Accreditation

The institution acts with integrity; its conduct is ethical and responsible.

Summary

IU Northwest establishes and follows processes to ensure fair and ethical conduct. Our institution is governed by the Board of Trustees (BoT), which in turn is governed by the policies of Indiana Code (Title 21 Higher Education). The BoT has delegated authority at IU Northwest to the Chancellor, who has the advice of the BoT, their own administrative Cabinet, and the IU Northwest Board of Advisors. 

Principles, programs, and policies commit IU Northwest to operating with integrity in its financial, academic, human resources and auxiliary functions. As public servants, the BoT reviews the reasonable and relevant interests of IU and IU Northwest in a manner that is accessible to the public. Their discussions, deliberations, and decision-making are guided by institutional priorities. 

To these ends, IU Northwest presents itself clearly and completely to both its students and the public. We do this through our website, which includes important information ranging from Admissions and Financial Aid to Accreditations and publicly available Institutional Analytics.  

IU Northwest provides support services to ensure the integrity of research and scholarly practices conducted by its faculty, staff, and students.  IU Northwest’s commitment to academic freedom and freedom of expression in its pursuit of truth in teaching and learning is codified in a number of IU policies as well as the constitution of the campus’s Faculty Organization.

Sources

There are no sources.

The institution establishes and follows policies and processes to ensure fair and ethical behavior on the part of its governing board, administration, faculty and staff.

1. The institution develops and the governing board adopts the mission.
2. The institution operates with integrity in its financial, academic, human resources and auxiliary functions.

Argument

2.A.1: The institution develops, and the governing board adopts the mission.

IU, and thus IU Northwest, is governed by the Board of Trustees (BoT); its Policies and Resolutions, Bylaws of the Board and the Authority of the Board are governed by the Indiana Code and are publicly available. The Board, in turn delegates authority to the University President as the chief officer of the university (see 2.C). 

IU Northwest developed its mission under the guidance provided by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE).  This policy, updated in 2019, reflects the important role of the IU regional campuses in the state of Indiana.  IU Northwest’s Mission, Vision and Values were drafted by a comprehensive strategic planning committee and adopted after soliciting and incorporating campus wide and larger stakeholder feedback. The IU Northwest mission statement is aligned with the ICHE policy and was adopted by the IU BoT in the spring semester of 2022.   

2.A.2: The institution operates with integrity in its financial, academic, human resources and auxiliary functions.

IU and IU Northwest have established and adhere to policies and processes that require that all constituents in the university and the campus operate with integrity in the financial, academic, human resources and auxiliary functions.   

IU’s Principles of Ethical Conduct apply to all “community members” of the University (members of the BoT, administrators, faculty, staff, temporary and student employees, visitors using resources or facilities or receiving funds administered on behalf of IU, etc.).  The Principles of Ethical Conduct outline IU's values and standards of conduct and serve as the foundation of the University Compliance Program. The principles promote “self-governance, best practices, transparency, and a commitment to integrity.” These principles “help to promote an organizational culture that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to and compliance with the law and University codes, policies and procedures.”  Standards of Conduct require that community members “Act Ethically and with Integrity,” “Promote a Culture of Compliance with Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Policies,” and “Ethically Conduct Teaching and Research” among other requirements. These principles can be seen reflected in the day-to-day actions of faculty and staff through our HERI survey results and Gallup MyVoice survey results, which show that faculty and staff believe that their colleagues are honest, ethical, civil, and respectful toward one another.  Policies regarding practices in the financial, academic, human resources and auxiliary functions are further delineated in more specific policies. 

Financial Integrity IU establishes financial policies, including internal control audits and a strict policy (FIN-ACC-30) that addresses fiscal misconduct. The campus is audited internally and externally. IU and its campuses are audited annually as required by the Indiana Financial Transparency Act, requiring that all publicly funded higher education institutions submit audited financial statements, outstanding debt information, and other public financial documents to the ICHE to ensure public access and transparency. Prior to 2018, IU was audited by the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBoA). In 2018, SBoA outsourced its single audit, and, in 2021, the state examiner requested that IU outsource the financial statement audit. In 2021, IU issued an RFP and selected Plante Moran, PLLC as the external financial statement auditor. The auditor may test certain components of the financial statements for all campuses and may require an on-campus visit to look at specific areas (e.g., capital assets or cash on hand). The audited financial statements for IU include all of IU Northwest’s financial transactions and accounts. Consolidated annual financial reports (with audit opinion letters) are posted online (FY 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).  

Academic Integrity Academic functions are regulated by the University’s “Principles of Ethical Conduct.”  Many IU policies guide the academic functions at IU and IU Northwest.  University Policy ACA-33 refers specifically to the “Responsibilities and Conduct” of Academic Appointees.  This policy not only outlines the responsibilities and conduct of faculty members regarding their Teaching, Research and Service activities, but also refers faculty to UA-17 (Conflicts of Interest and Commitment), and ACA-32 (Academic Freedom) which includes “responsibility” as a requirement, etc.  Processes for complaints and possible sanctions are also included in these policies.  Other policies highlight integrity in research (ACA 76) and consequences for research misconduct (ACA 30). 

