The Indiana University Bloomington American Association of University Professors want to tackle the sweeping changes imposed on faculty by administrators and politicians.
The AAUP hosted a public town hall Friday afternoon for faculty, students and others in the IU community. More than 150 people gathered to discuss concerns over the direction of the university, academic freedom, the erosion of faculty governance and more.
David A. McDonald, AAUP president, said the chapter aimed to build a coalition and create a dialogue amid a crisis in higher education.
“That crisis, I think, falls to us, the faculty, staff and students of this university as its stewards,” McDonald said. “It falls to us to do something about it. It falls to us to work collectively to try and repair and rebuild the educational mission of this university that has been rendered vulnerable by various policies, laws, actions that have taken place over just the last two years.”
The AAUP discussed a number of issues at IU and in higher education.
The Indiana General Assembly passed the state budget this spring, slipping in multiple last-minute additions without public input.
The budget gave Gov. Mike Braun more control over IU’s Board of Trustees, giving him the authority to remove alumni-elected members and appoint their replacements. IU faculty also learned of the cuts, mergers and consolidation of more than 200 degree programs with low numbers of graduates.
McDonald said faculty were not consulted.
“But where it concerned the curriculum, the faculty had legislative authority. We controlled the degrees,” McDonald said. “We no longer have that legislative authority, and in fact, the only people who do have control over our degree programs do not teach students.”
The state budget also dealt another blow to tenure protections. Faculty at public colleges and universities must meet additional post-tenure review and productivity requirements. If a faculty member doesn’t meet the productivity requirements, they could be sanctioned or terminated.
The productivity reviews follow state-mandated requirements for “intellectual diversity” in the classroom under Senate Enrolled Act 202. Faculty could be reported if they violate the act, and they could lose tenure protections. At least one IU professor has been sanctioned so far.
Other policies ban emeritus professors from university governance and strip away power from faculty councils.
McDonald said he’d like to focus on rewriting university policies with faculty review and participation.
“We have a tax on academic freedom on this campus, as well as freedom of speech in the classroom,” McDonald said.
Under the direction of President Donald Trump and Braun, Indiana public colleges such as IU have dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion, despite faculty support for those programs.
As employees, McDonald shared concerns over cuts to faculty salaries and benefits, including the recent reductions in HSA contributions.
McDonald said The IU AAUP has about 300 members, and IU’s chapter contributes more dues to the national organizations than any other college, except Columbia University. Recognizing the need for help, the national AAUP organization has issued lobbying support for the Indiana chapter.
McDonald requested only his comments be recorded to protect the anonymity of attendees and encourage people to speak freely. Students and faculty discussed how to move forward and organize, especially as fears grow at IU.
“Doing nothing makes my fear worse,” McDonald said. “But when I go home, and I think I did all I could, I’m less afraid.”
