Lawmakers push major education changes without debate or testimony
Lawmakers rushed to approve a flood of controversial measures with minimal debate and no public testimony. Jammed into one must-pass bill were major changes to who controls higher education. Unheeded was state Rep. Matt Pierce’s objection: “We didn’t think we needed to hear from the public, or maybe even, heaven forbid, some faculty members or people who run universities, to kind of understand how they think this provision might work or not work. Would that not have been helpful?”
Indiana budget bill curbs university faculty power, ties tenure to new ‘productivity’ reviews
Multiple provisions baked into the new two-year spending plan will bring big operational changes to the state’s higher education institutions.
The final draft of Indiana's budget bill included last-minute changes to university tenure requirements and faculty's authority over school policy decisions. (Getty Images)
By: Casey Smith
May 2, 2025