April 24-25, 2024 Recap
The Board of Regents met April 24-25 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center in Ames. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.
Board Leadership Elections VIDEO
President Sherry Bates and President Pro Tem Greta Rouse were unanimously elected to continue in their positions for full terms. Bates and Rouse were elected to fill unexpired terms at the February 2024 meeting, with Bates filling the term of President Mike Richards and Rouse filling Bates’s opened position. The full terms of Bates and Rouse will commence May 1, 2024 and run through April 30, 2026.
Farewell to Regent Richards VIDEO
The meeting was the final meeting for Regent Mike Richards, who resigned his seat in January after nearly 8 years as a board member. Richards was elected as the 22nd President of the Board in 2017 and served in that capacity until his January resignation. He was re-elected three times, in 2018, 2020 and 2022, and was the longest serving president since Owen Newlin served a nine-year term from 1996 to 2005.
Richards guided the Regents enterprise through the Covid-19 pandemic, instituted a 50-year public-private partnership at UI, led successful searches for all three university presidents, oversaw significant expansion of the institutional footprints, and led the enterprise through significant structural change.
DEI Updates VIDEO
The Board received a progress report and implementation timeline from the university presidents on the Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion directives adopted at the November 2023 meeting.
Academic Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Academic Affairs Committee received the annual tenure report, the biennial review of the Regents Admissions Index, a faculty presentation on high-impact practices for undergraduates and a review of the classic learning test. In addition, the committee approved 2024-25 promotion and tenure requests and new programs at all three institutions, including an online MBA at UNI.
Read More: Online MBA at UNI
Property and Facilities Committee VIDEO
The Property and Facilities Committee approved a UI property sale and a 15-year lease of Urbandale Medical LLC. The committee also approved capital registers from Iowa and Iowa State that included burn treatment center expansions at UI and an expansion of the Lloyd Large Animal Hospital at Iowa State.
Read More: Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center Large Animal Hospital Expansion
Free Speech and Student Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Free Speech and Student Affairs Committee received a presentation on supporting veterans on campus. Additionally, the committee received an update on the latest Campus Free Speech Survey results.
Read More: Free Speech Survey Results
Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee VIDEO
The Governance, Evaluation and HR Committee approved appointments to committees, boards and commissions, which outlines standing committees, provides committee appointments and designations and establishes appointments to external boards and commissions. Additionally, the committee approved the appointment of Mary Sirna as Director of Equal Opportunity at Iowa State.
Bond Sales VIDEO
Board Chief Business Officer Brad Berg and Elizabeth Bergman presented two UI bond sales that were approved by the Board.
Parking Rates
The Board approved various changes to parking rates for FY 2025, including increases for faculty/staff and student permits. The last increases for permits occurred in FY 2016.
Residence System Rates
The Board approved residence system rates for the 2024-25 academic year. The universities offer many different room and board options to students at varying rates. The most popular double residence hall room and meal plan increased by 4.8% at UI, 5.8% at ISU and 3.5% at UNI.
FY 2025 Salary Policies VIDEO
The Regents heard remarks from groups of faculty and staff who are not organized for the purpose of collective bargaining, including the UI Faculty Senate and Staff Council, ISU Faculty Senate and Professional and Scientific Council, the UNI Professional and Scientific Council and the Regents Interinstitutional Supervisory Confidential Council. The Board will consider FY 2025 salary policies at the June 2024 meeting.
Audit and Compliance Committee VIDEO
Board Chief Audit Executive Chad Sharp presented internal audits for the committee’s consideration.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Committee VIDEO
The committee received the UIHC presentation from VP for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Carver College of Medicine Denise Jamieson, Associate VP of UI Health Care and UIHC CEO Bradley Haws, and Associate VP for Finance and UIHC CFO Mark Henrichs.