Indiana University Bloomington
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

During the past three legislative sessions, Indiana University has advocated for and helped to shape several pieces of legislation that support sustainability initiatives in areas of energy efficiency, social justice, and student access to and completion of higher education. During the 2014 legislative session, Indiana University, along with other state supported institutions, advocated for legislation that would increase the statutory limit on the amount of outstanding debt that institutions may have to finance Qualified Energy Savings Projects. Indiana University Bloomington is now able to bond up to $80 million for these projects, which allows the University to improve energy efficiency while providing a means to accomplish smaller repair and rehabilitation projects. Prior to the passage of this legislation, campuses were not able to bond more than $15 million for such projects. IU has a history of supporting this type of legislation and was successful in advocating for raising the limits during the 2009 legislative session. IU will continue to support increased bond limits for Qualified Energy Savings Projects in the future.

IU also played a critical role in 2014 by advocating against a constitutional amendment that provided that only marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. IU Vice President and General Counsel, Jacqueline Simmons provided expert testimony in opposition of the bill to explain the negative impacts upon the university and why it was important to Indiana University to take a position on the bill. Due largely in part to this testimony, the bill was amended to remove a portion of the bill which experts believe would have prohibited employers from providing domestic partner benefits. Because the bill was amended before its passage, the amendment must be passed by another General Assembly before proceeding to the ballot for citizens to consider. Had the bill passed without amendment and been eligible for a vote by the public, IU believes that the amendment would have adversely affected the recruitment of world-class faculty, staff and students, as well as jeopardize current IU policy offering domestic partner benefit policies. Taking this position was important to the university not only to promote equity on our campuses, but also to bring equity to citizens across Indiana, which is a key element of sustainability for IU. (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2014/resolutions/house/joint/3#) In 2014, Indiana University, along with Purdue University and veterans groups, supported legislation that would require state educational institutions to adopt policies to award college credit to veterans who complete college courses or certain equivalency exams. This legislation was important to IU because it will increase predictability for veterans about the types of credits that will transfer to the institution, which will lead to their academic success. (http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2014/bills/senate/331/#) Indiana University, along with other state supported institutions of higher education, supported legislation during the 2013 legislative session that would increase access and affordability for higher education for undocumented students and veterans. In 2011, legislation was passed that prohibited state educational institutions from enrolling undocumented students who met residency requirements at the resident tuition rate. The bill passed during the 2013 legislative session allowed undocumented students who were enrolled in a state educational institution prior to passage of the 2011 bill to enroll in a state educational institution at the resident rate. This allows students who were already enrolled in a degree program to complete their degrees. Indiana University is very supportive of these students and would support legislation that would allow all undocumented students who otherwise meet residency requirements to enroll at the resident tuition rate. That piece of legislation also had a provision supported by Indiana University that would allow veterans who enroll in a state educational institution within 12 months of discharge from the armed forces to enroll in the institution at the resident tuition rate, as long as they take certain steps to establish residency in the state, such as registering to vote or obtaining an Indiana driver’s license or state identification card. Both provisions of this bill are important to the university because they expand access to and diversity of the institution. (http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2013/PDF/SE/SE0207.1.pdf) The second provision of the bill was also passed in nearly identical form in another bill: http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2013/PDF/SE/SE0177.1.pdf. In 2012 and 2013, Indiana University, along with other state supported institutions, helped to pass two pieces of legislation that expanded access to higher education and methods of transferring credits among state educational institutions. Recognizing that increasing numbers of students begin their postsecondary education and one institution before transferring to another institution, the public colleges and universities worked together to ensure that credits would transfer in blocks and ensure certain educational outcomes, which helps students to better predict how their credits will transfer and a leads students to a higher probability of academic success upon transferring to another educational institution. The bill passed in 2012 and established the Statewide Transfer General Education Core, which ensured that a block of 30 credit hours taken at one institution would satisfy certain general education outcomes and transfer as a whole to the institution in which the student transfers. (http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/PDF/SE/SE0182.1.pdf) The following year, institutions again worked together to establish Single Articulation Pathways, which ensure that students who obtain associate degrees in highly subscribed majors are able to transfer to a four-year institution and enter the institution at a junior status, guaranteeing the ability to graduate in four years. This bill is also based on competencies that must be achieved, ensuring educational outcomes and academic success after transfer to a four-year institution. (http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2013/PDF/SE/SE0182.1.pdf)