The Constitution of the IU Faculty (ACA-04) provides guidance to all IU Campuses.  The IU Northwest faculty has its own Constitution that ensures a robust and highly functioning system of shared governance. The HERI Faculty survey demonstrates an increasing satisfaction in shared governance from 2019-23, with 74% of faculty feeling they are sufficiently involved in campus decision-making. The Faculty Organization (FO) (an organization of the entire faculty) meets monthly during the academic year to discuss items of shared or faculty governance after their Executive Committee has met to discuss these items. A formal committee structure assists the FO with its responsibilities.  The Constitution and Bylaws of the FO carefully delineates the operations, rights, and responsibilities of the Organization and how campus administrators can/should interact with the organization.  It is noteworthy that all academic administrators (who hold a faculty appointment in addition to their administrative appointment) are members of the FO. 

Student Conduct at IU Northwest is guided by the IU Code of Conduct and Policies as well as IU Northwest’s specific procedures. These are easily accessible on the Dean of Students webpage, along with procedures, ways to report incidents of concern, and to lodge a complaint. 

The IU Compliance and Policy Office (CPO) “provides regulatory compliance support to further the education, research, and service missions" of IU. The Principles of Ethical Conduct "provide the foundation of the Compliance Program in its efforts to advance the common good.” They provide training for specific compliance areas and assist in monitoring to make sure that employees are up-to-date on needed training for their ethical responsibilities. These include, FERPA training; conflict of interest and commitment, Clery Act reporting, research compliance (biosafety, animal care and use, human subjects), and data security among others. In 2024 the My IU Compliance Self-Service Portal was created to provide a central location for IU students, faculty, staff, and supervisors to view and ask questions about their various compliance training and certification assignments. 

The IU Northwest Registrar oversees compliance with FERPA on campus, and every new employee completes mandatory FERPA training. Students are informed of their privacy rights through orientation and on the Registrar’s webpage. 

Human Resources IU and IU Northwest adhere strictly to the stated policies and procedures related to hiring, employee rights and responsibilities, compliance training, protections, etc. Hiring policies and procedures for staff at IU Northwest are managed by the Office of Human Resources. These policies require training and compliance, and they establish processes for addressing promotion pathways for staff, corrective action for staff, family and medical leave, and grievance resolution among other items.  

The Office of Academic Affairs (AA) manages the hiring and promotion processes for faculty.  Keeping with the mission of IU Northwest, the Academic Search and Screen Manual provides guidance in the recruitment and hiring of faculty. It includes a checklist to guide faculty search committees as well. All “search charge meetings” are carried out by the EVCAA and the Director of OIETX to ensure compliance with EEO and AA policies and practices. An “Equity Advisor” (faculty member) is also assigned to each search committee to ensure compliance with these policies. 

There is a central IU Title IX compliance office, but each campus has a Deputy Title IX coordinator who ensures that employees receive the appropriate training and professional development, as well as investigates Title IX and discrimination/harassment complaints. 

Auxiliary Units IU Northwest campus auxiliaries provide an efficient network of crucial services that keep the campus running smoothly. They include the Follett bookstore, parking operations, campus health and dental clinics, special events, vending, crimson card, and copy machines.   IU Financial Policy FIN-ACC-600 details the accounting and financial oversight procedures for these units, which are based on standard policy and procedural requirements for all IU accounts. All auxiliary unit accounts are reviewed annually to ensure fiscal stability and adherence to processes and procedures.

Sources

• 1C2.13_Academic-Search-And-Screen-Process-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2A1.01_CurrentTrustees_TheTrustees_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.02_PoliciesandResolutions_AbouttheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.03_BylawsoftheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.04_IndianaStateCode_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.05_DelegatingAuthorityoftheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.06_Policy_on_Regional_Campus_Roles_and_Missions_2019-06-13
• 2A1.07_MissionProcessSP
• 2A1.08_Missionvisionandvalues-IndianaUniversityNorthwest.pdf
• 2A2.01_PrinciplesofEthicalConduct_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.02_IndianaUniversityComplianceandPolicyOffice_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.03_HERI_questions_integrity_2022-23
• 2A2.04_myVoicesurvey
• 2A2.05_FinancialPoliciesIU
• 2A2.06_FiscalMisconduct_FIN-ACC-30_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.06a_Financial Statements 2020
• 2A2.06b_Financial Statements 2021
• 2A2.06c_Financial Statements 2022
• 2A2.06d_Financial Statements 2023
• 2A2.06e_Financial Statements 2024
• 2A2.07_Academic_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.09_ConflictsofInterestandCommitment_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.10_AcademicFreedom_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.11_RestrictionsonPublications_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.12_ResearchMisconduct_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.13_ConstitutionoftheIUFaculty_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.14_FacOrgConst-IndianaUniversityNorthwest1
• 2A2.15_HERI_Fac_Governnance
• 2A2.16_IUN_Fac_Org_Committees
• 2A2.18_CodeofStudentRightsResponsibilitiesConduct_IndianaUniversity.pdf
• 2A2.19_iunprocedures_studentcode
• 2A2.20_deanofstudents
• 2A2.21_ComplianceAreas_IUCompliancePolicyOffice_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.22_TrainingEducation_IUCompliancePolicyOffice_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.23_TheFamilyEducationalRightsandPrivacyAct-FERPA-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2A2.24_HumanResources_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.26_CompensationProgramsHomepage_HumanResources_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.27_StaffRecruitmentGuide-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2A2.29_SearchandScreenProcessOutline_20190801_Checklist
• 2A2.30_Office of Institutional Equity_ Indiana University.pdf
• 2A2.31_OfficeofEqualOpportunityandAffirmativeActionPrograms-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2A2.32_IU_FIN-ACC-600
• 2D1.02_ACA-33_acadresponsibilitiesconduct_academicpolicy_IUN

