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Monday, August 08, 2005

Ind. Gov't. - IU president tries to deflect critics

The Louisville Courier Journal carries this AP story today that begins:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Two years after becoming Indiana University president, Adam Herbert is hearing from critics who say he takes too long to make decisions, keeps a low profile and spends too much time on sports.

But IU trustees say Herbert has taken the right approach by focusing first on university operations and problems in the athletic department.

"This is a very complicated institution, and two years is not very long to get your hands around Indiana University," Steve Ferguson, who will become president of the board of trustees this month, told The Herald-Times for a Sunday story.

The newspaper asked in July for Herbert's 2005 appointment calendar under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act. Herbert provided a copy.

It shows conferences with IU administrators, time spent preparing for and attending university trustee meetings and travel to alumni events in other cities.

It shows no IU activity during spring break or the week after commencement ceremonies and indicates Herbert has been gone from Indiana since early July - another topic of criticism.

Herbert defended his record in a phone interview last week from Florida, where he has a home.

I don't know how accurate this story is. But as an IU alumn, I must confess that everytime I see one of those Purdue ads on TV featuring their high-octane president, Martin C. Jischke, I'm jealous. And new Ball State president Jo Ann M. Gora looks to be a real find, as this Indianapolis Star story on her "freshman year" attests.

[More] This week's Indianapolis Business Journal has a front-page story titled "Quiet approach drawing criticism: President's lack of visibility hurts IU, some complain." The story is currently available online, here.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 8, 2005 06:55 AM
Posted to Indiana Government