Center on Congress to be reviewed

IU’s educational and community resource on governmental happenings may see change this year.

A committee assembled by IU President Michael McRobbie will review the Center on Congress’s mission and focus, internal governmental structure, staffing and budget.

“The Center on Congress has done laudable work and made considerable contributions to the study of the U.S. Congress since its founding in 1999,” McRobbie said in a press release.

The Center on Congress stands to “help Americans of all ages understand how our representative democracy works and their role in our government,” according to the center’s website.

Located in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs building, the center fulfills its mission through public events, resource development, teacher outreach, public opinion surveys and commentaries, according to the website.

Lee Hamilton, former congressman and vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, is the founder and director of the center.

“I am extremely proud of the work done by the Center on Congress since its inception, and like all institutions, it must continuously explore ways to adapt and grow stronger during changing times,” Hamilton said.

“I am looking forward to the review, which I think will be very good for the center.”

The committee includes IU Trustee Bruce Cole, IU Vice President for Public Affairs and Governmental Relations Mark Sample and political science professor Russ Hanson. Cole will chair the committee. 

McRobbie has asked the three to complete their assessments and provide recommendations by the end of the semester, according to the press release.  

“With Lee taking on a greater role at IU’s School of Global and International Studies as a Distinguished Scholar, this is an opportune time to reassess the role of the center in the future,” he said.

— Hannah Alani