Board of trustees still waiting on 4 appointments

Gov. Mitch Daniels has yet to appoint anyone to one of the four trustee positions he is responsible for filling. \nFour trustees, including one student, were set to take office July 1, but Daniels has not appointed them. This is not the first time he has missed that deadline.\n“Two or three years ago, he did not make appointments until mid-July,” current trustee Philip N. Eskew Jr. said. “By precedent, he has not done that, so I believe he is preoccupied with the property tax issue.”\nUniversity Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said that, while Daniels is not obligated to have his appointments made by July 1, letting those positions go unfilled for as long as the governor has is not normal. \nTrustees believe Daniels will appoint the new members by their next meeting on Aug. 16. Appointments have already been made for Ball State University, Indiana State University, University of Southern Indiana and Vincennes University.\n“I wasn’t appointed until late July, so I don’t think it’s uncommon at all for the governor to wait,” said former student trustee Casey Cox.\nMany sources said announcements could be made as early as next week, but there has been no statement confirming the final appointees.\nThe board is made up of nine trustees. Three are elected by alumni, and six are appointed by the governor. Terms have expired for trustees Clarence Boone, Jeffrey Cohen and Stephen Ferguson. The governor has an option to reappoint them or find someone new.\nGros Louis said it is not likely Boone or Cohen will be reappointed since they were appointed by Democratic Governor Joe Kernan.\n“It’s been a pattern that the trustees are from the governor’s party,” Gros Louis said.\nHe also said Ferguson may be reappointed due to his political affiliation.\nBoone, who is black, is currently the only minority on the board, and recently re-elected trustee Sue Talbot is currently the only female on the board. Talbot said she would like to see more diversity in the governor’s appointments. \n“Given the makeup of the board at this time, I remain the only female on the board, and I would certainly like to see not only racial diversity but gender diversity on the board,” Talbot said.\nEvery two years, a new student trustee is appointed to the board. All full-time students from any IU campus are eligible to apply for the position.\n“We’ve just finished two great years with the student trustee Casey Cox, and whoever the new student trustee is will be having big shoes to fill,” current trustee Patrick Shoulders said.\nEskew said more diversity is needed on the board and said he would like to see the governor appoint a female student trustee. He said more diversity would better represent minority students at IU.\nBoard members said they have heard nothing from the governor regarding his appointments, but some were concerned that there is little time to orient new members.\n“I want to make sure they don’t come in with their own agenda,” Eskew said. “We work as a team.”\nNo one representing the governor’s office responded to interview requests by press time, nor did anyone from IU Media Relations.