Herald-Times articles
Feb. 19, 2007
Democrats' budget includes two IU programs; But House plan only has half the money IU sought for Life Sciences Initiative, Pathways to Success
By Steve Hinnefeld
February 17, 2007
They say half a loaf is better than none, and that's what Indiana University got in the two-year budget unveiled Friday by House Democratic leaders.
It funds IU's Life Sciences Initiative and Pathways to Success school outreach program at half the levels the university requested.
"It's terrific there seems to be a clear commitment and recognition of the value of those programs," said J T. Forbes, IU director of state relations. "We'd still like to get it up to the level we need."
The budget also sends a message that lawmakers want college kept affordable. It caps tuition increases at the average annual increase in the state median family income — currently 3.27 percent, Forbes said.
The bill could be approved Monday by the House Ways and Means Committee. Once the House votes, it goes to the Senate. The two sides will try to agree on a compromise budget by April 29.
The House bill includes $20.4 million the first year and $20.8 million the second year for the Life Sciences Initiative to hire research faculty and create jobs and businesses. IU asked for $80 million over two years.
It includes $2.55 million the first year and $2.6 million the second year for the Pathways project to work with schools in Marion, Lake and St. Joseph counties. IU asked for $5 million a year.
IU also could get life-sciences funding from Gov. Mitch Daniels' plan to privatize the Hoosier Lottery. Senate Republicans want to use the lease to generate $40 million a year in life-sciences grants to colleges and universities.
The House bill increases state operating funding for IU by 2.9 percent the first year and 2.4 percent the second year, Forbes said.
But add the Life Sciences and Pathways funding, and the increases are 7.4 percent and 5.1 percent, he said.
It gives IU $25.2 million for repair and rehabilitation of buildings, along with:
-- $18.3 million for a Cyber Infrastructure Building at IU Bloomington.
-- $20 million for a Neuroscience Building in Indianapolis.
-- $19 million for an Arts Building renovation at IU South Bend.
The bill would exempt required college textbooks from state sales taxes, a change sought by the IU Student Association.
IU should be applauded for bold legislative effort
February 17, 2007
This guest column was written by Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan.
Indiana University is working hard to bring unique opportunity to Bloomington and Indiana as it embarks upon its most compelling and visionary proposed legislative initiative ever. And we can all help.
Having had the good fortune to serve Bloomington in the state Legislature for 16 years, I worked with four university presidents and five governors on eight different funding proposals — one for every biennial state budget session.
In addition to meaning that I'm getting older, that fact recently led me to reflect upon IU's legislative performance.
The John Ryan years (1971-1987) were marked by solid connections between Republican-dominated legislative and executive branches. IU was a "state-supported" institution. Behind-the-scenes maneuvering rather than public pressure was the strategy du jour. A handful of key legislators pulled the purse strings, and the university focused on them.
By the time Tom Ehrlich began his seven-year presidency in 1987, the political tide had turned, and the state financial picture had faded, necessitating a change of strategy. IU's "One University With Eight Front Doors" targeted every legislator. An outgrowth of this paradigm was the creation of Hoosiers for Higher Education, a group of thousands of IU alumni and supporters seeking to impact legislative decision making on university funding and policy issues.
IU by now had gone from being "state-supported" to "state-assisted." Investment in Indiana University and in Indiana, for that matter, waned, and Statehouse power was diffused. In the past 15-20 years, state funding slid from being nearly 50 percent of IU's annual budget to just 25 percent today.
Myles Brand's 1994-2002 era saw an attempt to engage the Legislature with a message of service to the state. Deeming IU "America's New Public University," it was clear the days of depending upon state funding were long behind us.
Nearly four years ago, Adam Herbert arrived at the helm and committed IU to being one of the nation's leaders in life-sciences research and oversaw the development of the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative.
During this year's Indiana General Assembly, Indiana University presents perhaps its most creative and aggressive legislative initiative.
The Indiana Life Sciences Initiative is IU's $80 million proposal to the Legislature designed to improve the state's life sciences infrastructure dramatically by investing in enhanced research capacity at the university. This stand-alone funding request complements IU's biennial budget request.
