Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers. A spokesperson for IU did not respond to a request for comment by publication.
I take no pleasure in writing these words, but as an alumnus of Indiana University, I feel it is my responsibility to advise its current and prospective students. As this academic year ends, the best advice I can offer is for underclassmen to transfer to a different institution and for prospective students to enroll elsewhere.
University leadership has had so many missteps in recent years, one could be forgiven for believing their intent is the destruction of Indiana’s flagship institution.
In April 2024, faculty voted no confidence in President Pamela Whitten by an overwhelming margin. The Board of Trustees responded with a statement of support not for the over 800 faculty, but for Whitten. Less than two weeks later Whitten’s administration created a policy to limit students’ First Amendment rights on the eve of a planned protest in Dunn Meadow. To enforce this hours-old Constitutional violation, she invited a militarized police presence to campus — including a sniper perched atop the Indiana Memorial Union.
Students, especially student media, were rightfully critical of her for jeopardizing their safety. In response to the spotlight on her failings, Whitten moved to suppress student voices. Her administration succeeded in limiting the IDS to seven prints in Spring 2025 but — if you’re reading this — has not yet fully stifled dissent.
In February 2025, the Board rewarded her performance with a raise ($900k annually) and an extension through 2031.
Whitten’s leadership has been deeply damaging, and the Board’s near-unanimous support of her is astounding. A recent development, however, will make things worse. In a midnight coup, Governor Mike Braun seized control of the three alumni-elected Board seats. He now has direct control of the entire Board of Trustees, a body meant to hold Whitten and other University leadership accountable. Whitten has been relegated to an impotent figurehead meant to absorb the ire of students, faculty and alumni while Braun works behind the scenes to dismantle academic freedom. His work has already begun with revisions to requirements for tenured faculty and the attachment of non-disparagement agreements to buyouts for retirees.
The recent excitement around the Athletics program may serve as a welcome distraction from the University’s attacks on students and faculty. But it is only that: a distraction — circuses to entertain us during the fall of our empire. And make no mistake: Whitten and Braun will be fiddling as IU burns.
The actions of Braun, Whitten and the Board raise two alarming questions: Why are key decisions being made in the eleventh hour without input from students, faculty, and alumni? And why are you so afraid of hearing what they have to say?
The consequences the University will face if it stays on its current path are clear. First, it will struggle to attract and retain talented faculty, eroding the brand equity created over its 200-year history. Soon, top-hiring companies will look to Bloomington less and less. Top-caliber students will choose to go elsewhere, donations will start to dry up, enrollments will fall, and IU will no longer be thought of as one of the best public universities in the country. The exact timing of these developments is unclear, but the path is certain. It will not be long before the value of a degree from IU is greatly diminished.
The reputational harm may have already begun, as the University was unable to secure a commencement speaker for the spring undergraduate ceremony, a role previously held by the CEO of Disney and President of Ireland.
I encourage current and prospective students to choose a university that will actively work to ensure your safety and provide you with a valuable education. Unfortunately, you won’t find one in Bloomington.
Michael Jonelis has a BS from Indiana University and an MS from Purdue University. He currently works as a data scientist in Chicago.
