Indiana Blog Review

Wabashing

Ruth Holladay divines what led to the Indianapolis Star's latest hit piece on Wabash College.

You'll Need a Big Plug

Bil Browning takes a look at State Senate District 31 Candidate Russell Brown's proposal to stem Indiana's Brain Drain.

Positive Externalities

Casey Cox, "As economic development conversations grow louder, look for policy makers to turn to IPFW as the economic savior of the city. "

Smoke- Tobacco-free IUPUI

Shawn Plew takes on IUPUI's new Tobacco-Free policy:

The new IUPUI campus tobacco policy doesn’t stop at protecting innocent non-smokers from the evil tobacco-sucking monsters formerly lurking 30 feet away from building entrances, it also prohibits the use of smokless tobacco products on campus. That’s right: a product that doesn’t harm others in any way and does not physically impair the user has been banned from use at IUPUI . . .

Here’s an idea: why not focus on EDUCATION and not REGULATION?

Amen, brother.  When administrators are spending their time dealing with trivial inconveniences, we shouldn't wonder at IU's flagging reputation.

A Decade Away

IU Student Trustee Casey B. Cox:

Fellow trustee Bill Cast and I have begun a project aimed at what IU will look like in 2016 . . .

we’re in the process of compiling articles, raw data, contact lists, topics, and themes that will be narrowed down to ten questions that could range from IU's role in the State's economic development efforts to the appropriate size of Bloomington's freshmen class.

And fantastically, the effort has a blog:

• IU in Ten Years

Speaking of Which

Over In The Agora, I point out the election results in the recent IU Alumni Trustee election.

Lower Education

Prof. Eisenstein:

Indiana's brain drain and lack of economic development can be laid directly at the feet of the Commission of Higher Education, its Commissioner Stan Jones, and the overall structure of higher education in the Hoosier State.

Brain drain result of favoring whites?

Northwest Indiana Comical Politics raises the specter of racism in Indiana's higher educational system.

To make it clear, I do not have any reason to believe that any trustee of Purdue or IU is a racist individually. On the other hand, for forty plus years, the system has been so structured to favor the higher education of Hoosier whites, out-of-state whites, and foreign students over Hoosier Hispanics and African-Americans. Although this may not be strictly speaking racist, the system also favors white children of college graduates over first generation whites attending universities. an important discrimination against NWI and Fort Wayne.

The consequence to the State is continuous economic depression, loss of population, brain drain, and loss of national political clout.

...

The institutional racism is an indisbutable fact because the main centers for educating Hoosier minorities, NWI, receives annually about $4,000 less per student than Indianapolis and about $7,000 less than Bloomington and West Lafayette. The reason for this is the historical funding structure created 40 years ago; and when you add a fixed % to everyone the differences do not change.

Year in and year out, Blacks and Hispanics are provided less money for their higher education in Indiana by the system that is set up to fund these institutions. Only the Trustees can change this. But the push must come for the people, the minorities who are affected.

'Less than confident' about IU

Advance Indiana writes about concerned Indiana University alumni.

Many IU alumni are less than confident in the direction Indiana University is going. That unease has escalated considerably with IU President Adam Herbert announcing his departure at the end of his 5-year contract in 2008, only two and a half years into his initial contract with the school.

While many may fault Herbert's leadership style, many of the problems the university is experiencing are institutional and made more evident by his seemlingly weak, low-key style of management.

Paul Musgrave has more on other IU officials who have left the university.

Human race

Joshua Claybourn at In the Agora covers the trend of students marking "other" as their race on their college admissions forms.

Anecdotal evidence suggests a great many people answer "human" when asked about their race. As Martin Luther King Jr. day approaches, the study reminds us that our government and education institutions continue to be race-crazy, with no signs of letting up. But perhaps we are building a nation of race rebels, refusing to play along.

'Cutting-edge cool'

Indiana Parley has the word on Ball State University's new advertising campaign.