Some highlights:
• IU's $80 million request will attract $2.25 for every state tax dollar it gets from the Legislature for this initiative;
• The university will match state operating funding by more than $46 million;
• IU, by 2019, will bring $2.4 billion to the Hoosier economy that Indiana wouldn't otherwise receive in new federal and private research dollars;
• Within the next 15 years, IU plans to create 2,500 new life sciences research and development jobs at the university and stimulate an additional 11,500 new Hoosier jobs throughout Indiana, for a total of 14,000 jobs;
• The plan plans to attract or create at least 100 Indiana-based life sciences companies;
• New medical treatments to improve Hoosiers' health and reduce health care costs will be produced; and
• Accountability is built in via progress reports and tracking of the return on the investment to the state's economy.
IU's strategy to achieve these goals includes:
• Aligning the eight regional medical education centers to prevent doctor shortages and to strengthen regional life sciences industries;
• Partnering with Indiana communities to develop life sciences and economic and work force development agendas;
• Increasing technology transfer and spinoffs from faculty research; and
• Expanding work with researchers at Purdue and Notre Dame.
(This information can be found at www.gov.indiana.edu/hhe.)
You can play an active part in advocating for adoption of IU's proposal in at least two manners. Our local legislators are certainly supportive of the request, but please consider contacting your friends, family and colleagues in other parts of the state to ask them to lobby their state representatives and state senators.
Also, the 16th Annual Hoosiers for Higher Education Statehouse Visit will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event. Learn more and register for the event at the aforementioned Web site.
IU should be applauded for and aided in this bold effort.
IU student, Fort Wayne teen face drug charges
By Lanetta J. Williams
February 17-19, 2007
An Indiana University student and another teen are facing several felony charges of dealing cocaine.
The charges came after a four-month investigation by undercover IU police detectives.
Det. Dave Hannun said Michael David Roberts, 19, who lives in the Briscoe residence hall, and Brandon Michael Graft, 18, of Fort Wayne. were arrested along with two juveniles at around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Hannun said that undercover officers had been making buys of cocaine and ecstasy from Roberts since October. In their conversations, police learned that Roberts had a friend, identified as Graft, who was bringing down the drugs from Fort Wayne.
Hannun said officers put Graft in contact with an undercover officer who bought drugs from him. Graft told the officer he would be bringing a half-ounce of cocaine — worth about $750 on the street — to IU this weekend.
Hannun said police set up a meeting place, but Graft got lost and proceeded to Briscoe where he dropped off a "pretty good size of his half ounce" of drugs, selling about 3 grams before police arrived with a search warrant.
When officers did make the buy from Graft, they bought more than 4 grams of cocaine for about $390.
Police were able to obtain a search warrant for Roberts' room.
Graft is facing two preliminary charges of dealing cocaine — a Class A and a Class B felony — and maintaining a common nuisance. His bond was set at $50,000 surety, $500 cash.
Roberts was arrested in connection with previous transactions and faces preliminary charges of dealing cocaine a B felony, dealing narcotics, a B felony, and maintaining a common nuisance, a D felony. His bond was set at $40,000 surety, $500 cash.
Both were taken to the Monroe County Jail.
Hannun says Graft is a high school student in Fort Wayne.
There were also two minors in the car at the time of Graft's arrest. Both were taken into custody. One was sent to a youth shelter and the other to jail. Police said both will be charged with visiting a common nuisance.
Hannun says more charges are to come. He says the cocaine-related arrests aren't all that unique.
"It's a lot more prevalent than people realize," he said.
The ins and outs of outsourcing
By Steve Hinnefeld
February 18, 2007
BLOOMINGTON — Food-service staff at Indiana University wonder what's up when they hear that IU officials suspect efficiency can be improved by outsourcing their work.
Dining-service staff at Residential Programs and Services, the major food operation on campus, have gone through two painful rounds of layoffs in the past 10 years as the service shifted from dorm cafeterias to food courts, convenience stores and coffee kiosks.
At the same time, the service has sharply improved customer satisfaction, as measured in student surveys.
"We've done our homework on efficiency," said Sandra Fowler, director of dining services.
But the drive to look at outsourcing at IU isn't just about efficiency, officials say. It's also about getting access to "sleeping capital" tied up in equipment and inventory and upfront payments from companies that want to make money doing business on campus.
