The IU Alumni Association Trustee election votes have been counted and a trustee has been elected.
It was announced Monday that Patrick A. Shoulders of Evansville was elected to his fifth term as a member of the IU Board of Trustees.
“One of my plans for this term is to continue to work on making higher education at IU more affordable,” Shoulders said.
Shoulders was first appointed as a trustee twelve years ago.
“I was appointed in 2002 to become the trustee by the governor of Indiana after another trustee retired from the position,” Shoulders said.
The IU Board of Trustees comprises nine members. Five of the positions are appointed by the governor of the state of Indiana, and one student is chosen for a position. The remaining three seats are elected by the graduates of IU.
Balloting began on June 1 and ended June 30. Both electronic and paper votes were collected according to Amy Cope, Herman B Wells library director of administrative services.
Each trustee serves for three years. The terms rotate so each year one trustee seat comes up for re-election.
Shoulder received a winning 11,296 votes. Andrew Baldwin of San Francisco got 5,678 votes.
Although the governor’s appointees are not required to be IU alumni, Shoulders said the experience of attending the University heightens the trustee’s sense of obligation to serving the campus.
“I believe that the ?trustees who attended IU and are elected by its graduates have a bigger stake in the health and well-being of the University and its students,” Cope said. “It is a trust and responsibility that they take very seriously.”
And Shoulders isn’t an exception, according to IU President Michael A. McRobbie.
“Pat has played a key role in many decisions important to ensuring the university’s future, and we look forward to his continued strong service as IU approaches its bicentennial in 2020,” McRobbie said in a press release.
Shoulders said he was glad to have been chosen as a trustee again.
“I am honored that our alumni have allowed me to continue working for old IU,” he said.
