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  • Vivian Winston Statement

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    Indiana Public Media News
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    June 2024

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    Vivian Winston statement

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    June 2024

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf or txt
    13K views2 pages

    Vivian Winston Statement

    Uploaded by

    Indiana Public Media News
    June 2024

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    I am privileged to serve as one of nine people on the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

    The trustees hold ultimate legal authority to govern IU as a trust for the people of Indiana,
    and we employ the president and her appointees. I am especially grateful to be one of three
    trustees elected by IU’s alumni. I respect all of my trustee colleagues and hold them in high
    esteem. When I was elected to the Board, I was thrilled. To have the opportunity to serve
    my university at such a high level was the greatest honor of my life.
    As part of my orientation, I was told that we on the Board should speak with one voice, and
    the Chair should be that voice. This perspective assumes that communications from the
    Chair accurately reflects the collective sense of the Board on any given issue. I respect this
    perspective and have stayed true to it. However, the events of the past few months and the
    Board’s response to those events have led me to this point where I can no longer stay
    silent.
    Within a few hours of the overwhelming vote of no confidence of April 16, the Chair of the
    Board had a statement published to the Board’s website that contained the following:

    As a Board, we continue to offer our full support to President Whitten. She is the right leader at the
    right time precisely because she has pursued a future for Indiana University that will ensure that it
    thrives in its next era. It is our intention that President Whitten's tenure as the leader at IU will
    provide the many years necessary to realize the vision we have established for the university.

    We, the Board of Trustees, stand united in our confidence in President Whitten and the long-term
    success of IU.

    This statement implies that every member of the Board participated in its creation. But in
    fact, I had not seen that statement before it was posted, did not know of its existence, and
    did not agree with it. Therefore, it could not truly capture a representative sense of the
    Board’s perspective. The statement ignored the seriousness of the vote and disregarded
    faculty concerns.
    After April 16, things went from bad to worse with the tragic events in Dunn Meadow and
    the unprecedented school by school vote calling for President Whitten’s immediate
    resignation or termination. The conduct of IU leadership received national attention in
    major news outlets and on multiple social media platforms. The university’s reputation is at
    stake.
    Future decisions made by the Board and public statements on important matters need to
    come as a result of equal input from all members of the Board. The Board should promptly
    review concerns regarding the demise of faculty engagement/shared governance, general
    lack of transparency particularly related to rising university administration taxes on
    academic units, and the culture of fear and toxic work environment.
    In closing, it is clear that all Board members care deeply about Indiana University and want
    to do what is in its best interest. At the same time, as we move forward, it is important that
    Board members remember that President Whitten works for the Board, not the other way
    around, and she would benefit from our collective wisdom.

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