The institution presents itself clearly and completely to its students and to the public.

1. The institution ensures the accuracy of any representations it makes regarding academic offerings, requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, governance structure and accreditation relationships.
2. The institution ensures evidence is available to support any claims it makes regarding its contributions to the educational experience through research, community engagement, experiential learning, religious or spiritual purpose and economic development.

Argument

2.B.1: The institution ensures the accuracy of any representations it makes regarding academic offerings, requirements, faculty and staff, costs to students, governance structure and accreditation relationships.

IU Northwest values transparency and full disclosure of information to students and the public regarding program requirements and offerings, faculty and staff, and other resources.  IU Northwest's website serves as the information portal for all constituents, conveying curricular and co-curricular offerings, and all pertinent disclosures. To further assist visitors in navigating the website, a chatbot feature has been added with “Rufus” our mascot answering questions 24/7. Important information regarding General Institutional Information, Price of Attendance, Financial Aid and Student Loans, Textbooks, Facilities, Faculty (by academic program), Transfer and Articulation policies, Accreditations and Licensures, Health and Safety, Student Outcomes and Athletics, can be found on the Federally Required Disclosures page. Institutional Analytics publicly provides official university reports on admissions, enrollment, retention, graduation rates, degree completions, and financial aid for IU and all its campuses.   

IU Northwest has a robust and active social media presence that informs the community and seeks to increase participation in campus activities. IU Northwest’s Office of Marketing and Communications maintains the campus’s social media presence and verifies and monitors posts to ensure the accuracy of any official IU Northwest posts. 

The Office of Academic Affairs manages the IU Northwest Bulletin, which is published biannually. The current bulletin as well as past bulletins are available online (and in PDF form if preferred). They provide information on course offerings, academic programs, school, college, and campus-wide requirements, policies and procedures, and graduation requirements.  It is available to current and prospective students and their influencers. Links to general information about all degree programs are on the degrees page, linked from the IU Northwest main landing page and the Admissions homepage.   

The Academic Calendar, which contains important dates for students, faculty, and staff regarding start dates, drop dates, and refund deadlines, is available on the IU Northwest registrar's webpage. The three-semester rolling Schedule of Classes allows students to select courses according to their schedules and in the desired modalities. Degree Maps are also publicly available to allow students to chart their way to completion and inform prospective students and their influencers to consider what will be involved should they become a student. 

Faculty and their credentials are included on the faculty page for each unit. This information is verified by IU Northwest academic Human Resources (part of the Office of Academic Affairs). (An example from the School of Business and Economics is provided here). Departmental websites also provide contact information for faculty and staff as well as a variety of student resources. With the assistance of IU web services, faculty can create a professional page that details their research/creative activities and professional work.  The online IU directory provides telephone, email, and location details for faculty and staff, and employees are required to update that information annually during the login process to IU systems.   

Students and their influencers are provided with a central place for finding information regarding available resources on the Red Hawk Info Hub.  The Office of Financial Aid provides links to financial aid and scholarship information, applicable resources, and a way to schedule meetings with financial aid advisors. 

Information about tuition and fees, the cost of attendance, and the campus refund policy is found on the Office of Student Accounts website.  The refund dates are published and listed on the University Enrollment Services' website.   Information on the return of Federal Title IV funds when a student withdraws is made available to the public by the Office of Financial Aid, as is consumer information as required by Title IV.

General Admissions information is published in the Academic Bulletin and on the Admissions website. The latter website makes the requirements for undergraduate admissions and transfer students publicly available. Admissions requirements for graduate programs are established by each program. Links to each program are available on the graduate programs homepage.

IU Northwest has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1969.  A list of specialized program accreditations is made available to the public, and many accredited programs provide additional information about their accreditations on their individual websites.  (See C.4.A)  

2.B.2: The institution ensures evidence is available to support any claims it makes regarding its contributions to the educational experience through research, community engagement, experiential learning, religious or spiritual purpose and economic development.

