Ilana Gershon and Jon Simons, associate professors in the Department of Communication and Culture, and Cassidy Sugimoto, professor in the School of Informatics and Computing, presented the proposed policy.
“The present policy allows for two things for faculty: consultation and response,” Sugimoto said. “This vastly undermines the constitutional authority of the faculty in these matters, and this is a deficiency which the proposed policy seeks to address.”
Rather than allow for faculty consultation and response, the proposed policy allows for faculty voice and vote, she said.
“It is a critical time for our campus,” Sugimoto added. “I think we are in a time period where CREMs are looming large within our past, our present and, I would anticipate, our future.”
Under the proposed policy, university, campus or school administrators, faculty through their governance bodies, students through their governance bodies and a CREM standing committee may initiate a CREM.
These parties must also provide a prima-facie case explaining why the CREM is desirable and feasible.
If all interested parties accept the prima-facie case, the affected faculty, staff, undergraduate students and graduate students elected by the deans of the individual schools and by their representative bodies will form an internal review committee.
Individuals not employed by IU, elected by the deans of the individual schools and by the internal review committee, will form an external review committee, which will also make recommendations on the CREM.
Voting eligible faculty affected by the CREM will then vote to proceed or not.
If the affected faculty vote to proceed with the CREM, ex officio members of the offices of the deans of the individual schools and affected faculty, staff, undergraduate students and graduate students of the affected units elected by the internal review committee will form a planning committee, which will make the final proposal for the CREM.
Eligible faculty affected by the CREM will then vote on a final proposal.
If less than two-thirds of the voting eligible faculty vote in favor of the final recommendations, the planning committee may submit a revised final proposal.
If more than two-thirds of the voting eligible faculty vote in favor of the final recommendations, the final proposal will go to additional bodies for final approval according to current University processes.
Gershon said faculty largely oppose the current policy and support the proposed policy.
Provost Lauren Robel, however, said deans largely oppose the proposed policy.
“The current policy that we are being asked to vote on is in fact opposed by every dean I have heard from, and that is all but two,” she said.
