Intellectual Diversity
Effective July 1, 2024, amendments to Indiana Code 21-39.5—State Educational Institutions: The Protection of Free Inquiry, Free Expression, and Intellectual Diversity—added faculty evaluation criteria for public colleges and universities. The changes require institutions to assess faculty contributions to intellectual diversity before making decision on promotion, tenure, reappointment, or bonuses.
Specifically, institutions must evaluate whether a faculty member has:
- Contributed to fostering a campus culture that supports free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity.
- Introduced students to scholarly works representing a variety of political and ideological perspectives relevant to the curriculum.
- Avoided introducing personal views on topics unrelated to the academic discipline or assigned course content while performing teaching duties.
- Adequately performed academic duties and obligations.
- Met any other criteria established by the Board of Trustees.
The statute defines intellectual diversity as "multiple, divergent, and varied scholarly perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues."
Evaluating for Intellectual Diversity
IFC's policy on Intellectual Diversity Review establishes a faculty member has not met the campus's and state's expectations for intellectual diversity when there has been a severe sanction related to intellectual diversity-related misconduct. Severe sanctions are related to repeated, egregious misconduct and can result in salary reduction, demotion, termination, or other disciplinary action.
Documenting Intellectual Diversity
IFC's Intellectual Diversity Review policy establishes the intellectual diversity review will be integrated into faculty annual reviews for full-time faculty. Department Chairs or other faculty supervisors will evaluate for intellectual diversity using their awareness of the faculty member's work and any sanctions related to intellectual diversity misconduct.
For part-time faculty, including adjunct faculty, student academic appointees (SAAs), and clerkship/internship/clinical directors who assign course grades, intellectual diversity expectations should be articulated in the appointment letter. The decision of the intellectual diversity evaluation should be included in the reappointment letter for any subsequent semesters.
Faculty members may consider adding a statement related to intellectual diversity to course syllabi, though this is not required.
Note: Most Academic No-Pay Personnel and post-docs are not in scope for SEA 202, except when in teaching roles.
Promotion and/or Tenure Review
IFC's Intellectual Diversity Review policy establishes, at the time of promotion and/or tenure review, the Department Chair or other primary faculty supervisor should refer to the previous evaluations of intellectual diversity included in a faculty member's previous annual reviews in rank to determine whether the faculty member under review could be expected to meet intellectual diversity criteria following promotion and/or tenure. This determination should be included as a part of the Chair’s evaluation letter.
Post-Tenure Review
Tenured faculty must be evaluated based on intellectual diversity criteria within five years of receiving tenure and at least once every five years thereafter.
The intellectual diversity review will be a component of the annual review related to teaching and will be documented in the faculty activity reporting system, Elements@IU. This will enable campus administrators to run automated reports on intellectual diversity and faculty performance using annual review information and eliminate the need for faculty to create dossiers for post-tenure review.
For faculty tenured before 2024, the intellectual diversity post-tenure review will consist of the intellectual diversity reviews starting with the 2025 annual review cycle, such that the initial fifth-year review will occur in the 2030 annual review cycle.
If a tenured faculty member has received severe sanctions resulting from intellectual diversity misconduct during a five-year period and has not already been subjected to the established Indianapolis Faculty Council review and enhancement process for those violations, a negative post-tenure evaluation will initiate the review and enhancement process.
Intellectual Diversity Complaints
Any university student or employee is able to report alleged misconduct related to intellectual diversity using the university's reporting tool, EthicsPoint. Allegations of misconduct are investigated using the university policy and procedures on Academic Appointee Responsibilities and Conduct: BOT-15. IFC adopted additional Procedures for Intellectual Diversity Complaints, which amend BOT-15 with details related to reviewing intellectual diversity-related complaints.
Updated: 11/21/2025