Ball State University's Daily News carries a column by junior Ryan Smith about Ball State's latest advertising campaign. You've seen the billboards; Mr. Smith is embarassed by them.

Cutting-edge cool" is a phrase that sounds like it belongs burning in 1980s Hell along with "rad," "totally tubular" and "Where's the beef?"

ISU law school nixed

Indiana State University officials have withdrawn plans to create another Indiana law school, reports Torpor Indy.

I do not know of anyone who thought this was a good idea other than the ISU administration. I wonder if they actually studied the need for a law school before they announced it to the public. This action made the administration appear ill-prepared, desperate and out of touch.

Adds Deliberate Chaos:

It would seem to me that the state would be better served by expansion of medical science programs, such as nursing to combat a predicted nursing shortage.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed in Nov. 2004 that there were 5520 attorneys employed in Indiana.

Disclaimers:  Torpor Indy writes, "In the interest of full disclosure, I went to ISU as an undergrad and I am an attorney."  Chris3000/Deliberate Chaos adds that he is also an Indiana and Illinois attorney.

These aren't teachers' salaries

They might not be pulling in what Donald Trump makes in a year, but Indiana's private college presidents don't fare too badly when it comes to compensation.

Joshua Claybourn at Indiana Barrister has the numbers:

Reporter John Martin has an interesting piece in today's Courier & Press about the salaries of Indiana's college presidents. Citing the Chronicle of High Education, the C&P unsurpringly reports that IU's Adam Herbert and Purdue's Martin Jischke led the way. But here's how private institutions paid their presidents ...

'In Kind' contributions?

Is Purdue Calumet providing "in kind" contributions to Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr.? Professor Maurice Eisenstein raises the question in his Northwest Indiana Comical Politics blog:

Purdue is providing free press advertising, Internet advertising and most importantly credentials and status building to the turncoat Democrat. One never knows how legal these are for a state institution. But in NWI legality is a matter of flexibility and don't talk about ethics, even the people who are pushing to ethical "rules" won't speak against anyone breaking them.

War on terror at IU

Masson's Blog has the story about how government officials planned anti-terrorism surveillance of  PETA's national lecturer at Indiana University in 2003.

The Associated Press is reporting that documents obtained by the ACLU show that the FBI had plans to conduct surveillance and collect “general intelligence” during an April 2003 speech by animal-rights advocate Gary Yourofsky at the Indiana Memorial Union.

Pol's second gig as professor raises questions

Hammond's mayor has a second gig working as a professor at Purdue Calumet.  When politicos, money, and government jobs are involved, it always raises questions for some in Lake County.

Northwest Indiana Comical Politics writes:

"Professor" McDermott, Jr. has officially decided that the book to use for a course on Lake County Politics is John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage. It can now be officially said that this is a fraud that knows nothing about political science and even less about Lake County politics as would be reflected in a university by a political scientist.

VU's Christmas concert goes nationwide

Valparaiso University's annual Christmas Concert is slated to air on more than 70 radio stations around the country and in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Port-au-Prince, Haiti this year, writes Deliberate Chaos. The concert will feature the world premier of the song, Convulsions in the Heavens, written by VU's Walt Wangerin, Jr. and Dr. Dennis Friesen-Carper.

Can't listen to the radio broadcast? A podcast and MP3 will be available.

National class track for IPFW

Indiana - Purdue University Fort Wayne will use a $5 million donation to build a national class track, reports Indiana Parley.

This isn't like a football stadium or basketball arena where there would exist many, many facilities in the same class. No, this is something in which IPFW would be in the same class as just a handful of other places.

It's time for finals

It's that time when college students who have pored over their books for the last semester will show their professors what they have learned.

Fox Rants pens a prayer for those among us who face the prospect of filling empty blue books with great thoughts.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not flunk;
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying. ...

New state law school proposed

Indiana State University proposes establishing a new state law school, writes Torpor Indy.

Some raise the question: Is another law school that will create more lawyers a good idea for Indiana?

