IU Provost speaks to council

The IU Bloomington Faculty Council held its first meeting of the school year Tuesday to discuss upcoming University policy changes.

Attendees and speakers met in the Indiana Memorial Union to discuss IU Provost Lauren Robel’s Strategic Planning Process, as well as options regarding privatizing University parking.

The BFC is a 64-member board comprising elected faculty and administrators, and student leaders. The council meets every two weeks throughout the year to discuss University policies and affairs.

IU Provost Lauren Robel presented an update on her office’s Strategic Planning Process, an initiative designed to address the value of higher education, she said.
“I think that we have a fairly compelling story to tell about why what we do on this campus is an important piece of the broader infrastructure and ecosystem of higher education in this country,” Robel said.

Specific goals outlined in the strategic plan include stating the value of higher education, identifying and engaging the next generation of faculty leaders, understanding how students work their way through IU and establishing school-specific strategic plans.

“I think this is an opportunity for us to have a conversation collectively about what that national conversation means to us,” Robel said.

Robel said she hopes the planning involves the entire campus, and she plans to connect this process to upcoming capital campaigns.

“You’re stronger and better going out to the constituents who support you if you have a clear vision about why they should be supporting you and what they think you need,” Robel said.

In addition to Robel’s report, IU Vice President and CFO Mary Frances McCourt gave an update on the possible step to outsourcing University parking lots.

“At the end of the day, the question we ask ourselves is ‘What is the value of what you can get externally versus what you can get internally?’” McCourt said. “You’re either going to take 50 years of cash flow and get it up front or get an income stream ongoing for 50 years from our own operation.” 

McCourt’s researchers worked throughout the summer to gather data
surrounding both options.

This data was not provided during the BFC meeting, but will be presented to a steering committee across both Bloomington and IUPUI campuses today. McCourt will also present the information to faculty members from both campuses Thursday.

Next, the information will be presented to the Board of Trustees, followed by forums designed for public comment.

The committee hopes to reach a decision regarding the outsourcing of parking by the end of the year. 

“We’re like investigators in trying to uncover loopholes or flaws in data,” McCourt said. “We’re taking nothing at face value.”

The meeting concluded with interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Dennis Groth’s discussion on Senate Bill 182, a bill mandating state-wide requirements for associate degrees and defining credit transfer.

BFC President Herb Terry said it’s an exciting year.

“We’re under a lot of pressure for change,” Terry said. “But it’s a good change. I’m looking forward to working on that this year.”

Follow reporter Hannah Alani on Twitter
@alohalanii.