Faculty Council announces support for Freedom Indiana

The IU Faculty Council has made official its long-standing opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

The Faculty Council unanimously endorsed President Michael McRobbie’s decision that IU join Freedom Indiana, a state-wide coalition working to defeat the House Joint Resolution 6, Associate Vice President of IU Communications Mark Land said.

McRobbie’s decision was announced Monday, and the Faculty Council voted on its endorsement at its Tuesday meeting, Herb Terry, the group’s co-secretary, said.

Terry had drafted the Faculty Council’s resolution with co-secretary Jack Windsor, a professor at IUPUI’s School of Dentistry, prior to McRobbie’s announcement. They were “on the verge” of presenting it to the council, Terry said. After McRobbie’s announcement was released, it seemed fitting to vote on an endorsement at the group’s Tuesday meeting, Terry said.

In its resolution, the council affirmed its opposition to House Joint Resolution 6, endorsed the University’s decision to join Freedom Indiana, and urged faculty governance bodies at all IU campuses to adopt similar resolutions.

Time was allotted for dissent during the meeting, but no council members expressed opposition to the endorsement, Terry said.

“No questions were raised about doing this,” Terry said.

IU faculty has publicly expressed its opposition to the amendment since 2007, when the council voted “nearly unanimously” to oppose an equivalent amendment, Terry said.

“The council wanted to stand for what it stood for years,” Terry said. “You could say the administration caught up to us.”

Members of the Faculty Council will now work to encourage other colleges on campus to announce their support of McRobbie’s decision.

“I would hope that faculty groups and staff groups and student groups at least consider whether they want to join in this,” Terry said. “I anticipate several of these coming out from various sources in the next few weeks.”

The University has not announced the exact role it will take within the Freedom Indiana coalition. Terry said the University’s action depends on whether the General Assembly will decide to move forward in testifying for the amendment.

Terry said the Council supports the fact Freedom Indiana hopes to continue its fight even if the amendment passes.

Although the University’s decision reflects many years of faculty support in the fight, McRobbie’s announcement is monumental, Terry said.

“We haven’t taken positions on social issues,” Terry said.

Terry said many faculty members, especially within the Kelley School of Business, see the potential economic detriment that could come with the amendment. In order to take advantage of its workforce, the state needs to be able to welcome and recruit all types of workers, Terry said.

Other faculty members argue the amendment would contradict IU’s policy to encourage a welcoming environment for all students. A state-wide constitutional ban on same-sex marriage would, in turn, make IU unattractive for students, Terry said.

“This is a social issue. This is a business issue. This is a moral issue,” Terry said.