I suspect that some attorneys might ask if adding additional attorneys to the state's rolls is good for the legal business.  (In the interest of full disclosure, I'm an attorney licensed in Indiana and Illinois).

Comments Torpor Indy:

However, the state commissioner for higher education, Stan Jones, remarks “I've not been aware that we need more lawyers in the state."

Stan Jones is right. There is a severe shortage of nurses and pharmacists all over the country, but it is just the opposite for lawyers. There are too many lawyers and not enough good jobs.

At IU

More from Paul Musgrave about Adam Herbert and Indiana University.

ALSO: Musgrave on consolidated government.

More on Herbert

A post from In the Agora on race and the Adam Herbert situation at Indiana University.  (One of the comments suggests the premise of the post may be flawed.)

Ball State Slurs?

Indiana Parley picks up a story on what appears to be pretty blatant racism on Ball State's campus.

Blogging Gets Results?

Taking Down Words reports that IU football coach Terry Hoeppner will no longer speak at a Senate Republican fundraiser: "[Y]ou can sleep easy at night knowing that a taxpayer-funded university isn't letting its coach headline a political event using the school's logos and reputation. Go Hoosiers!"

MORE: A follow-up post from TDW, including a link to an AP story on the incident

PREVIOUSLY: Taking Down Words reports on Hoeppner fundraiser.

Also from Taking Down Words:

The latest twist in the wake of yesterday's resignation announcement from state Sen. Murray Clark?  Indianapolis City-County Council member Isaac Randolph is gunning for the seat.

Okay, that's not so strange, and it's likely good for Democrats, who came close to beating Randolph in the 2003 Council race.

What is strange is that Randolph made his announcement at Traders Point Creamery, an organic dairy in Zionsville. Is that even in Clark's district? And does it strike anyone as amusing that Randolph would choose to put himself out to pasture before he gets to the Indiana Senate?

Intrastate Rivalry

More from Dogwood on the differences between IU and Purdue.

Professor Joe

Taking Down Words: Joe Kernan To Teach Political Science At Notre Dame

Keeping Score

Looks like we've got our first online discussion, on Indiana president Adam Herbert and the IU faculty.  Here's a recap:

• Paul Musgrave writes a post analyzing the situation

• The Dogwood Files expresses his sympathy for Herbert and praises Purdue president Martin Jischke

• Musgrave responds to Dogwood's post: "Another Alternative That's Easier Than Thinking"

• Dogwood defends his position

Trustee Election

Zach Wendling on the candidates for the Indiana University Alumni Trustee Election.

IU Business Panel

Chris Hardie reports on the Indiana University Kelley School of Business's "Business Outlook Panel," which made a stop in Richmond.

Sympathy for Herbert

The Dogwood Files on the situations at Indiana and Purdue University:

Got to feel sorry for Dr. Adam Herbert of Indiana University.

First, he inherits a rudderless university courtesy of Myles Brand, then the faculty start the death by a thousand cuts strategy by whining about Herbert's refusal to hire the faculty pick for Chancellor.

[...]

Meanwhile, as Herbert expends enormous amounts of energy conducting CYA operations, Purdue's Jischke is out kicking butt and taking names. Jischke, and his faculty, understand their mission, and understand they must be relevant to the state and not just a drain on precious resources.

PREVIOUSLY: Drama in Bloomington

Coach Hep Wants You?

Taking Down Words:

Does anyone else out there think it's a little odd that a Big Ten football coach [IU's Terry Hoeppner] would be the featured speaker at a $300 per head fundraiser for the Senate Republican caucus?

TDW includes a copy of the flyer advertsising the event.

Drama in Bloomington

Paul Musgrave has a very detailed post breaking down the current situation between Indiana University president Adam Herbert and the IU faculty.

None of this puts Herbert's job in jeopardy, at least not immediately; the trustees have publicly given him their support, and at least one Trustee, Trustees President Stephen Ferguson, has even endorsed any personnel decisions Herbert might make[...]