Bringing Light and Truth to University Governance
Introduction: Lux et Veritas
Indiana University’s motto, “Lux et Veritas” (Light and Truth), represents more than just words on our seal—it embodies the fundamental principles that should guide our university’s governance. As someone who has spent twelve years as part of the IU community—as a graduate student, campus leader, and participant in university governance—I’ve seen firsthand how decisions are made and their impact on students, faculty, and staff.
My campaign for IU Trustee is built on bringing Light and Truth back to university governance. When decisions are made in the shadows without adequate explanation, when stakeholder voices are ignored or consulted only after decisions have already been made, and when leadership bends to external pressures rather than upholding academic values, we stray from our university’s core mission.
My unique perspective comes from experiencing IU from multiple angles: completing my Ph.D. in Physics, serving as Vice President of the Graduate and Professional Student Organization, participating on the Bloomington Faculty Council, and helping transform graduate student governance through constitutional reforms. This multifaceted experience has shown me both what works well and what urgently needs improvement in how our university is governed.
If elected, I will be a trustee who asks tough questions, demands transparency, champions authentic shared governance, and stands firmly for academic values even in challenging times. I respect IU’s traditions while recognizing that meaningful change is necessary to address current governance challenges.
Core Principles
My approach to university governance is built on three fundamental pillars:
- Transparency
- Shared Governance
- Principled Leadership
Transparency and Accountability in Decision-Making
A great university thrives in sunlight, not shadow. When major decisions affecting our community emerge without context or explanation, we undermine not just good governance but the intellectual openness we teach our students.
At IU, with campuses spanning from Bloomington to Gary, transparency takes on special significance. Too often, we’ve seen important changes announced without warning—leaving faculty questioning their future, staff uncertain of priorities, and students confused about shifts in their education.
Transparency builds trust and demonstrates our commitment to the values we profess. By clearly communicating not just what we decide but why, we create stronger outcomes through open processes that withstand scrutiny. What we honor in our classrooms must be reflected in our governance.
Authentic Shared Governance
The genius of the American university lies in recognizing that wisdom resides throughout its community. When administrators, faculty, staff, and students collaborate genuinely—each respected for their unique perspective—we create solutions no single group could envision alone.
Indiana University has a proud tradition of shared governance, but we’ve seen this foundation erode. Too often, consultation happens after decisions are essentially made—turning meaningful participation into mere ceremony and producing outcomes that lack the richness genuine collaboration generates.
True shared governance doesn’t promise universal agreement, but universal respect—ensuring diverse voices are heard as essential components of the decision-making process itself. The wisdom we need exists within our community—we must create structures that bring it to light.
Principled Leadership
Universities today face intensified pressures—tightening finances, deepening political polarization, accelerating technological change, and shifting public expectations. In this environment, principled leadership becomes our anchor.
To lead with principle means standing firm for academic values despite powerful crosswinds. It means defending the free exchange of ideas, making difficult resource decisions while protecting our educational mission, and looking beyond expediency toward our enduring purpose.
At IU specifically, external political pressures grow while budget realities force difficult choices. In this context, trustees must serve not merely as overseers but as guardians of our fundamental mission.
Principled leadership draws strength from commitment to evidence, reason, and the pursuit of knowledge. As a physicist, I learned that understanding comes from following evidence wherever it leads. This scientific spirit—this dedication to “Lux et Veritas”—must infuse our governance, ensuring we embody the values we teach.
