IU trustees to vote on expressive activity policy, presidential pay, post-tenure review

Indiana University’s new, fully governor-appointed Board of Trustees has a busy meeting Thursday.

The agenda includes votes on changing presidential compensation, the Expressive Activity Policy and post-tenure productivity reviews.

That’s on top of the possible tuition freeze and new annual budget that have already been announced.

Presidential compensation

IU President Pamela Whitten makes $900,000 annually, just below the average for presidents in the Big Ten.

The agenda provides no further information on what changes to Whitten’s contract are contemplated.

She received an almost $200,000 raise earlier this year over the objections of former university trustee Vivian Winston. Gov. Mike Braun removed Winston along with other elected trustees last week.

Whitten entered IU with a base salary of $650,000 in 2021, receiving annual raises and performance bonuses from the board. Braun and the Board of Trustees have publicly affirmed their confidence in Whitten. 

Board member Cathy Langham said when she voted to increase the president’s salary in February that she wanted to “make sure that she remains in service to IU and the state for years.”

Expressive Activity Policy

Passed in the wake of last year’s pro-Palestine campus protests, the university’s Expressive Activity Policy UA-10 has become the focus of protests and lawsuits. 

Amended in November to remove some prohibitions on expressive activity (such as holding signs or protesting) after 11:00 p.m., the policy still limits where and when such activity can take place.

Some IU faculty have been sanctioned for violating those rules.

A judge blocked the policy last month, describing it as “substantially overbroad”. 

While all the remaining members of the board voted to approve the bill, new IU trustee James Bopp Jr. shared his concerns with WFIU-WTIU News about First Amendment rights for students and staff.

Post-tenure review

Among other sweeping changes to higher education inserted into the state budget, Indiana is now requiring universities to establish new productivity requirements for tenured faculty.

That includes minimum levels of teaching, students taught, time spent on assignments and scholarship productivity.

Tenure has been a cornerstone of U.S. higher education since the 1940s, ensuring that faculty can’t be removed without cause. The rule is meant to protect professors from being fired for what they research, write and teach, but in recent years it has come under fire from some state legislatures.

This isn’t Indiana’s first restriction.

Since last year, the state has required faculty to undergo a review every few years based on their perceived support of “intellectual diversity” and presentation of multiple viewpoints in class.

Failing to meet the state’s new standards could lead to a faculty member’s termination, per the new law.

Tuition freeze and annual budget

IU is recommending tuition and mandatory fees stay flat for the next two years for in-state undergraduate students.

The move follows a request by Braun, who questioned the value of IU degrees during an interview with reporters in April.

Bopp also speculated that his unexpectedly early appointment to the board could be related to the governor’s proposal.

Purdue has kept its tuition steady while IU has increased year over year.

Thursday’s meeting includes a public tuition forum, to be livestreamed at 12:15. Comments and questions can be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday. The link has not yet been added to the trustee website.

A tuition freeze could complicate budget plans, as the university is facing a five percent reduction in funding from the state as well as less money from federal grants.

IU said it plans to eliminate some unfilled positions and reduce support for certain non-academic programs.

Indemnification of Brad Bomba, Sr.

IU is requesting the trustees indemnify Brad Bomba, Sr., a former physician for IU men’s athletics who has been accused by former players of performing unnecessary prostate examinations. 

Bomba passed away in November.

According to the indemnification resolution, approval of the request would confirm that Bomba was “acting within the scope of his duties” at the university and “acted in good faith.” It would allow the university to pay Bomba’s legal costs.

Bomba is not a defendant in a lawsuit against the university over his conduct, although IU has not requested to indemnify co-defendant, former trainer Tim Garl.

The meeting will be held at IU Bloomington's Henke Hall of Champions.