Does Shared Governance Mean Anything at IU?

Blooming Faculty Council holds emergency vote on May 9, 2022, regarding the welfare of graduate workers. 

Indiana University is supposed to run on a system of “shared governance” in which the faculty and the IU Administration share the responsibility for critical decisions. The highest body of this shared governance system is the Bloomington Faculty Council (BFC). This system is set by the Indiana State Constitution and the bylaws of the BFC.

In April 2022, prior to the historic IGWC-UE strike, the BFC passed a resolution which demanded that Provost Rahul Shrivastav negotiate with the union to avoid a strike.  

But the administration refused to listen to the faculty’s will and did not communicate with the IGWC-UE in any way. As a result, grad workers decided to strike to earn union recognition. 

On May 9, a group of faculty called a special meeting of the BFC. Faculty re-affirmed their support for union recognition, passing a resolution to recognize IGWC-UE by a vote of 683-39. 

May 9, 2022, faculty lines up around the block for emergency vote.

However, because quorum for a special meeting requires 800 members, faculty then voted again online. The vote to recognize the IGWC-UE passed by a vote of 1,404-509.

But the administration still didn’t listen to the will of the faculty. 

In fact, on June 1, the Trustees rejected the BFC’s resolution outright. 

The IU faculty’s response was incredulous. On June 15, a letter from faculty to the board stated, “The recent efforts of the IGWC have rekindled serious discussion about shared governance on our campus.”

But the administration still hasn’t listened to the will of the faculty.

What can shared governance possibly mean under this administration? 

The IGWC-UE is preparing to make a new demand for union recognition based on the will of the majority of graduate workers.

Grad workers, join 1,400+ colleagues who have signed union cards already.