Over time IU has maintained a centralized University Institutional Research and Reporting Unit (UIRR), which has now been established as IU Institutional Analytics. This office provides extensive data analytics for all of IU. Each campus, including IU Northwest, is supported by data analysts located on and assigned to each individual campus. Faculty, staff, students, and other constituents can access information on enrollment, persistence, DFW/grade distribution, cohort modeling, surveys, post-graduation outcomes, and graduation rates among others. 

The IU Strategic Plan 2030 houses the University-wide plan, as well as the individual campus plans that are directly related to the IU 2030 Plan.  IU Northwest’s contribution to the IU 2030 plan publishes goals and metrics for each of the three university pillars (Student Success and Opportunity, Transformative Research and Creativity, and Service to our State and Beyond).  IU Northwest’s “contributions to the educational experience through research, community engagement, experiential learning…and economic development” appear throughout the strategic plan.Prior to the development of the IU 2030 Strategic Plan, IU Northwest and its constituents participated in the development of the IU Northwest 2026 Strategic Plan. Five goals were established and outcomes (metrics/KPIs) and strategies are outlined for each goal. Progress on our goals is measured and reported by on-campus teams and the Office of the President, and Institutional Analytics helps track and update the metrics.  Progress is shared on campus in the Northwest Council meetings, the Strategic Enrollment Management group, and in the meetings of the IU Northwest Board of Advisors (see Criteria 5.C.3).  Campus announcements and news stories (examples) now indicate to which pillar of the IU2030 plan they align (2024 summary). 

In 2021 and 2022, IU Northwest was the recipient of two Department of Education Grants: TRIUNFOS and INVEST. The grant proposals for TRIUNFOS and INVEST, and annual reports (1,2) provide to the federal government data that reflects our contributions to the educational experience, as well as our efforts to contribute even more. Many of these metrics are also reported on in our strategic plan. 

In 2017, IU Northwest was one of the first five campuses in the country to adopt Collaboratory, a now nationally recognized community engagement tracking and reporting system. Collaboratory serves as a repository for evidence related to IU Northwest’s contribution to the IU 2030 Plan “Service to the State and Beyond” pillar. IU Northwest faculty, staff, and students record campus engagement in service to and in partnership with the community in Collaboratory. The public facing portal illuminates our engagement and public service activities, providing opportunities for community and university partners to learn more about the ways in which the campus serves as an anchor in the region.  The gathered data are used by the institution to better understand the full scope of our commitments, to plan for and implement community engaged priorities consistent with campus and university strategic plans.    

Since 2018 IU Northwest has collected and reported on first destination after graduation following the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) guidelines. An internal dashboard shares these results with the campus community. Between 2018-23, 1451 graduates are represented, which is 50% of the total graduates. Of those 76% reported they were working or continuing their education. 69% indicated they were working in a job related to their field of study, with an average salary first year salary of $48,594.   

A recent study by Economic Modeling Specialists International analyzed the economic value of IU Northwest. Significantly, it documented that IU Northwest contributed $264.1 million in income to the regional economy in FY 2018-19 and one of every 98 jobs in the region is supported by the activities of IU Northwest and its students (4138 jobs supported). Additionally, students’ benefit-cost ratio is 3.9 and taxpayer’s benefit-cost ratio is 1.3. These numbers indicate that IU Northwest is a strong investment for students and Northwest Indiana. In Fall of 2023, this finding was supported by our recognition from Third Way, a national policy institute as having the highest economic mobility index score (ROI) for students in Northwest Indiana and in the top 20% of institutions nationwide.

Sources

• 1A1.04_IUNStrategicPlan_through2026
• 1A5.02_IU2030.NW
• 1A5.02_IU2030.NW (page number 3)
• 1A5.02_IU2030.NW (page number 9)
• 1A5.02_IU2030.NW (page number 13)
• 1B1.05_CURE_and_Collaboratory
• 1B1.05_CURE_and_Collaboratory (page number 2)
• 2B1.01_IUNorthwest_homepage
• 2B1.02_IUNorthwest_heoa
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 5)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 7)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 9)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 11)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 13)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 16)
• 2B1.03_IU_InstitutionalAnalytics (page number 20)
• 2B1.04_IUN_Social_Media-compressed_1
• 2B1.06_IUNorthwest_degrees
• 2B1.07_IUNorthwest_Admissions
• 2B1.08_AcademicCalendars_StudentRecords_UniversityEnrollmentServices_IndianaUniversity
• 2B1.09_ScheduleofClasses_iGPS
• 2B1.10_DegreeMaps_IUN_Dental-Data-Psych
• 2B1.11_IUNorthwest_BUSE_facultypage
• 2B1.12_IUNFacultyProfessionalPages-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2B1.13_IUNorthwest_directory
• 2B1.14_IUNorthwest_RedhawkInfoHub
• 2B1.15_IUNorthwest_OfficeofFinancialAid
• 2B1.16_OfficeofStudentAccounts
• 2B1.17_Refund dates
• 2B1.18_ReturnofFederalFinancialAid-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2B1.20_IUNorthwest_FutureFreshmen
• 2B1.21_TransferStudents-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2B1.22_IUNorthwest_graduateadmissions
• 2B2.09_IU2030_planwebpage
• 2B2.12b_SEM_Goal_update_reports_May_2024
• 2B2.13_IU2030_publicfacing_coremetrics
• 2B2.14_IU2030_IUNW_metricsreport_smartsheetdashboard
• 2B2.16_BoardofAdvisors-MeetingRecap-MAY2023-FINAL
• 2B2.17_IU2030labellingofevents
• 2b2.17a_IUNorthwestMarComBingoCard_2024
• 2B2.18_Triunfos1.pdf
• 2B2.19_Invest1
• 2B2.20_TRIUNFOSProjectNarrative
• 2B2.21_INVESTProjectNarrative
• 2B2.22_2024_ISAPR_APR_P031S220097-3_TRIUNFOS
• 2B2.23_2024_ISAPR_APR_P031S220097-3_INVEST
• 2B2.25_IUN_Collaboratory_datareportoverview2024
• 2B2.26_IUengagementobjectives_IUN2026andIU2030
• 2B2.27_NACE_results_2018-2023
• 2B2.28_iun-execsummary-EMSI
• 2B2.29_IUN-adds-261M-to-local-economy–ChicagoTribune
• 2B2.30_Third-Way-2023
• 4A5.02_Accreditation-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 5C3.16_Summary_of_2026+2030_strategic_plans_progress_012025

