Kinsey Institute to remain at Indiana University after Board of Trustees vote

The Kinsey Institute will remain at Indiana University and not be transformed into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, after IU administration changed course and asked the Board of Trustees to pursue accounting solutions to keep the institute at IU.

The administration's proposal, which the trustees approved unanimously, says IU will work with the Indiana State Board of Accounts to ensure compliance with an Indiana law passed last year that barred state dollars from coming to the institute.

“With the action taken today, we are taking steps to ensure that the Kinsey Institute remains a beacon of intellectual inquiry,” IU President Pamela Whitten said in a statement. “I offer my thanks to the Board of Trustees for their unwavering commitment and support.”

The proposal and vote came as a surprise to many at the Kinsey Institute, who were expecting Whitten to propose severing the institute into a separate nonprofit. Despite pressure from the public and Kinsey Institute, IU had, for months, seemed poised to move forward with a plan to sever the institute into a nonprofit to ensure state funds were kept separate.

Melissa Blundell, a research assistant at the Kinsey Institute who attended the March 1 trustees meeting, said she was pleased with the board's decision and believes keeping the institute within IU's operations will protect it.

"It was exactly what we wanted," Blundell said. "The proposal to sever it left Kinsey vulnerable to being dissolved entirely. As part of IU's legacy, this is incredibly important to make sure that it can remain at IU and remain safe."

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Trustees vote to keep Kinsey Institute at Indiana University