College President Reviewing Proposal

Enrollment is down, tuitions are up, the state of Indiana is in the midst of a budget crunch and staffers only got a two-percent raise this year.

So what in the world makes Indiana State University administrators think they should buy an airplane? That's the question among critics and some students at the university as administrators continue looking into a possible purchase.

"Clearly, we're facing some interesting budgetary times and it may be an inappropriate time," said University President Lloyd Benjamin. Still, Benjamin told the Terre Haute Tribune-Star that the university's aerospace technology department would benefit greatly if the school can afford a Beech King Air. "I think we are allowed to do those things on a university campus," he told the paper.

The faculty at the school of aerospace technology voted unanimously to approve the purchase, but had little to say about the plan.

"I've had no dealing with this. The matter was presented to us, and faculty did approve it unanimously," said faculty member Stephen Shure in an interview with the Star-Tribune. "I do not know the inner workings of this proposal ... the matter is being handled by our chair, Greg Schwab, and the administration."

"Some faculty perceived there was significant pressure from the administration that faculty approve this," said assistant professor Don Burger.

An aviation school turning down the administration's offer to purchase a complex turbo-prop aircraft?

Benjamin's story is quite different from those from Burger and Shure. He says he spent much of the summer and early fall researching the purchase with aerospace technology chairman Schwab. Quickly, rumor spread on campus that Benjamin was using school funds to purchase an aircraft for his own use. A flurry of emails flew around campus, with one question being how the school president would be able to deny such rumors.

The aircraft would be purchased for the benefit of aerospace technology students, said administrators like Vice President Gregg Floyd. "Why should the president have to be brought into something and denying a rumor that he had no involvement in?" Floyd said. "The president is trying to help this program... it was angering to me and I was very concerned."

Still, administrators admitted they would probably use the aircraft to conduct school business.

Benjamin (right) told the newspaper that "the concept is a decent one and I think it needs to be thoroughly researched." Having a university aircraft would "expand the president's ability to make the connections and contacts that are expected of a president," he said. "I think that's quite the custom at a lot of universities across the US."

Those studies continue. Beechcraft has already submitted a $2.8 million proposal for a King Air C90D and a $5 million bid on a King 200, according to ISU officials. The bids expired September 30th with no action taken.

"It's hard to make it a top priority right now, given the disruption that's been caused on campus," Floyd said last month. Friday, he indicated that his office is still awaiting information from Schwab to determine if the proposal is feasible.

FMI: www.indstate.edu