The governing board of the institution is autonomous to make decisions in the best interest of the institution in compliance with board policies and to ensure the institution’s integrity.

1. The governing board is trained and knowledgeable so that it makes informed decisions with respect to the institution’s financial and academic policies and practices; the board meets its legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
2. The governing board’s deliberations reflect priorities to preserve and enhance the institution.
3. The governing board reviews the reasonable and relevant interests of the institution’s internal and external constituencies during its decision-making deliberations.
4. The governing board preserves its independence from undue influence on the part of donors, elected officials, ownership interests or other external parties.
5. The governing board delegates day-to-day management of the institution to the institution’s administration and expects the institution’s faculty to oversee academic matters.

Argument

2.C.1: The governing board is trained and knowledgeable so that it makes informed decisions with respect to the institution’s financial and academic policies and practices; the board meets its legal and fiduciary responsibilities.

As outlined in IU policy ACA-01, Indiana’s governor appoints a BoT made up of nine individuals.  Five of them are appointed by the governor, and three of them and a student trustee are elected by IU graduates.  All serve three-year terms, except for the student trustee who serves a two-year term. Trustees are Indiana leaders who have demonstrated career success and service to the community. The BoT operates using six committees each of which have University Vice President Liaisons (the Academic Affairs Committee has three representing IU Bloomington, IU Indianapolis and the IU regional Campuses) who provide important context for the trustees' work. 

New trustees are required to complete an onboarding and orientation process. This includes meeting with the chair of the board and university president to review top university priorities and direction of the board. New members attend a two-day orientation session that includes meeting with all members of the president’s cabinet to ensure trustees have a deep understanding of university organization and more. Topics covered include but are not limited to academic structure and practices; budget and financial operations including tuition, housing and dining rates; capital planning; duties of care, loyalty and obedience; and legal requirements such as the Indiana Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act. 

The board belongs to the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). Several members annually attend the AGB Conference on Trusteeship, and the university has often utilized their consultants, such as an AGB consultant-led training session for trustees in August 2023 that focused on shared governance. 

The Trustees have an established set of by-laws to direct its efforts. According to the Code of the State of Indiana they are responsible for the mission and role of the university. The Code grants the Board of Trustees a broad set of responsibilities, including the power to set tuition and fees, to invest funds, appoint a president and other executives, hire faculty, approve promotion and tenure, determine admission standards, etc. 

2.C.2: The governing board’s deliberations reflect priorities to preserve and enhance the institution.

Board members execute their duties within guidelines set for all public servants under IC 35-44.1-1-4b regarding statutory conflict of interest. IU Northwest enjoys some self-governance, but all legal authority rests with the Trustees, which operates within the context of guidelines established by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The minutes of the BoT meetings, which reflect the deliberations of the Board, are accessible on its website. A recent and important example of how the board clearly reflects the institutional priorities and preserves and enhances all of IU is shown in the April 2023 minutes, when the Trustees discussed and approved the IU Strategic Plan 2030. 

2.C.3: The governing board reviews the reasonable and relevant interests of the institution’s internal and external constituencies during its decision-making deliberations.

In accordance with state law, the governing board reviews the reasonable and relevant interests of IU’s and IU Northwest’s internal and external constituencies by making all deliberations of the Trustees of IU, including committee meetings, committees of the whole, seminars, most retreat sessions, and formal business meetings (except for executive sessions) open to the public. The board approves the annual calendar at its fall meeting which is then made public. It meets four times per year with one special meeting in odd-numbered years to set tuition. The public may, at the Trustees’ invitation, contribute to ongoing deliberations. While public comments are not taken at meetings, the public is encouraged to share comments and agenda items for future consideration via email.   

