Episode Details

A Conversation with Elinor Ostrom:: Seven Tribulations of Higher Education

Seven Tribulations of Higher Education

Indiana University, Bloomington

Like the Ten Plagues visited on the ancient Egyptian Pharoah, today American universities struggle with the Seven Tribulations of Higher Education.  Sadly, great flagship universities, like Indiana University, Bloomington, suffer from these tribulations. Actually, there are more than 7 or 10 tribulations. These tribulations involve dozens of intermingling jetties of mean-spirited national and state bigotries posing as populist politics. They are often cover for greedy efforts by the wealthy to lower their own taxes and undermine basic benefits for the poor in our nation and world. Birthed in ignorance of history and implemented with arrogance, they also, sadly, undercut educational opportunities for future generations of our children and youth.

These seven tribulations are mentioned in a series of four brief video recordings. These recordings were made alongside four of the remarkable leaders in the history of Indiana University. The video featuring Herman B Wells speaks of Academic Freedom, Equity and Racial Justice, Strong Community Relationships, and the right to Peaceful Protest. The video featuring Ernie Pyle speaks to the Freedom of the Press. The video featuring Alfred Kinsey speaks of the significance of scientific research. Finally, the video featuring Elinor Ostrom, speaks to the value of an Economic and Environmental Commons. 

Here is more background to accompany the Seven Tribulations of Higher Education videos:

1)  Academic Freedom: In recent years professors have been suspended, censured, or threatened for holding unpopular views; graduate student worker requests for better pay are ignored; a long-scheduled art exhibit was cancelled at the last minute; support for academic centers like the Kinsey Institute has been withheld; and, attacks on faculty from members of the state legislature pertaining to course content, faculty hiring and evaluation processes have been met with complicit silence. In April 2024, by large majorities, the faculty voted “no confidence” in the president, provost and vice provost. The “no confidence” vote on the president was over 93%. Following this, the board of trustees indicated “full support” for the president and offered scant attention to attacks on academic freedom.  (#1 video is at the statue with former president and chancellor, Herman B Wells)

2)  Equity and Racial Justice: The university commitment to an equal and accessible education for all has been attacked, undercut and greatly diminished. Again, this has been led by state house crafted legislative attacks on programs and funds designed to provide equal access to education for ALL students. The current national administration joins in a racist commitment to end all programming that is said to fall under the rubric of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI. The irony, of course, is that this hurts ALL students, including white students from low-wealth communities. I.U. has removed all DEI language from the university website. Posters on campus reading “Build a community where all belong” are being removed. The extent of the DEI cleansing is outlined in this article from the Indiana Daily Student: https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/03/iu-dei-removed-diversity-language-website-posters. Addressing bigotry and discrimination based on race or wealth was once a core value of the university’s mission. As a Christian pastor, let me clearly name this as unbridled RACISM and an attack on the poor. (#2 Dr. Herman B Wells represented the idea in his actions and lead