Intellectual Diversity
On July 1, 2024, changes to Indiana Code 21-39.5: State Educational Institutions: The Protection of Free Inquiry, Free Expression, and Intellectual Diversity added criteria related to intellectual diversity to faculty work in public colleges and universities. Before decisions on promotion, tenure, reappointment, or bonus, institutions must evaluate if a faculty member has:
- Helped the university foster a culture of free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity within the institution.
- Introduced students to scholarly works from a variety of political or ideological frameworks that may exist within the curricula.
- While performing teaching duties within the scope of the faculty member’s employment, refrained from subjecting students to views and opinions concerning matters not related to the faculty member’s academic discipline or assigned course of instruction.
- Adequately performed academic duties and obligations.
- Met any other criteria established by the Board of Trustees.
The statute defines intellectual diversity as "multiple, divergent, and varied scholarly perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues."
Evaluating for Intellectual Diversity
IFC is considering policy and procedures that establish a faculty member meets the university's and state's expectations for intellectual diversity unless there has been a severe sanction related to intellectual diversity-related misconduct.
Documenting Intellectual Diversity
IFC is considering policy and procedures that establish the intellectual diversity review will be integrated into faculty annual reviews for full-time faculty. Faculty members may consider adding a statement related to intellectual diversity to course syllabi, though this is not required.
Department Chairs or other faculty supervisors will evaluate for intellectual diversity using their awareness of the faculty member's work and any sanctions related to intellectual diversity misconduct.
For part-time faculty, including adjunct faculty, student academic appointees (SAAs), and clerkship/internship/clinical directors who assign course grades, intellectual diversity expectation should be articulated in the appointment letter. The decision of the intellectual diversity evaluation should be included in the reappointment letter for any subsequent semesters.
Note: Most Academic No-Pay Personnel and post-docs are not in scope for SEA 202, except when in teaching roles.
Promotion and/or Tenure Review
IFC is considering policy and procedures that establish, at the time of promotion and/or tenure review, the Department Chair or other primary faculty supervisor should review the previous evaluations of intellectual diversity included in the annual review to determine whether the faculty member under review could be expected to meet intellectual diversity criteria following promotion and/or tenure. This determination should be included as a part of the Chair’s evaluation letter.
Post-Tenure Review
Tenured faculty must be evaluated by intellectual diversity criteria no later than five years following tenure and no later than every five years thereafter.
Intellectual diversity review will be a component of the annual review related to teaching and will be documented in the faculty activity reporting system, Elements@IU. This will enable campus administrators to run automated reports on intellectual diversity and faculty performance using annual review information and eliminate the need for faculty to create dossiers for post-tenure review.
For faculty tenured before 2024, the intellectual diversity post-tenure review will consist of the intellectual diversity reviews starting with the 2025 annual review cycle, such that the initial fifth-year review will occur in the 2030 annual review cycle.
If a tenured faculty member has received severe sanctions resulting from intellectual diversity misconduct during a five-year period and has not already been subjected to the established Indianapolis Faculty Council review and enhancement process for those violations, a negative post-tenure evaluation will initiate the review and enhancement process.
Intellectual Diversity Complaints
Any university student or employee is able to report alleged misconduct related to intellectual diversity using the university's reporting tool, EthicsPoint. Allegations of misconduct are investigated using the university policy and procedures on Academic Appointee Responsibilities and Conduct: ACA 33. IFC is considering additional procedures.
Updated: 12/03/2024