Institutional priorities guide the board in discussions, deliberations, and decision-making at these meetings. In order to make informed decisions, input from all constituencies is essential. The three elected trustees maintain close relationships with alumni, and the University Faculty Council (UFC) co-chairs (one co-chair represents the regional campuses) provide reports at every meeting and work with the Academic Affairs and University Policies committee of the BoT. The Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education attends and provides reports at all BoT meetings (highlighted minutes). The IU Northwest Chancellor attends all BoT meetings, and addresses the Board as needed.  Furthermore, the board secretary receives any item of business that is appropriate for board consideration from any constituent. 

2.C.4: The governing board preserves its independence from undue influence on the part of donors, elected officials, ownership interests or other external parties.

The board governs autonomously but incorporates into its practices and procedures checks on undue influence. Members of the board must provide an annual signed conflict of interest statement that is filed with the Indiana SBoA. Members shall recuse themselves from voting on any issue that rises to a conflict. Furthermore, donor management is overseen by the IU Foundation, a separate 501(c)(3) organization that allows for separation between the institutions.  

Trustees are also required to adhere to the university’s Principles of Ethical Conduct. Approved by the board in 2013, these principles are intended as a high-level statement of values and expectations that incorporate standards of conduct such as protection of university resources; preservation of academic freedom; promotion of a culture of compliance with applicable laws; management of public, private, and confidential information; and promotion of health and safety in the workplace.

2.C.5: The governing board delegates day-to-day management of the institution to the institution’s administration and expects the institution’s faculty to oversee academic matters.

The BoT delegates authority to the University President, whose Vice President of Regional Campuses and Online Education delegates the day-to-day management of the individual campuses to the Chancellor of each campus who further delegates the responsibility of academic matters to the respective campus Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. 

In compliance with IU policy ACA-04, “the faculty has legislative authority to establish policy and determine procedures for its implementation governing the teaching, research, and service aspects of the University’s academic mission”. The authority is duly exercised through campus faculty governance (FO at IU Northwest) and the UFC, which consists of elected faculty members from all IU campuses.

Sources

• 2A1.01_CurrentTrustees_TheTrustees_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.03_BylawsoftheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.04_IndianaStateCode_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A1.05_DelegatingAuthorityoftheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.13_ConstitutionoftheIUFaculty_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2C1.01_AuthorityofTheTrusteesofIndianaUniversity_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2C1.02_Committees_AbouttheBoard_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2C1.03a_AGBorg_homepage
• 2C1.06_Mission_PoliciesResolutions_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2C2.01_IC35-44.1_1-4b_StateofIndianaCode
• 2C2.02_Minutes_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2C2.03_BoardofTrustees_April-7-2023Minutes_certified
• 2C3.01_IndianaCode_OpenDoorLaw
• 2C3.02_publiccomment_MeetingsMinutes_BoardofTrustees_IndianaUniversity
• 2C3.04_September-13-2024_Minutes_certified
• 2C4.01_State_COI_form_BoT_11-8-22
• 2C4.02_PrinciplesofEthicalConduct_IndianaUniversity
• 5A1.07_UFC.pdf
• 5A1.07_UFC.pdf (page number 4)

The institution is committed to academic freedom and freedom of expression in the pursuit of truth in teaching and learning.

Argument

IU is explicit in our commitment to academic freedom in several university policies: Academic Freedom policy (ACA-32), Academic Appointee Responsibilities and Conduct (ACA-33), and Faculty and Librarian Tenure (ACA-37).  Faculty are granted “full freedom of instruction” as well as “full freedom of investigation” and have responsibilities to protect academic freedom as stated within these policies.  New Faculty Orientation at IU Northwest is held before the start of each academic year during which new faculty are informed of the importance of all academic policies. The IU Northwest Faculty Board of Review, which derives its authority from article VII of the Constitution of the FO, hears cases concerning academic freedom brought by IU Northwest faculty. 

The preservation of academic freedom is outlined in the Principles of Ethical Conduct section 3.6, and applies to all IU faculty and staff. IU’s Expressive Activity Policy (UA-10) is an addition to policies on the First Amendment (UA-14) that strives to preserve freedom of speech by “fostering an environment that values a culture of open dialogue and free expression on all our campuses”.  

Additionally, as an institution of higher education, these freedoms are extended to IU Northwest students though the IU Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct policy, specifically in Section 1.D.  "Right to Freedom of Association, Expression, Advocacy, and Publication", and Section 1.A.6, “Rights in the Pursuit of Education," gives students the “freedom to raise relevant issues pertaining to classroom discussion (including personal beliefs), ask questions about data presented, and express alternative opinions, without concern for any retaliation or academic penalty.” 

