Online voting in the 2022 Trustee Election begins June 1 at 12:01 a.m. and ends June 30 at 10:00 a.m. ET. Please encourage voting among all IU graduates.

We are sending this message early to underscore the importance of acting in a fair, impartial manner in all matters related to the Trustee Election. Please note the following guidelines in the conduct of these activities:

• Alumni leaders and groups are encouraged to invite trustee candidates to alumni events and engage in other activities that encourage fellow IU graduates to vote in the election. All should be provided a fair and equal opportunity to participate in activities designed to raise awareness of and voting in the election. Leaders and groups hosting such events are advised to develop and provide all candidates who participate in these activities a clear and common set of “rules of engagement” to ensure all candidates are given the same opportunity to participate, present issues, and exchange views.
• Communications that mention a particular person’s candidacy must also mention all other candidates’ names, and direct readers to the election website: TrusteeElection.iu.edu
• Speakers at alumni events may announce that a particular guest is running for trustee, but the speaker also must mention all other candidates prominently.
• IUAA employees, the Board of Managers, Executive Council, and other IUAA-recognized alumni communities (affiliate groups, chapters, and constituent societies) must not formally endorse or support individual candidates for IU Trustee. This policy includes signing candidate petitions, as doing so can be easily misconstrued as endorsement or support.

Given its effectiveness in sharing information broadly, candidates are encouraged to use social media channels to communicate to alumni their qualifications for the Trustee role they are seeking. These forums are also effective means for alumni leaders and groups to promote awareness and encourage voting.

• Employees and alumni volunteers regularly use social media and should consider their role when interacting with social media, since the distinction between personal and professional views are easily obscured in social media. While IUAA employees and elected members of IUAA-recognized groups may follow the personal pages of a given candidate, they should not endorse, follow, “favorite” or “like” pages created specifically to advance the candidacy of a particular individual, since such actions can be construed as endorsement of a particular candidate. Expressed opinions regarding individual candidates must be qualified along the lines of, “This is my personal opinion, and does not represent the position of the IU Alumni Association.”
• IUAA staff and volunteers may not provide the email addresses, phone numbers, or postal addresses of IU alumni to candidates. This is prohibited by Indiana University data use policies and practices.

Elections are a wonderful expression of the democratic character of our beloved alma mater. Please take extra care to ensure this is an election that ultimately bolsters confidence in the University and the alumni who are elected to serve as Trustees of Indiana University. To learn about the trustee candidates once they have been verified (in April) and to vote, please visit: TrusteeElection.iu.edu

Thank you for encouraging participation in the IU Trustee Election. Mike Mann, mitmann@iu.edu or I are available if you have questions or need clarification.