Trustee Election

Trustees shape IU’s future

Indiana University alumni help steer and steward the university by electing three of the nine members of the IU Board of Trustees. Indiana's governor appoints the other six, including a student trustee.

All trustees serve three-year terms, with the exception of the student trustee who serves a two-year term. Alumni-elected trustees serve rotating terms, and alumni vote for one trustee each year. A successful candidate begins the three-year term on July 1 immediately following the election; the term ends on June 30 of the third year in office.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 trustee election was canceled. Therefore, two alumni-elected trustees will be chosen in 2021. The candidate with the highest number of votes will serve the normal three-year term. The candidate with the next highest number of votes will serve an abbreviated two-year term.

Voting in the election

Any IU degree holder can vote in the trustee election. There are two ways to vote:

Vote online

or Vote by paper

  • Mailed ballots will be sent by June 1 to graduates who have voted by paper ballot in any of the three prior trustee elections.
  • To request a paper ballot, contact Amy Cope, alumni trustee election coordinator, at truselec@indiana.edu or 812-855-6610.

In accordance with state law, the IUAA manages the trustee election under the direction of the dean of University Libraries. The election opens June 1, 12:01 a.m. ET. The election closes June 30, 10 a.m. ET., unless June 30 is a Sunday; in that case, the election closes June 29, 10 a.m. ET. The announcement of the winner (in 2021, two winners) comes shortly after the close of the election.

Frequently asked questions about voting

When you vote online, you will first have to authenticate yourself with three pieces of information:

  • Name, date of birth, and one of the following three criteria: last four digits of your Social Security number, alumni ID, or university ID
    • IUAA members will find their alumni ID on their membership card or in the upper left corner of their magazine mailing label.

If you do not know your ID or need assistance, please contact Amy Cope, alumni trustee election coordinator, at truselec@indiana.edu or 812-855-6610.

Paper ballots will be automatically sent to graduates who have voted in any of the three prior trustee elections via paper ballot, or to those who request one. Any IU degree holder who does not receive a ballot or whose ballot is lost or destroyed may obtain another by contacting the Alumni Trustee Election office:

Amy Cope
Alumni Trustee Election Coordinator
Herman B Wells Library, Room 234
1320 E. 10th St.
Bloomington, IN 47405
812-855-6610
truselec@indiana.edu

If you choose to vote using a paper ballot, please be sure to sign the envelope.

The Indiana statutes that govern the election require that you sign the envelope; envelopes received without signatures are declared void. If you are not comfortable mailing an envelope showing your signature, you may either sign up to vote online or enclose the signed, official envelope inside another envelope before mailing.

Our website and voting form are both screen-reader capable. If you need additional accommodations, contact Amy Cope, alumni trustee election coordinator, at 812-855-6610 or truselec@indiana.edu.

Learn about the trustees

Meet the current trustees; find meetings, minutes, and agendas; and delve into the board’s history.

Find out more about the Board of Trustees