IU Northwest regularly hosts events, plays, and gallery shows that express a variety of points of view demonstrating our commitment to freedom of expression.  These events are open to the public and allow the entire campus community opportunities to be exposed to various perspectives. Some examples include the annual Forum on Child Abuse and Neglect, recent screenings of Shared Legacies (historical lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation, 2023) and Belly of the Beast (incarcerated women, abuse and reproductive rights, 2021), Climate Season (a set of microplays focused on climate change, 2022), A Bright New Boise (an exploration of faith and family and the Rapture in a Hobby Lobby breakroom, 2022), Everybody (updated medieval morality play Everyman with the cast selected by lottery at every performance, 2023), Immigration Law and Women Seeking Asylum Panel (2020), Paper Signs of the Times gallery exhibition (Black Lives Matter, social justice focus, 2020), Black ABCs gallery exhibition (2022), among many others.

Sources

• 2A2.01_PrinciplesofEthicalConduct_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.01_PrinciplesofEthicalConduct_IndianaUniversity (page number 3)
• 2A2.10_AcademicFreedom_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.14_FacOrgConst-IndianaUniversityNorthwest1
• 2A2.14_FacOrgConst-IndianaUniversityNorthwest1 (page number 8)
• 2D1.02_ACA-33_acadresponsibilitiesconduct_academicpolicy_IUN
• 2D1.03_ACA-37_tenure_academicpolicy_IUN
• 2D1.06_UA-10_ExpressiveActivityPolicy_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2D1.07_UA-14_TheFirstAmendmentatIndianaUniversity_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2D1.08_FreeSpeech_IndianaUniversity
• 2D1.09_RightsinthePursuitofEducation_CodeofStudentRightsResponsibilitiesConduct_IndianaUniversity
• 2D1.10_FreedomofExpressionevents_IUN

The institution’s policies and procedures call for responsible acquisition, discovery and application of knowledge by its faculty, staff and students.

1. Institutions supporting basic and applied research maintain professional standards and provide oversight ensuring regulatory compliance, ethical behavior and fiscal accountability.
2. The institution provides effective support services to ensure the integrity of research and scholarly practice conducted by its faculty, staff and students.
3. The institution provides students guidance in the ethics of research and use of information resources.
4. The institution enforces policies on academic honesty and integrity.

Argument

2.E.1: Institutions supporting basic and applied research maintain professional standards and provide oversight ensuring regulatory compliance, ethical behavior, and fiscal accountability.

IU and IU Northwest maintain professional standards and provide oversight ensuring regulatory compliance, ethical behavior and fiscal accountability with regard to basic and applied research.  Professional standards and ethical behavior for research and teaching are outlined broadly in IU’s Code of Academic Ethics. The IU Office of Research Administration (ORA) provides guidance for ethical and compliant research including required training for researchers and research teams (including students) regarding animal care and use (RP-11-001), biosafety, radiation safety, human subjects (RP-11-004), and conflict of interest.  All students, faculty and staff must adhere to these policies and protocols.

IU’s Office of Research Compliance maintains data on research compliance in annual publicly available reports on Human Subjects/IRB protocols, conflicts of interest, and research integrity among others. (These reports summarize all of IU rather than disaggregating by campus.)

ORA maintains fiscal accountability for the oversight of grants, whether internal or external to campus through the policies and agreements they have established. All external grant proposals must be routed through ORA to maintain fiscal accountability prior to submission to the granting agency.  Once received, they utilize the Kuali Coeus (KC) grants system and Kuali Financial System (KFS) to manage all awards.

Research misconduct is clearly defined on the ORA website as well as the process for reporting a concern as well as the procedures that follow as prescribed by IU policy ACA-30.

IU Northwest’s Office of Sponsored Research along with IU’s ORA provide oversight and support to IU Northwest’s faculty, staff, and students, regarding professional standards, regulatory compliance, ethical behavior and fiscal responsibility. IU Northwest’s Director of Sponsored Research assists with proposal development and budget preparation pre-award, and management of internal and external grants post-award for our campus researchers. They also provide support for research compliance for all studies, whether grant-funded or not.

2.E.2: The institution provides effective support services to ensure the integrity of research and scholarly practice conducted by its faculty, staff and students.

In addition to the policies, guidance, and services described in 2.E.1., the faculty, staff and students at IU Northwest rely on the Office of Sponsored Research to support all research opportunities from funding opportunities, proposal development, research compliance, and award management. Grant activity reports over the last several years provide evidence of our effective support of research services.

IU’s ORA provides “quick guides,” “required trainings” and “training videos” that help faculty, staff, and students ensure the integrity of research and scholarly practice. All researchers interacting with human subjects or working with animals as part of a research study must complete CITI training every five years, which has a particular focus on research, ethics, regulatory oversight, and responsible conduct of research.

2.E.3: The institution provides students guidance in the ethics of research and use of information resources.

IU Northwest provides students guidance in the ethics of research and use of information resources in several ways. The campus’s Library staff offer customized in-class and online library instruction in courses to help guide students through the research process and enhance their information literacy skills within the disciplines. Librarians can also be embedded into course Canvas pages, allowing students to quickly access their expertise. Data collected by the library from 2020-2024 show an increase in both sessions, types of courses, and numbers of students served. The Library also has LibGuides focused on appropriate citation of resources, and checking sources and identifying misinformation. IU provides a detailed tutorial on plagiarism as well. The Writing Center helps students to integrate and document source materials both in person and online.  IU Northwest syllabi are expected to follow a specific format that includes information on intellectual honesty and plagiarism as another way to educate students in this regard. Most recently, the UFC and the office of the President collaborated on a taskforce report focused on Gen-AI with recommendations for the IU campuses on how to “prepare its current and future students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the citizens of Indiana and beyond to use this emerging technology in ethical and constructive ways.”