"I think it's about both," said Terry Clapacs, IU vice president for administration, who has been put in charge of the outsourcing initiative.
"Part of it is looking for ways to provide better services, more efficient services. There's also a possibility of reclaiming capital that might be better used to support the true mission of the university, which is teaching, research and to some degree, service."
Vehicles and books
Trustees started last fall to prod the administration to look at outsourcing, with IU President Adam Herbert told to decide when to outsource and when not.
This month, he said IU will contract with Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Automotive Resources International for parts of the Bloomington Motor Pool.
T.I.S., Barnes & Noble and Follett have submitted proposals to operate IU campus bookstores. The bookstores have weighed in with their own proposals.
Clapacs said an IU team and consultants from Crowe Chizek & Co. are evaluating the bookstore offers. "I hope, in the next two or three weeks, to get it wrapped up," he said.
Workers worried
Officials say they will look at food services and possibly printing services this semester. Several trustees have made clear that they want IU to consider outsourcing all nonacademic services.
The push has alarmed IU employees, and Bloomington and Monroe County officials and state legislators have written to trustees opposing outsourcing. Public-employee unions have waded into the battle.
"Ninety percent of the time, privatization is a bill of goods. Very seldom does it ever save any money," said Dave Warrick, director of Indianapolis-based Council 62 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
Like Gov. Mitch Daniels' 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road for $3.8 billion, Warrick said, outsourcing won't pay off in the long run. It's like selling your lawn mower and paying someone to cut your grass, he said.
Mixed results
Around the country, outsourcing by colleges and universities has been a mixed bag, said officials who have watched the process.
"There are clearly times when outsourcing makes sense, and there are clearly times when internal self-operations make sense. There's no one cookie-cutter way of doing it," said Bob Hassmiller, director of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.
Many campuses have big chains operating their bookstores. Many contract with Sodexho and Aramark to run cafeterias and snack bars. At IU, food services at the Indiana Memorial Union and within the athletics department are already outsourced.
But some institutions ran into difficulty when they tried to outsource last year, according to news accounts:
--At Brown University, students and faculty formed the Save the Bookstore Coalition and fought off a privatization plan.
--Duke University turned down offers by Barnes & Noble and Follett to run its bookstore, deciding it could do a better job itself.
--Florida International University brought janitorial workers back in house, raising their pay by 50 percent and giving them access to health plans.
Tried but failed
Butler University outsourced janitorial services around 1980, a time when colleges were being encouraged to "stick to the knitting, do what you're in business to do," said Michael Gardner, Butler vice president for operations.
But the approach was ineffective, he said, because the contractor had too much employee turnover. And buildings weren't kept clean, a problem for a college trying to impress prospective students and their parents. A decade ago, Gardner said, the school put together a plan that saved money, paid better wages and benefits and improved service by having Butler employ its own custodians.
"Keep in mind, the contractor's in business to make money," he said. "When you go in-house, your purpose is not to make money. It's to provide a service."
Customer satisfaction
Providing a service is something that food-service staff at Indiana University take pride in. They say they're giving students what they want with extended hours of operation, stable prices and a system of dining halls, food courts, convenience stores, snack bars and coffee kiosks.
IU food-service scores on the annual Educational Benchmarking Institute customer-satisfaction survey of students have improved by 14 percent over six years, said Buck Walters, director of planning for Residential Programs and Services.
While detailed survey results are proprietary, he said, "I can say that, historically, our dining scores have been well above average, both among schools of our classification and all institutions," he said.
Providing jobs
Fowler said RPS dining services has 125 full-time employees, down from 325 a decade ago when it operated 11 full-service dorm cafeterias. With 625 student employees, it is the campus' biggest provider of part-time student jobs.
Campus bookstores also rely extensively on student help. And at food services and bookstores, a majority of full-time staff make less than $30,000 a year, at the low end of the IU pay scale.
But Clapacs said IU service employees fare better than private-sector counterparts when the cost of benefits, including health care, is included. He said IU departments that operate efficiently will be able to offer their own plans when the university takes bids.
"They'll certainly have a full opportunity to make a proposal and demonstrate that," Clapacs said. "And I know they'll do a good job of making the case."
