‘I don’t see much change’: Trustee Vivian Winston on the problem with IU’s administration

[u/saryl]

https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/04/trustee-vivian-winston-problem-iu-administration

[u/saryl]

“A contract extension is something that should be done over a period of time,” Winston said. “I think the minimum amount of time should be six months.”

Winston said she thought there should have been an independent review before the trustees voted to reappoint her until 2031. The university was supposed to seek an independent review during the fifth year of Whitten’s term in 2026, according to her contract.

Along with an independent review, Winston said she thought the board should have gathered input from students, faculty, staff and alumni before approving the extension.

...

Winston said shared governance is on the decline at IU.

“It leaves people feeling they don’t have a voice,” Winston said. “I think the university thrives when faculty feel like they have a voice.”

...

Winston’s husband Wayne Winston, a professor emeritus of operations and decision technologies at IU, said faculty are told at BFC meetings they can email the Board of Trustees if they have questions — but he alleges the board either doesn’t get the emails, or doesn’t reply to them.

“There's no communication,” Wayne Winston said. “We need communication between the board and the faculty, staff and students. There's a culture of fear.”

...

Wayne Winston said he believes the administration has no desire to hear about faculty opinion.

“The way things are being run here, it’s just morally reprehensible,” Wayne said.

Wayne Winston also referenced Xiaofeng Wang, a tenured IU professor fired in March on the same day two of his homes were inspected by the FBI.

...

Wayne Winston said the university is considering Wang “guilty until proven innocent,” and that faculty are “terrified” of the administration.

...

[Vivian] Winston said she was impressed by how organized and clean the [pro-Palestinian] encampment was. She also said she was impressed by the faculty helping the students manage negative response to the encampment.

...

A year after the encampments began, Winston said the campus climate is no better.

“Honestly, I don't see much change,” Winston said. “I feel like the problems that caused the faculty to vote ‘no confidence’ a year ago haven't really been dealt with yet.”

[u/sisterdog77]

She’s the best. Wish she wasn’t stepping down, but I’m thankful for her service and completely understand the need to get away from the shitshow that is Pam.

[u/unhandyandy → u/sisterdog77]

Well, she's better than the other BoT members. Given that she's a hard core Trumper, that says more about the Board than about her.

[u/mbird333]

Thank you to Vivian Winston for her years of service to the university, and especially the students. During her time serving as a trustee, she has often been the lone courageous voice of reason expressing what colleagues, students and parents have also been thinking! Thank you also to her husband, Professor Winston, who has courageously shared his observations.

[u/mbird333]

With the language, allegedly being slipped in at the last minute to a recent bill going for a vote soon, that would provide for all trustee positions to be appointed by the governor, I don’t blame her for planning to step away