BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Retired faculty members at Indiana University will not be allowed to serve as representatives on the Bloomington Faculty Council, at least for the time being. A recent ruling by a Monroe County judge has temporarily halted their ability to participate in faculty governance.
On Sunday, Judge Emily Salzmann denied a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by three retired professors: Steven Sherman, Alex Tanford, and Russell Skiba. The plaintiffs had launched a lawsuit against the university’s Board of Trustees in August following a policy change that prohibits retired faculty from engaging in faculty governance and decision-making roles.
The preliminary injunction sought by the professors would have allowed Sherman and Tanford to continue serving in their roles on the Bloomington Faculty Council, which is responsible for representing faculty interests on campus. They were originally slated to hold their positions until June 2026 but were removed earlier this year due to the newly enacted policy.
The Bloomington Faculty Council comprises elected representatives from faculty, administration, and students, tasked with making decisions affecting the IU Bloomington campus. The recent changes now exclude retired faculty from participating, even in an advisory capacity.
Initially, the plaintiffs challenged both the Board of Trustees’ policy and a section of Indiana code, identified as IC 21-38-11-3. They withdrew the motion against the Indiana code on September 16 but intend to pursue a final judgment to declare it unconstitutional.
In her ruling, Judge Salzmann stated that the plaintiffs are unlikely to succeed with their case at this stage. The court noted a lack of precedent on the issues at hand, suggesting that many of the statutory concerns remain unclear and could represent a matter of first impression in legal terms.
The order also expressed the court’s inability to assess how the participation of the retired faculty members would influence the outcomes of Faculty Council meetings, further complicating their request for judicial intervention.
The legal battle highlights ongoing tensions regarding faculty governance and the role of retired educators within the academic community. As the case unfolds, the implications of these policy changes will draw attention from both supporters and detractors of the Board of Trustees’ decision.
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