The recently revised general education curriculum includes student learning outcomes focused on integrity of research and scholarly practice (Reading and Writing, Oral Communication, and Information Literacy). These outcomes are aligned to two courses: W131 Reading, Writing and Inquiry I and S121 Public Speaking. These courses are assessed with the assistance of the General Education/Assessment Committee (see 3.B.1). This ensures that students are provided with the background to be ethical researchers and consumers of information.

We expect students to use information technology resources appropriately. Students may not share their university accounts, including network IDs, passwords or other access codes that allow access to university information technology. Students are prohibited from unauthorized acquisition, use, or distribution of copyrighted works as well. Failure to comply with IU information technology policies may result in suspension or termination of access.  Students can find IT usage policies online, and they receive these policies electronically each Fall and Spring semester.

Students engaged in research must abide by the IU Research Misconduct Policy (ACA-30) and are provided with training on research ethics, regulatory oversight, and responsible conduct of research through the web-based CITI training.

The College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) has its own Code of Professional Conduct, which extends the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct to the professional codes of conduct for the students in CHHS training to practice. Students are introduced to the Code during orientation and are required to sign the Code of Professional Conduct Pledge upon entering their program. 

2.E.4: The institution enforces policies on academic honesty and integrity.

IU Northwest follows the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct. Part II of the Code outlines student responsibilities and conduct specifically related to academic and personal misconduct. Students are made aware of this during New Student Orientation, and through the RedHawk Ready Canvas modules.  Part III outlines procedures specific to IU Northwest when policies on academic honesty and integrity are allegedly not followed by students. Between 2018-2024 there were four cases of academic misconduct that rose to the level of Academic Affairs. IU’s Academic Appointee Responsibilities and Conduct (pp. 10-11) outlines procedures in the event that there is an alleged violation of Academic Ethics by IU academic personnel, including appeal processes if administration action is taken. The Faculty Board of Review closely monitors academic misconduct complaints and processes them as appropriate.

Sources

• 2A2.12_ResearchMisconduct_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2A2.18_CodeofStudentRightsResponsibilitiesConduct_IndianaUniversity.pdf
• 2A2.18_CodeofStudentRightsResponsibilitiesConduct_IndianaUniversity.pdf (page number 4)
• 2A2.19_iunprocedures_studentcode
• 2D1.02_ACA-33_acadresponsibilitiesconduct_academicpolicy_IUN
• 2D1.02_ACA-33_acadresponsibilitiesconduct_academicpolicy_IUN (page number 10)
• 2E1.01_CodeofAcademicEthics_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.02_OfficeofResearch_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.03_AnimalCareUse_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.04_CareandUseofVertebrateAnimalsinResearchandEducation_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.05_InstitutionalBiosafetyCommittee_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.06_RadiationSafety_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.07_HumanSubjectsInstitutionalReviewBoards_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.08_ResearchwithHumanSubjects_UniversityPolicies_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.09_ConflictofInterest_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.10_fy-end-2024-hso-coi-rio
• 2E1.10_fy-end-2024-hso-coi-rio (page number 8)
• 2E1.10_fy-end-2024-hso-coi-rio (page number 9)
• 2E1.13_AwardsAgreements_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.14_AwardManagement_AwardsAgreements_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.15_ResearchMisconduct_Compliance_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E1.17_AwardServices-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E2.02_GRANT-ACTIVITY-REPORT_2022-2024
• 2E2.03_QuickGuides_TrainingWorkshops_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E2.04_CollaborativeInstitutionalTrainingInitiative-CITI_TrainingWorkshops_RESEARCH_IndianaUniversity
• 2E3.01_LibraryInstruction-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E3.02_customized-library-instruction
• 2E3.03_LIbrary-Instruction-Use_2020-2024
• 2E3.04_APAMLAOtherCitationStyles-LibGuidesatIndianaUniversityNorthwest.pdf
• 2E3.05_FactChecking-LibGuidesatIndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E3.06_HowtoRecognizePlagiarism_TutorialandTests_School of Education_IndianaUniversityBloomington
• 2E3.07_resources-for-writing_IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E3.08_IUN_Accessible_Syllabus
• 2E3.09_IU-Gen-AI-Taskforce-Final-Report-3-27-24
• 2E3.10_PrincipleOne-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E3.11_IUKnowledgeBase-ComputingpoliciesatIU
• 2E3.13_CHHS_CodeofProfessionalConduct-IndianaUniversityNorthwest
• 2E4.03_StudentRights-Responsibilities-Conduct_RedHawkReady
• 3B4.09_Office_of_Sponsored_Research-IndianaUniversityNorthwest.pdf