Hunter
04/02/23
As news came out last week about Iowa Wesleyan University planning to close at the end of the semester, the Gazette reports they weren’t the only institute of higher learning requesting federal COVID relief funding by Governor Kim Reynolds.
According to the paper, four universities collaborated on a total request of $48 million — or $12 million apiece — from Iowa’s most recent $1.48 billion American Rescue Plan Act allocation, according to a “white paper” submitted to the governor’s office February 3rd.
Graceland University, Upper Iowa University, and William Penn University joined Wesleyan in the ask for federal relief. In their request, they called their schools primary employers in the small towns where they are based. The universities stressed the need for additional funding to recover from COVID pandemic impacts and continue to be a service provider for their rural communities.
Wesleyan President Chirstine Plunkett followed up the request with a separate letter to Governor Reynolds, stating that a denial of their funding request would leave them facing the threat of closure when they were making substantial progress.
A spokesman for the governor said that an independent risk assessment found the investment would only delay closure, leading her to deny the request. The decision on funding the other three universities is still pending.