The Indiana General Assembly recently passed House Enrolled Act 1001, which in addition to setting the state’s budget for the next two years, grants Indiana Gov. Mike Braun the authority to appoint all members of the IU Board of Trustees and remove those elected by alumni. While the proposal received backlash from some faculty members and legislators, the College Republicans at Indiana University endorsed the move (Photo Credit: College Republicans at IU).
[RELATED: Governor Braun can appoint all IU trustees under new bill]
Statement from College Republicans at IU
“The Board of the College Republicans at IU support Governor Braun and his goal of reforming the appointment structure of the Board of Trustees in order to hold the University administration more accountable,” said the group in a statement sent to The Indiana Commons.
State leaders in support cited low alumni voter turnout as one of the reasons for the change. Alumna Jill Maurer Burnett was the latest trustee to win election to the board, and won with only 3,830 out of 20,101 votes, a small fraction of the more than 790,000 alumni of the university.
[RELATED: Jill Maurer elected to IU Board of Trustees]
Other legislators countered that the move was an assault on academic freedom and democracy, with Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) adding that they day they voted on the bill would “live in infamy” for that reason.
Braun is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming weeks.
The College Republicans at IU have a long history on the Indiana University campus, and recently reorganized and re-elected a new president. The Board consists of chairman Jack Henning, external vice-chairman Dillon Burns, internal vice-chairman Daphne Mygrant, secretary Daniel Liu and treasurer Brink Wolak.
College Republicans at IU are affiliated with the College Republicans of America, one of several national college Republican organizations that emerged after the College Republican National Committee splintered over alleged election tampering and the subsequent disqualification of several state organizations.