Indiana University Bloomington
PA-3: Governance

The Indiana University Student Association (IUSA) is the undergraduate student body government at Indiana University Bloomington. At its core, IUSA is a congregation of students that work to protect student rights, enrich student life, and improve the University as a whole. Students join together to voice common concerns, hopes, grievances, and most importantly, to take action to realize an even stronger community. The Executive Branch (Administration) is elected by the student body and continuously seeks to promote positive change for students on campus and beyond, from spearheading initiatives organically to voicing student concerns with administrators & faculty. This branch is led by the Student Body President with the executive help of the Student Body Vice-President of Administration, Vice-President of Congress, Treasurer, and Chief of Staff. The Executive Branch is tasked at executing of all actions assigned by Congress as prescribed by the IUSA Constitution in addition to any initiatives developed internally by members of the executive staff. The Executive Branch is comprised of more than twelve senior staff members and over sixty directors and committee members. The Congressional Branch (Congress) is composed of more than 60 Congress members representing various academic and residential constituencies on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. In addition to proposing and voting on resolutions that change policy and procedures within the administration of the University, members of Congress serve on committees to stay current on such and represent issues in such areas as sustainability, academic affairs, and transportation. The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) is composed of 10 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice, as appointed by the Student Body President. Pursuant to Article IV, Section II of the IUSA Constitution, the judicial authority of IUSA will include the power of judicial review, adjudicating elections disputes, certifying elections results, and fulfilling the requirements of the University judicial process. Additional duties of the Court that are not specifically outlined in the IUSA Constitution include serving as student representatives on campus committees and hosting an annual judicial conference. http://iusa.indiana.edu/about-iusa/

The IU student trustee is a fully vested member of the IU Board of Trustees, with all rights, responsibilities and privileges accorded to all trustees. The student trustee participates in at least six board meetings each year, serves on board committees, takes part in various university functions and ceremonies, and completes assigned projects. The only difference between the student trustee and all other trustees is the length of term—student trustees serve two years, and other trustees serve three years. All full-time undergraduate and graduate Indiana University students on all IU campuses are eligible to apply for the student trustee position on the IU Board of Trustees. Nonresident and international students may apply for the position. Appointment of the Student Trustee is a several step process. 1. Interested students submit applications during the semester by posted deadlines. 2. The Student Trustee Search and Screen Committee selects applicants to interview. 3. Selected student trustee candidates are invited for interviews with the committee, which take place in the spring before the term begins. Interviews are mandatory for consideration. 4. After the interviews, in accordance with state law, the search committee forwards 10 candidate names to the governor of Indiana. 5. The governor of Indiana appoints the student trustee. http://trustees.iu.edu/student-trustee/index.shtml

In 1975, the Indiana General Assembly amended the statutes (IC 21-20-3-13), enabling the Indiana governor to appoint a full-time student to the IU Board of Trustees. As one of nine trustees of Indiana University, the student trustee serves a two-year term as a fully vested member of the board. As a member of the governing body of Indiana University, the student trustee has a voice in all decisions made by the board. Recently, the board has approved the Bicentennial Strategic Plan for Indiana University, the creation of 8 schools over the last 7 years, and the addition of many buildings to the 8 regional campuses.

The Indiana University Bloomington Professional Council (BPC) is made up of twenty-one elected Council Representatives, who represent the 2,400 professional staff employees of IUB. The Mission of the Council is: "To represent IUB professional staff to IUB administration, providing advice and recommendations regarding the formulation of policies and solution of problems affecting any aspect of professional staff employment or working conditions; To provide a medium for exchange of relevant information between professional staff and IUB administration; To promote the value of professional staff in helping the University achieve its goals; To stimulate and support professional staff development opportunities." The Council addresses its mission primarily through the activities of its four standing Council Committees. Staff are encouraged to contact their Council Representative if they wish to raise issues for Council review or comment on current activities. http://www.indiana.edu/~iubpc/aboutUs.html Service staff are represented through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), local 832. Employees receive release time (without loss of pay) for a number of union activities: http://www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/relations/bloomington/afscme_release.html.

"The Bloomington Professional Council provides leadership in the continual improvement of university policies and practices that enhance the quality of life of the professional employee, while supporting the institutional mission. "Honoring its mission, the council shall: provide for the exchange of relevant information among professional staff and with the administration, promote the active role of professional staff in decision-making processes, support the development and implementation of sound management policies and practices, and initiate and support professional staff development opportunities." The BPC has representation on major search and screen committees, as well as official roles in many processes, such as those related to professional development and salary and benefits.

Faculty have direct access at the governing level. At the school and campus levels, there are elected executives on the Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC). The Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC) is a representative body of elected members from Indiana University Bloomington. The BFC includes members from the faculty, administration, students, professional staff/union, and the ROTC who oversee fourteen standing and five elected committees, canvas faculty and staff for campus consensus on pressing academic and domestic matters, and provide campus and university service through numerous campus committees and the University Faculty Council. http://www.indiana.edu/~bfc/about.html

No, but President of the Bloomington Faculty Council reports to the Board of Trustees regularly.

The Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC) has legislative authority for curriculum, hiring, tenure, and some initiatives. The committee in charge of decision-making in regard to existing or prospective physical resources has a BFC representative. BFC Budgetary Affairs Committee reviews the Provost's budget proposal and sits in on budget meetings with the provosts and deans. Through committees, faculty help with the prioritization of projects, but do not have ultimate authority. The Constitution of the BFC affords the faculty legislative authority over the following matters: the campus' academic mission, the campus' structure of faculty governance, consistent with university faculty standards, policy and allocation of authority for academic matters affecting more than one school on the campus including campus curriculum and General Education, the Bloomington academic calendar with only such deviation from the university calendar made necessary by local circumstances, creation, reorganization, merger, and elimination of programs and units affecting more than one school on the campus, appointment, promotion and tenure, compensation, conduct and discipline, and grievances of campus faculty, consistent with university faculty standards, standards and procedures for appointment and review of campus academic offices and administrative officers affecting the academic mission, consistent with university standards, admission and retention of students to the campus, campus student conduct and discipline, consistent with university standards, standards and systems for the evaluation of student academic performance of the campus, and academic programs not within the authority of a school faculty (in such cases the campus faculty exercises the same authority as would be vested in a school faculty). The Constitution of the BFC affords the faculty consultative authority over the following matters: campus facilities and budgets, intercollegiate and intramural athletics, and other matters affecting the academic mission of the campus, subject to the legislative authority of the university and school faculties. http://www.indiana.edu/~bfc/about.html