INDIANA — Some Indiana University alumni say they feel disenfranchised after the state legislature removed their ability to elect three members of the school's Board of Trustees in the final moments of the legislative session.
In a letter, the IU Alumni Association is urging Governor Mike Braun not to sign the current budget. The request follows that late addition to the budget bill, which modifies the election process for Board of Trustees members.
"I was like WOW... it just felt very dark of night, under cover, so there could be no public discussion. It wasn't part of a bill," said Brieanna Quinn, an IU alumna and former chair of the Alumni Association.
Quinn, a dedicated IU supporter, has always participated in the election of Board of Trustees members. However, Governor Braun believes the change is justified due to low voter turnout.
"It wasn't representative; it enabled a clique of a few people to actually determine three board members, and I don't think that is real representation," Governor Braun said.
Quinn worries it's taking away alumni voices. She says that there were several people interested in voting this time around and now they likely won't have the opportunity to do so.
"Twenty thousand people selecting someone is better than one person selecting someone," Quinn said. "So for him to say that voter turnout is not great, now we are going to have one person deciding.”
Ken Beckley, a well-known figure at Indiana University, has worked at the school and contributed significantly as a volunteer and donor. According to the letter sent to the governor and the university president, nearly $365 million in gifts were raised in Fiscal Year 2024, with 45% coming from alumni. He described the decision as a "slap in the face" to IU graduates.
"I think that to disenfranchise university alumni from voting for trustees is to then leave them wondering, well, how good is my involvement in the university in terms of personal service as well as contributions," Beckley said.
He noted that the election process has been in place for nearly 135 years, but Governor Braun believes IU should model itself after other colleges in the state.
"I wish it was paying more attention to what the other flagship university is doing, and that is giving Hoosiers real value," Braun said.
Quinn pointed out that alumni have often been in the minority when it comes to board decisions. "We've always been in the minority. Always,” she said. “So anything that has happened around board tuition or curriculum is from people his own party have appointed to the board."
We reached out to Indiana University's president for a comment. A spokesperson for the university did not respond immediately but directed us to their legislative update.
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