Lang
2/6/24
A bill making its way through the Iowa Legislature would change how presidents are hired at the three Regents universities.
Currently, finalists for the position are recommended by a search committee comprised of members of the campus community of the university in question. The recommendations then go to the Board of Regents, which selects a new president.
Under a bill being proposed by House Republicans, the search committee would be exclusively made up of a subset of the Board of Regents. The committee would recommend a finalist, who would then be approved by the full board. The board could only hire a candidate recommended by the subcommittee.
The identities of the candidates would be kept confidential until the new president is announced. In the past, candidates’ names were released to the public, and they would meet with members of the campus community ahead of the selection process.
The bill would also add two non-voting members to the Board of Regents, made up of two members of the legislature. One would be chosen by the Senate majority leader and the other would be selected by the Speaker of the House.
Also included in the bill is a provision that would cap tuition increases at 3%. Last year the Regents approved a 3.5% increase. It would also ensure Regents universities develop policies that would lead to recruiting more “intellectually- and philosophically-diverse” staff.