Lang
2/25/25
University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson told Iowa lawmakers Monday that while the university is being careful with language, diversity…in the broadest sense of the word…“still matters.”
According to a report in Iowa Capital Dispatch, rather than having special privileges or programs for only certain students, Wilson said the university works to meet students where they are with the goal of helping everyone…regardless of their background or other aspects of their identity…thrive and graduate.
Wilson made the comments in response to a question from Democratic Iowa City Rep. Elinor Levin, who asked how first-generation student support programs are being impacted by directives and state laws barring DEI offices and activities on college campuses. Wilson said the university’s First Gen Hawks program, and many other student support services, aren’t and were never housed in a DEI office.
Another concern Levin brought up to Wilson was the announcement from the National Institutes of Health that it was capping indirect cost funding at 15%. Although the action is currently halted in the courts, Wilson said the UI could lose as much as $40 million in funding for the costs, which include hiring people to clean the labs in which research is conducted, protecting patient safety and data, and more. Wilson said school officials are letting congressional representatives know the risks involved in continuing to cap funding.
A link to the full Iowa Capital Dispatch article can be found here.