Indiana’s public universities face mounting pressure from declining enrollment, rising administrative costs, and eroding public trust. Demographic projections indicate a sharp contraction in the college-age population over the coming decades, a trend already reflected in significant enrollment losses at most Indiana public institutions. At the same time, concerns about academic rigor, student return on investment, and campus climate threaten the sustainability and credibility of the state’s higher-education system.
This Blueprint for Reform outlines a practical, state-level reform agenda focused on restoring academic excellence, fiscal discipline, and intellectual freedom. It recommends action in five key areas:
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Accreditation: Protect state authority by preventing accrediting agencies from imposing requirements that conflict with Indiana law, and ensure nondiscriminatory recognition of degrees and credits from all nationally recognized accreditors.
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Return on Investment: Incorporate program-level ROI data into academic program review and eliminate degree programs that consistently deliver negative economic value to students.
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General Education: Restore a rigorous, liberal-arts-centered general-education curriculum focused on civic literacy, Western history, and foundational knowledge, while prohibiting mandatory DEI- or CRT-based requirements.
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Administrative Bloat: Reduce costs by restructuring and consolidating administrative functions, aligning programs with institutional missions, limiting unnecessary capital spending, and right-sizing athletics and staffing.
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Freedom of Expression and Viewpoint Diversity: Strengthen protections for free speech and viewpoint diversity through policy reform, orientation programs, adoption of free-expression principles, and fair evaluation standards.
Together, these reforms offer Indiana a clear path to a more accountable, mission-driven, and student-centered higher-education system. The recommendations are concrete, immediately actionable, and designed to equip legislators, trustees, and institutional leaders to act decisively in the face of demographic, financial, and cultural challenges—while renewing public confidence in Indiana’s universities.
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Author
Martin Center Staff
