Klinker: SB 202 will damage public universities

Today, Feb. 27, the House Chamber passed Senate Bill 202 which now returns to the Senate for further consideration. SB 202 – authored by State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) – reshapes tenure and promotion policies and requires public universities to consider “intellectual diversity” when conducting faculty reviews, tenure considerations and student recruitment. The Purdue University Senate and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) have openly criticized the legislation. 

State Rep. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) released the following statement regarding the bill’s passage:

“As a former Purdue student and faculty member, I strongly oppose the passage of SB 202. This legislation harms university faculty members who have dedicated their careers to the well-being of their institutions.  It is the professors that define the institution since it’s their research that recruits potential students and funding. Our university's faculty impacts our young students profoundly through their guidance, mentorship and dedication to the classroom. I believe this legislation directly puts faculty and their positions at risk. 

“I fear that many of our faculty will consider leaving the state in search of better positions. Our public universities may have trouble recruiting the best of the best since we have created this tenure test. Recruitment for our universities is a difficult job since they compete with other institutions on a global scale. This bill will have a serious impact on our public universities' ability to recruit faculty members and will cost them millions in its implementation. 

“To our professors who spoke out about SB 202, I appreciate your courage and tenacity. Thank you for standing up for what is right, and thank you for sharing your thoughts with the state legislature. I know many from the Lafayette community were among you at the Statehouse. Be assured, I will work with our college educators to ensure they’re supported in Indiana.”