Dive Brief:
- Illinois’ first-term governor, Bruce Rauner, selected an anti-union, part-time instructor from the state’s flagship university as the lone faculty representative on the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
- Inside Higher Ed reports John Bambenek’s appointment has angered other faculty, who are calling for the Illinois Senate to reject it and allow a new representative to actually represent the beliefs of a majority of faculty in the state’s public schools.
- The State Board of Higher Education, among other things, has approval power over proposals for new academic programs presented by university governing boards or the Illinois Community College Board.
Dive Insight:
Not surprisingly, Rauner has been accused of appointing people who think like him and then touting their policy recommendations. He has said Bambenek’s experience as an adjunct faculty member and a business owner will bring important expertise to the board. The question of representation is an important one, though. If public higher education faculty are in opposition with a governor who prevented any funding from reaching their institutions for 10 months into the fiscal year, why would they support a faculty appointment he makes? But Inside Higher Ed reports very few faculty representatives sit on such boards, overall. The Association of Governing Boards does not even endorse faculty participation on governing boards because of potential conflicts of interest.