Election Day is on Nov. 5. Indiana's leaders could have a major impact on the state's public colleges. (Lucinda Larnach)
Indiana’s public colleges and universities have seen a lot of change — and controversy — in the last few years.
Free speech, academic freedom, diversity programs and leadership are at the center of the pushback. Protests continue over the conflict in Israel and Gaza. The question of state funding always lingers.
Amid the tension, there’s next Tuesday’s general election.
Read more: We made a voting guide!
In Indiana, politics and higher education are tightly linked. Elected officials have a lot of power over Indiana colleges and universities — choosing the institution’s leaders, how much public money the school gets and what laws they have to follow. The leaders have the power to push public schools in a new direction.
“It feels like this is a point where academia is in a crossroads,” said Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis. “And what happens in the election, and then what happens in the state house in terms of policy, will really determine where we go in the future.”
What kind of laws could Indiana’s government pass?
Tension is building around free speech, academic freedom and culture. Lawmakers are responding.
Around the country, voters and leaders on the right believe college campuses are too liberal and hostile to conservative ideas. But left-leaning students, faculty and staff say they should be free to teach and learn without state interference.
“I think we're going to continue to see this as a major issue, a question of what college campuses allow and what they prohibit, and how that plays a role in terms of the political partisan dynamic,” Wilson said.
Most notably, Governor Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 202 into law. It changed tenure review, forcing faculty to teach what lawmakers call “intellectual diversity.” Faculty could be reported if they don’t, which could lead to them losing out on promotions or tenure.
Lawmakers say it was a move to make conservative students more comfortable on campus and keep the tenure process fair. Indiana State Sen. Spencer Deery wrote the policy.
“We do a disservice to students of all political backgrounds if they're never challenged, and presented with the best scholarly evidence that might challenge those viewpoints,” Deery told WFIU/WTIU in August.
But instructors and university leaders such as IU President Pamela Whitten strongly disagreed with the law. Faculty spoke out on campus and at public hearings. They said it limits academic freedom, and it will prevent Indiana colleges from attracting the best talent.
Read more: Indiana college 'intellectual diversity' and tenure law into effect
“Now the legislature is reaching deeply into how the faculty are evaluated and what happens within the classroom,” Pierce said. “I think that's an example of overreach.”
SEA 202 also takes aim at DEI initiatives. It limits what colleges can say about DEI, including a prohibition against diversity statements from the Board of Trustees. Instead, the trustees must adopt policies of neutrality for the entire institution. Universities also must report funding and purposes for DEI programs.
Similar laws could be on the books next year.
“I think it's pretty clear that in the upcoming session of the General Assembly, the General Assembly will be going after Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs,” Pierce said.
What role does the governor play?
Republican Mike Braun and Democrat Jennifer McCormick are running for governor, and the winner has an important role in education: choosing who leads Indiana’s public colleges.
“Whoever is elected governor will appoint the trustees of the university, the majority of them,” Pierce said. “Six out of nine, for Indiana University.”
Alumni elect the other three trustees at IU.
Trustees govern the entire university and oversee institutional missions. They choose the president and approve the university’s other leaders. They decide compensation and goals for presidents.
“It’s kind of a cascading effect,” Pierce said. “If you want trustees that will choose good people to run the institution, if you want an administration that is going to respect faculty, you have to start by becoming politically active.”
In an interview with WFIU/WTIU, McCormick said Indiana has strong colleges and universities. But, she said if Indiana chases away instructors, the quality of the colleges will quickly crumble.
“It is counterproductive to have a Statehouse belittling teachers at any level,” McCormick said. “And how you do that is you go after them, and you start restricting what they can teach, how they can teach it, and start questioning why they're teaching, and then also start belittling the profession as a whole.”
Braun didn’t respond to requests for an interview.
Who funds the public colleges, and why?
Voters might want to follow the money: education accounts for half of Indiana’s state budget.
Legislators decide how much funding colleges and universities get and provide money for major projects. Wilson said higher education competes for funding with technical training, workforce programs and k-12 education.
Meanwhile, schools struggle to maintain revenue through tuition and grant money.
“That tension that we see is the basic argument of what's best for our economy and what's best for our high school graduates,” Wilson said. “We've seen fewer high school graduates choose to go to college and more considering pursuing other career alternatives.”
Read more: Indiana struggles to reverse decline in college enrollment
Legislators should talk with constituents and other state officials to guide funding, said Christine Kiracofe, head of the Department of Educational Studies at Purdue University. Schools also have lobbyists that share their priorities and perspectives.
Kiracofe said the needs of the state — which include boosting the economy and the workforce — are considered.
“Many graduates of state institutions remain and work after graduation in that state,” Kiracofe said. “A Hoosier student becomes a Hoosier employee, and can add to the labor force.”
For example, the General Assembly gave Indiana University and Purdue sixty-million-dollars each to build up Indianapolis campuses. The two universities stressed STEM programs and career opportunities.
At the same time, lawmakers can cut funding.
The General Assembly removed all state funding to IU’s Kinsey Institute, which researches sexuality, gender and sexual health. Republican lawmaker Lorissa Sweet introduced those cuts, falsely claiming founder Alfred Kinsey abused children. The cuts followed decades of threats against the center.
Read more: Kinsey Institute prepares for future without state funding
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks has also threatened to withhold federal Title IX funding from IU, saying the university failed to combat antisemitism last fall. Title IX prohibits discrimination, including anti-Jewish and antisemitic discrimination. Banks pointed to student-led pro-Palestine events and protests as the cause.
Read more: Whitten responds to Rep. Banks’ letter and accusations of failing to combat antisemitism
What about the presidential race?
Republican leaders have a supermajority in Indiana. And keeping it after the election wouldn’t be a surprise. Hoosier voters are expected to choose Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Trump has touted drastic changes in higher education, including cutting the Department of Education and ending debt forgiveness programs. Trump and party leaders have criticized diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Republican leaders have maintained these ideas will benefit the economy, students and families.
The U.S. Supreme Court also plays a major role in higher education issues. The court is supposed to be apolitical, Kiracofe said. But the president nominates the judges and the Senate confirms the position, so political parties in power have sway over the court.
The Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions practices at colleges and universities that accept federal money.
Read more: Will end of affirmative action affect IU Bloomington's enrollment? Students express concern
SCOUTS will also determine student debt-relief. The highest court has typically ruled against the Biden administration’s attempts to cancel billions in student loans. In August, it held the case while lawsuits worked through lower courts.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
