You say you want a revolution?

"Business as usual is out the window at Indiana University," said trustee president Stephen Ferguson after the meeting, which altered more institutional policy in a couple hours than the last few years. \nCountless hours and meetings went into forming the plan of action that won approval Saturday. But those hours and meetings all seemed to happen behind closed doors. Numerous people were consulted, but they were consulted in private. Even those of us who follow closely the actions of the trustees were surprised by how vast and quick the reforms were.\nWe aren't trying to have it both ways. We have complained in the past that the University has acted too slowly to implement change and has dragged its feet on more than one occasion. Inevitably it will seem as if we're prissily complaining instead of focusing on the result. We're still sure, however, that comfortable middle grounds exist for these sorts of reforms. While we believe some of the changes are potentially beneficial, we also believe the ends don't necessarily justify the means. \nAs they charge ahead with a gigantic overhaul, Herbert and the trustees have slyly changed the topic. By proposing such large changes, the University insists significant progress has been made and that the public move on past the controversies of last semester. The reforms might be positive, but we hope they don't conceal the fact that the trustees declined to formally review Herbert, as the faculty wished.\nSo far, Herbert has insisted he won't become a lame-duck president, and by empowering him to change the University in a drastic way, the trustees have turned the car keys over to a driver under scrutiny. They will need to watch closely as Herbert's reforms are implemented, and it will be left to the trustees to repair any damage that might surface once Herbert is no longer at IU.\nThese reforms are certainly not capricious. But what frustrates us is that the debate was too swift, too private and too elitist. There are many stakeholders in the future of IU -- donors, alumni, faculty, researchers, administrators, taxpayers, the state legislature, parents and current and future student bodies. After Saturday's meeting, it's clear the high-level IU bigwigs were in the loop. But it's clear many stakeholders were left out of the loop, and for such major changes, that is shameful.