Soldiers compete for badge
by Marcela Creps
February 18, 2007
Their feet thundering, a group of six cadets raced around the track inside Indiana University Fieldhouse.
Knowing each cadet had to meet a certain time, spectators shouted words of encouragement.
"Hurry up," one yelled as the pack ran by.
On Saturday, 150 cadets and even a few of their commanding officers attempted to earn the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency.
The group started with a 200-meter swim and first aid test before making its way to the fieldhouse. Inside, competitors did the long jump, high jump, shot put and 400-meter dash. The day would end with a 5-kilometer run.
Those who successfully competed Saturday's events will compete today in a pistol event and road march.
Even with a group of cheerleaders practicing in the east end of the building, the group managed to stay on task without getting too distracted.
"They've been briefed to pay them no mind," said Capt. Bruce Baltis, Indiana University ROTC training officer.
As an alternative to the shot put, some competitors chose the stone throw. Sgt. Major Karl-Heinz Grenzebach, a liaison from the German Armed Forces explained to Cadet Kevin Wright to throw the stone twice, once with each hand with a goal of 8.5 meters total between both throws.
"It's very easy," Grenzebach said.
Wright wasn't so easily convinced.
"I'll bet it goes like two feet and rolls back on my foot somehow," Wright said.
After throwing with his right for 5 meters and 2 centimeters, Wright had little confidence in his ability to throw with his left hand.
"Now this is the one that will go two feet," he said before throwing it four meters.
"Wow, it's a lot easier than I thought," Wright said before he moved on to another event.
Baltis said the event is rare for the area and was thankful that Emily Ward and Chuck Crabb allowed them to use the fieldhouse.
"They have been very helpful and supportive of our efforts," Baltsis said.
Because the event is so rare, Cadet Leslie Cuma came from the University of Southern Indiana to compete despite having been sick last week. Her attempts to earn the badge came up a little short. In fact, she was about an inch short.
"I didn't make the long jump," she said with a fellow cadet telling her she was within an inch of qualifying.
Cuma said she felt nervous about making the trip, but it was an opportunity she couldn't miss.
"That's why even if you don't feel top-notch, you might as well come here and try," she said.
Sgt. First Class John Wieland is Training NCO at IUPUI and was competing with six of his cadets. At 39 years of age, Wieland was among the small group of older competitors.
"If someone sees you doing something, that sets a much better example," Wieland said.
The standards for each competitor are different depending on sex and age, but Wieland admitted that helped a little.
"It takes me longer to make toast," he said.
As Grenzebach watched and spoke to competitors, he said it was unbelievable the number of soldiers participating in the event.
"It's a great opportunity," he said. "For me, it is an investment in the future of the German-American partnership."
IU Foundation wins advertising awards
February, 18, 2007
BLOOMINGTON — The Indiana University Foundation has received three awards in the 2007 Service Industry Advertising Awards competition.
They are:
• A Gold Award for the television advertising series "In My Lifetime," produced in collaboration with Clarian Health and IU;
• A Gold Award for the newsletter "Giving: The Communique for the Matching the Promise Campaign;"
• And a Silver Award for the magazine advertising series "Great Partnerships."
SIAA offers advertising awards that recognize the achievements of the service industry, including educational institutions, hospitals and nonprofits.
Charge against Indiana's Hardy dismissed
Associated Press
February 18, 2007
FORT WAYNE — A domestic battery charge against Indiana University wide receiver James Hardy has been dismissed.
Hardy, 21, was arrested in May in his hometown of Fort Wayne and was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an alleged attack on his girlfriend and their infant son. He avoided a trial on the criminal charges by agreeing to take part in a pretrial diversion program in August.
Robyn Niedzweicki, spokeswoman for the Allen County prosecutor's office, said the charge was dismissed Wednesday after Hardy completed the six-month program. Hardy received counseling in communication improvement and anger management at his own expense, authorities said.
Hardy's girlfriend, Kyra Nolan, 22, told emergency personnel that Hardy hit her and their infant son, according to a probable-cause affidavit. But during a June 13 hearing she testified that she phoned 911 to "get at" Hardy and said the incident was a "big misunderstanding."
Hardy received an honorable mention on this season's All-Big Ten team.
