Braun praises IU president Whitten amid plagiarism questions
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IU president Pamela Whitten. Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Gov. Mike Braun praised the work of Pamela Whitten to cut the number of degrees offered by Indiana University and run the system more efficiently after meeting with the embattled university president Monday.
Why it matters: IU's faculty and students have been largely critical of Whitten, but the support of the governor — who now controls the university's board of trustees — could insulate her from the fallout of recent plagiarism allegations.
Catch up quick: The Chronicle of Higher Education first reported in January that Whitten plagiarized a small part of her 1996 doctoral dissertation at the University of Kansas.
- IU has said the allegations were reviewed and found meritless by an independent law firm.
- Last week, Braun told Axios that he had just heard about the allegations and wouldn't comment on them but expected the board to act swiftly and "do the right thing."
Driving the news: Braun said he had "a great conversation" with Whitten on Monday.
- "I've been clear, I want to see that place run in a way (that's) maybe a little more like what Purdue has been run like … being run more efficiently," he said during a media availability.
- Braun said he plans to have regular meetings with "any main individual … that's involved with the state's business."
The intrigue: Braun said the plagiarism allegations that have been dogging Whitten only came up "very briefly."
- Braun told us he hasn't had further conversation with his hand-picked board about the issue and will let it "play its own course."
What he's saying: "She acted like that was not an issue and that it was something probably being trumped up by people that were against her for other reasons," Braun told reporters.
The other side: Whitten and IU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.