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Indiana University

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Beautiful Campus, Awful Community - Project Manager Indiana University Employee Review

3.0
Oct 10, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The campus and area are absolutely beautiful. The autumn colors and the rolling hills make this an extremely attractive area. Bloomington probably leads the nation in restaurants per capita. Benefits are solid.

Cons

Without a doubt the most unfriendly community in which I've ever lived. I had heard rumors about this before moving there. After 2 years, I understood. I had thought the liberal bastion of Indiana would have been more welcoming, but it was the exact opposite. It is a politically and demographically polarized environment. People were ruder than the ones I encountered in Washington, DC. Many in the community will shove their ultra liberal agenda down your throat, and this has led to considerably animosity and distrust. It is also a very poor community, one of the poorest in the nation, and the separation between the poorer, rural folks and the high paid faculty is pronounced. Knew others who abandoned the community for the same reasons. As for the university, you need to go in with the understanding that this is one of the most liberal universities in the country. Non liberal philosophies are not welcome and are discouraged. Do not expect to have great friendships at work, because distrust is spread in the water.

Explore other reviews about Indiana University

5.0
Jun 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits and PTO were not bad

Cons

Lower pay than private offices but has benefits.

1.0
Apr 7, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Historically the University has offered good benefits, although these have been cut back recently to improve the institution's bottom line. (Specifically, cuts to 403b contributions and changes to insurance benefits and HSA contributions.)

Cons

Over the course of 200 years, the University developed a strong reputation for outstanding programs and research, academic freedom, leadership, and integrity which led to a great sense of pride and community among the employees. Since the arrival of the current president in 2021, and aided by the Governor's takeover of the Board of Trustees in 2025, all of this has been squandered. Top administrators hired on since 2021 (there are legions) cannot be trusted. They disregard IU's culture. They ask staff to lie to students. They violate free speech, They put students in harm's way. They operate in secret. The Trustees also operate in secret (sometimes in violation of open meeting laws), and are unresponsive to faculty votes of no-confidence in top leadership. Renowned academic programs have been closed or damaged. Staff who have served the University honorably and faithfully for years beginning prior to 2021 have been fired or forced to resign without due process. Positions have been eliminated. Hiring has slowed or stalled. Pay is insufficient compared to peer institutions. Understandably, the sense of pride and community has nearly vanished, except for football fans (although the football program succeeds at the expense of other programs). Mistrust, fear, disbelief, and uncertainty are the norms. Before 2021, I would have enthusiastically recommended IU as a top employer. Now, I say avoid at all costs.

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