UNIVERSITY POLICIES ON POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Preface
IU faculty and staff frequently inquire about university policies regarding political activities and contacts with elected officials. These polices are posted here to facilitate ready access.
They also can be found on pages 141 to 143 in the Indiana University Academic Handbook and online at:
http://www.indiana.edu/%7Edeanfac/acadhbk/acad_handbk_2007.pdf.
POLICIES ON CONTACTS WITH FEDERAL AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AGENCIES, AND FOUNDATIONS
Policies with regard to contacting officials at the federal and state levels have been established to coordinate our communications with these groups and to keep IU administrative officials informed. Personal and professional contacts with governmental groups, in person or in writing, should be done in the name of the individual or professional group, and should not make reference to Indiana University .
If the University takes an institutional position on an issue with an external agency or foundation, this must be approved by the Vice President for Research Administration, any positions expressed to elected officials must be approved by the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations. Most official University positions are presented by the administrative officers of the University.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to coordinate contacts with governmental officials, agencies, and foundations, and to keep the President of the University and other chief administrative officers informed of such contacts. Federal guidelines on legislative contacts and lobbying procedures for persons who have been awarded federal grants are available in Contact and Grants Administration Important Notice 95–10. Each member of the Indiana University community (faculty, staff, and students) should at all times seek to distinguish between personal interests (including those involving professional societies and other organizations) and the University's interests. On occasions when duties as an official member of the University community call upon one to contact governmental officials, agencies, or private external agencies such as foundations, the following procedures are designed to aid the individual and the University to present more effectively an authorized, accurate, and persuasive presentation. These procedures also will serve to distinguish between essentially personal presentations and official University presentations.
Personal and Professional Contacts
Personal and professional contacts with elected officials or governmental agencies, whether in person or in writing, should be done in the name of the individual or the professional society. Indiana University letterhead should not be used and any reference to affiliation with the University should be made only as an aid to identify the office. It should be made clear that the request is not being made on behalf of the University.
Official Contact
When it appears that the University should take some stand with respect to legislation or other matters at the federal, state, or local level, the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations should be consulted. When, as a representative of the University, a person wishes to make appearances before legislative bodies to request political support, or wishes to issue invitations to elected officials or agency or foundation officers to make official visits to the University, such action should receive prior authorization under the following procedures:
1. Appearances on behalf of the University before federal or state, or local bodies should receive prior approval from the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations or the Vice President for Research Administration. When University employees appear before such bodies as representatives of other agencies, such as professional societies, it is requested that they notify the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations prior to the date of appearance.
2. To be effective, a request to an elected official for support of grant proposals and other University interests requires knowledge of existing and/or past relationships between the University and the official or the relevant granting agency. In order to present requests at the federal and state levels most effectively, they should be coordinated through the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations or the Vice President for Research Administration.
3. Although it is useful for officials to receive certain University publications and periodicals, sending voluminous materials to them may deflect their attention from relevant publications. Therefore, the distribution of materials to officials should be cleared with the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations and/or the Vice President for Research Administration. On occasion, they may be able to help underscore to the recipient the importance of the material.
4. The University welcomes visits by elected officials, whether they visit as private citizens or in their capacities as government officials. Invitations to elected officials to visit any campus of the University in their official capacity are to be approved in advance by the Vice President or Chancellor of that campus, who will inform the proper systems administrators.
5. Responses to requests for information, reports, and statistics from elected officials and their staffs should be coordinated through the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations with the Vice President for Research Administration.
6. After contacts or visits have been made with federal, state, or local officials by a person on behalf of Indiana University , a report on the outcome should be made to the Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations.
( Administrative Practice)
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF ACADEMIC PERSONNEL
Policy
The University recognizes the right of academic appointees to engage in political activities beyond those normally entailed in voting and participating in routine community, state, and national programs, provided that the participation does not prevent the full discharge of the faculty member's academic responsibilities.
Principles and Procedures to be Observed
1. Academic personnel of Indiana University shall be free to participate in political activities on the national, state, or local level such as running for political office, managing political campaigns, and assuming leadership roles in political organizations, providing that the participation does not prevent full discharge of their academic obligations to the University. If such participation does prevent full discharge, the individual will be required to request a leave of absence for the period of the activity.
2. In any such activities the academic appointee must make clear that he or she is acting as a private citizen and is in no way representing the University.
3. The academic appointee who proposes to engage in political activities shall be required to inform his or her departmental chairperson, the school dean, and the Dean of Faculties.
4. Should a disagreement arise between the faculty member and any of the above administrative officers regarding the faculty member's ability to discharge academically related obligations, the faculty member shall be entitled to appeal to the Faculty Board of Review, which shall make the final decision. Other academic appointees have other means of appeal.
(Faculty Council, May 21, 1963; Board of Trustees, June 3, 1963)
POLITICAL MEETINGS
University facilities shall not be used for political rallies or for campaign purposes that would further the interests of the candidate or candidates of any one political party, except that the University from time to time invite political candidates to speak at University convocations. In such cases, it is the policy of the University to extend invitations to the candidates of the different major parties on an equal basis. This rule is not interpreted as prohibiting groups which are open to attendance by students, faculty, and other members of Indiana University but which are not open to the general public.
(Administrative Practice)
