Candidate defends legislation to make IU trustees appointed by governor

Indiana Governor Mike Braun is expected to sign a bill into law on May 6 that would make all IU trustees appointed by his office and that would give him the authority to remove the three previously elected by alumni. While the move has elicited frustration from several candidates currently running for trustee, along with faculty members and local politicians, one trustee candidate has defended the move as “legitimate.”

“Elections are not always the best way to make choices,” said Jonathan Greenberg, CEO of Empower Illinois. “I live in Illinois where we elect water reclamation district boards, mosquito abatement district boards, and a host of other nonsensical things that Hoosier local elected officials simply appoint. The benefit of elections, of course, is that they confer a sense of legitimacy on the winner. But appointments made by an elected official aren’t less legitimate – especially when the lower level position shouldn’t be responsive to the vicissitudes of the public or when the election is treated as an afterthought by the electorate.”

Greenberg’s position stands in sharp contrast to several other candidates, who have suggested the move to make all IU trustees appointed presents a threat to academic freedom and trustee independence.

“Alumni-elected trustees…. bring institutional memory and academic values to governance discussions in a way politically-appointed trustees simply cannot. They represent the university’s most important stakeholders – the very people who experienced IU’s educational mission firsthand and carry its values into their communities and careers,” said Dr. Justin Vasel, Ph.D. “These independent trustees can ask challenging questions without fear of political repercussions. They’re free to focus solely on the university’s best interests rather than any external political agenda. At a time when higher education faces unprecedented pressures, this independent perspective is more valuable than ever.”

“What’s particularly concerning is that this change concentrates power in a single political office. When the entire Board serves at the pleasure of one person, groupthink becomes almost inevitable,” Vasel added. “The 133-year tradition of alumni representation wasn’t just a nice custom—it was an essential structural safeguard for academic independence and institutional integrity.”

“[Low alumni voter turnout is] a red herring by those who want to strip alumni of their voice because they can’t come up with a valid reason,” said Mark Land, Vice President of Communications and Marketing at Union College and another candidate for trustee. “If low voter turnout is a disqualifier, then most primary elections – and many ‘down ballot’ general election races – would be equally invalid. 

“Alumni constitute a vital component of IU’s broader community of stakeholders, said John McGlothlin III, another candidate for trustee. “While some alumni are literally invested in the university, all alumni are figuratively invested in its public reputation. For these reasons, they deserve a say in how the university operates today and tomorrow.”

The College Republicans at Indiana University, on the other hand, have also expressed their support for the move.

“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.

[RELATED: Governor Braun may appoint all IU trustees under new bill]

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a national organization supporting academic excellence, academic freedom and accountability has also supported gubernatorial appointment of trustees in the past.

“The accountability line is so much clearer when the appointment is gubernatorial,” said Michael Poliakoff, president of the organization in an interview with Michigan Public when a similar proposal was under consideration in that state. “That’s to say, a trustee needs to be a person chosen for skills that the trustee will bring to the board, and needs to be someone whose appointment can be traced back to the appointing authority for accountability. And gubernatorial appointment is the cleanest way to do that.”

Would he accept an appointment by Governor Braun?

Greenberg also signaled he would “proudly” accept an appointment by Governor Braun, assuming their visions for the university and the role of trustee align. He also stressed the importance of trustees exercising independent judgement.

[RELATED: Who is to blame for low voter turnout at Indiana University?]

“IU has a Board of Trustees, not a Board of Delegates,” he said. “However a Trustee achieves their position, they owe the University their own best judgment, not a reflection of someone else’s.”

What differentiates him from other candidates?

When speaking about what else differentiates him from the other candidates, Greenberg told The Indiana Commons that while he doesn’t know the other candidates, he would support efforts by the administration to enforce federal civil rights law and protect Jewish students from harassment.

“I think it’s really important that the next Trustee supports the efforts of the administration to appropriately discipline pro-Hamas students and faculty when they engage in targeted campaigns of harassment and intimidation against Jewish students in violation of federal civil rights law, Indiana law, and University policy,” said Greenberg. “I think it’s really important that the next Trustee understands that the Board of Trustees, not the radical minority of faculty who show up for Bloomington Faculty Council meetings, runs the University. I think it’s really important that the next Trustee is committed to providing an IU education that prioritizes value for dollar without compromising excellence.”