The Indiana Publisher

Page 8 H ave you ever had the feeling something's not right, but can't quite put your finger on why? That's the feeling I have concerning actions of Purdue University taken during the last days of the General Assembly connected to its planned acquisition of the online learning plat- form of Kaplan University. In the 168-page conference com- mittee report for the state budget bill (H.E.A. 1001) published 24 hours before its final vote in both the Indiana House and Senate, language was inserted at the request of Purdue University to exempt a "postsecondary SEI affiliated educational institution" from the Open Door Law, Access to Public Records Act and audit by the state Board of Accounts. The language was developed to cover Purdue's New U or whatever it decides to call the Kaplan courses in degree and certificate programs that currently serve 32,000 students through 2,462 faculty members at 15 campuses. New U will be controlled by Purdue University. It's my understanding there will be a six-member board of directors in charge with five of the six being Purdue University board of trustees members. I recently talked to two Purdue lob- byists in an attempt to understand why a public university that has oper- ated under the accountability tools of the state's public access laws and SBOA audits would ask the General Assembly to exempt this new educa- tional acquisition. I didn't get a reason for the exemp- tion, but explanations as to how New U is different: • There will be no public funding for New U. • New U is run by a "separate" board than Purdue University's Board of Trustees. • The deal was secured with $1. Nothing in that list explains why New U – controlled by Purdue – should be shielded from those pesky public access laws and state audit. There are still plenty of county hos- pitals across the state that haven't depended upon taxpayer dollars for years to operate, but they still fall under the Open Door Law, Access to Public Records Act and are subject to SBOA audits. The university lobbyists pointed out that the budget bill language includes a provision for reporting to the public certain aspects of the operations. I'll grant there's a provision that says the state Commission on Higher Education may require New U to pro- vide information on its financial situ- ation, academic programs and instruc- tion and student outcomes and make that information public, but the key word is "may." That's different than "shall." The deal also apparently raised some questions concerning the Indiana Constitution's ban on the state being a stockholder in any cor- poration (Art. 11, Section 12), because the language inserted in the budget bill's conference committee report back on pages 156 and 157 includes a provision declaring that this affiliation doesn't violate the state Constitution. It reminds me of another deal made by now Purdue president, then Governor Mitch Daniels – the leasing of the Indiana Toll Road. The legisla- tion approving that public-private agreement included a provision that essentially said if we violated state laws, which I believe occurred, con- cerning how this deal was done, the General Assembly forgives us. I don't think the budget bill lan- guage was added nefariously – prob- ably more a matter of timing as Purdue-Kaplan negotiations were ongoing. And I have no reason to believe the exemptions to public access and audit was included with ill intent. I have no qualms about the innova- tive move taken by Purdue to reach potential students who can't take the time to attend traditional college courses over a four-year period. As Daniels explained last week to the Education Writers Association: "None of us know how fast or in what direction online higher education will evolve, but we know its role will grow and we intend that Purdue be posi- tioned to be a leader as that happens." If a public university is launching initiatives toward an uncharted hori- zon, I would argue all the more reason to have in place, the tools of public accountability. This just doesn't feel right to me. Steve Key is executive director and general counsel for the Hoosier State Press Association. Key Points Steve Key Something wrong in Purdue acquisition LIKE THE HOOSIER STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION ON FACEBOOK FOR INDUSTRY NEWS, DEADLINES AND UPDATES. June 8, 2017 News in brief The Local Media Association high- lights two workshops in its two-day conference beginning on August 15-17 in Chicago. The first is Disruptive Innovation: An Industry Discussion. This ses- sion is Moderated by Dr. Paul Wang, Associate Professor, Medill IMC Program at Northwestern University. The Innovator's Dilemma, by Clay Christensen, rocked the media indus- try's world more than a decade ago. Terms such as "Jobs to be Done" and "Fail Fast; Fail Cheap" have become part of the industry's vocabulary since the book was published. Christensen's latest book, Competing Against Luck, applies these principles to current- day disruptors such as Uber, Airbnb and Amazon. In this opening session, the dynam- ic Dr. Wang will lead a very interac- tive group discussion based on the Christensen book. The goal is to help media companies identify the current- day "jobs to be done" and develop strategies around those jobs. A small group exercise will also take place with LMA board members serving as table moderators. The second featured session is a Facebook Executive-Level Workshop. The workshop is conducted by Jason White, Head of News Partnerships/ U.S. at Facebook. This program, specifically designed for senior-level executives, will share opportunities to monetize social. White has identified several local media companies that are having suc- cess, and will share their case stud- ies. Jason will also provide updates on The Facebook Journalism Project and will specifically address Instant Articles, sponsored content, video and more. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. This session should provide a lot of clarity for local media execu- tives that are trying to figure out the right distributed content strategy for their company. The conference also includes a Cubs game on August 16. More information and registration at www.localmedia.org. LMA presents Media Transformation 2017 Bricker named News-Banner Assistant Editor Jessica Bricker has been named the News-Banner's assistant edi- tor. She fills the leadership role left vacant when Dave Schultz was made editor last November upon the hiring of Publisher Doug Brown. This is Bricker's fourth anniversary with the newspaper. "I am thrilled to work in this new capacity," Bricker said. "Bluffton is my home and I care deeply about how our citizens engage with their hometown source of news. I am excited to see what the future holds." Bricker — whose last name was Williams until her wedding to Allen Bricker —was born in Bluffton and graduated from Huntington North High School in 2009. She earned her bachelor of arts in journalism with distinc- tion from Indiana University- Bloomington in 2013, also earn- ing minors in history and politi- cal science. "Jessica pays attention to the details, but she also is devoted to the art of journalism and sees the big picture," Schultz said. "We're thrilled to have Jessica take this larger roll at the News- Banner," Brown said. "She is the perfect person for this position and deserves this promo- tion." Bricker works as a beat reporter, cov- ering Wells County government and Markle Town Council. She has also taken a spe- cial interest in enterprise projects and has been recognized at local and state levels for her work. She is a graduate of Levels 1 and 2 of the Wells County Leadership Academy and is a volunteer with the Wells County Girls Softball League and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana. - News-Banner (Bluffton) Due June 16 Entries for 2017 Best Advertising Contest Details at hspa.com/advertising-contest Bricker

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