Indiana University, and especially the Bloomington campus has seen a significant boom in new buildings and major building renovations in recent years. We’ve built $1.5 billion in space in the past 10 years and largely eliminated the enormous deferred-maintenance backlog. While the faculty welcomes these new and renovated labs, classrooms, and offices, their creation impacts our ability to fulfill the academic mission in teaching and research. Architects’ plans for teaching spaces, faculty offices, etc. are not always appropriate for the intended uses. Renovations inevitably mean inconvenience, but it is our hope that inconvenience is managed so it does not reach the level of significant disruption to the academic mission.

The Bloomington faculty constitution gives faculty consultative authority concerning facilities, and we believe that the process of planning and implementing facilities updates can be smoothed through faculty consultation. The charge to this task force is to investigate the challenges that renovations are causing faculty and students, for example, damage to equipment, construction noise disrupting classes and exams, etc., and to propose specific ways that faculty input can be included in facilities planning from the outset.

The task force will consist of 2 faculty from the Creation, Reorganization, Elimination and Merger Committee, and one each from Research Affairs Committee, Faculty Affairs Committee, Educational Policies Committee, the Libraries Committee, and Teaching & Learning Spaces. We will also invite Vice President Tom Morrison to designate someone from facilities to serve as a point person to the task force.

Members

Elizabeth Boling, Education (co-chair)
Jonathan Trinidad, Chemistry (co-chair)
Peter Kloosterman, Education
Heather Milam, Theatre
Beth Gazley, Associate Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs
Jim Stewart, Assistant Vice President, Capital Planning and Facilities