The IU Board of Trustees will meet June 12 at Henke Hall of Champions in Memorial Stadium, the first meeting following Gov. Mike Braun’s removal of alumni elected trustees.
Items on the agenda include the indemnification of Benjamin Hunter and the late Bradford Bomba Sr., an amendment to the Expressive Activity Policy, tuition fees for the next two academic years and presidential compensation.
Indemnification
The Board will vote on the indemnification of Bomba and Hunter.
The IU Indemnification Resolution states the university agrees to cover legal costs, settlements or judgements if the individual acted in good faith and did nothing illegal or against IU’s interests.
In 2024, former IU team physician Bomba was accused of inappropriate behavior by several former student athletes. An independent investigation conducted by Jones Day found Bomba acted in a “clinically appropriate manner.” He died in May at the age of 89. Earlier this month, 10 additional men alleged misconduct by Bomba.
Hunter, associate vice president for Indiana University Public Safety, was named a defendant in a lawsuit against IU for violating First Amendment rights through the Expressive Activity Policy.
Expressive Activity
The board will vote to amend parts of the Expressive Activity Policy enacted last year. The policy faced criticism from students and faculty for allegedly restricting First Amendment rights and resulted in a lawsuit filed by university members and the ACLU against IU. In May, a judge ruled the policy likely violated the First Amendment.
Tuition and Fees
The board will vote on approving a tuition freeze.
IU recommended an undergraduate in-state tuition freeze at all campuses for the next two academic years to reflect its “commitment to access and affordability”. If approved, IU Bloomington’s in-state rate would remain at $10,621.84, the amount charged during the 2024-2025 year.
Mandatory fees at all campuses would also remain the same for the next two years, with Bloomington’s at $1,522.04. Additionally, all program-specific fees would remain unchanged.
Presidential Compensation
The agenda shows an approval request for the board about the compensation of IU President Pamela Whitten but provided no further information on what this entails. Whitten received a substantial salary raise earlier this year, with a new base compensation of $900,000 annually.
