breaking form with the board, especially since IU President Pamela Whitten's vote of no confidence in spring 2024.
The budget bill also shortens the student trustee's term from two years to one, and limits all board members to serving one term. Non-student trustees currently serve three-year terms.
Six candidates have already started campaigning for the elected trustee position opening this year. Voting begins on June 1 and closes on June 30; the elected trustee begins their term on July 1.
