April 6-7, 2022 Meeting Recap

The Board of Regents met April 6-7 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center in Ames. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.

Personnel Appointments
John Cool was appointed Interim Superintendent at Iowa School for the Deaf and Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. At UNI, Heather Harbach was appointed VP for Student Life and Colleen Mulholland was appointed Dean of the College of Education. 

Read More: John Cool to be Named Interim Superintendent at ISD/IESBVI

Academic Affairs Committee
The committee approved requests for two new programs at the University of Iowa, including a bachelor of arts in translation program and an online master of science in business analytics program. UNI’s new Family Business Center was approved, expanding its efforts to aid Iowa-based family owned businesses. ISU added graduate-level programs in entrepreneurship and community development. 

In addition, the three universities requested a professional studies major designation be added to the bachelor of liberal studies programs to assist students and employers in understanding the role and value of the degree. Finally, the committee heard the annual tenure report and received 2022-23 promotion and tenure requests. 

Read More: UNI Requests New Center to Help Family Businesses in Iowa

Further: Adding Value with a Professional Studies Major

Residence System and Parking Rates
The Board approved the universities’ academic year 2022-23 proposed rates for all residence halls, apartments and board options. In short, rate changes for each university’s most popular double residence hall room and meal plan were three percent at UI and ISU and two percent at UNI. 

UI added Iowa City and Coralville bus passes and removed and reduced a number of parking fees. Iowa State increased its most popular staff and student parking pass rates by 3.8 percent. UNI cut its general staff and general staff reserved permits by more than 15 and 18 percent, respectively. Student parking rates received modest increases or stayed flat. 

Faculty Presentation
Hongwei Zhang, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, Anderlik Professor in Mechanical Engineering, presented on their new centers at ISU. Zhang leads the Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation, which is creating a rural “wireless living laboratory” to bring high speed internet to rural areas. Ganapathysubramanian leads the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA), which focuses on the convergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

Salary Discussion
Representatives from groups of faculty and staff who are not organized presented to the Board on FY 2023 salary policies. The following groups were invited to present: UI Faculty Senate, UI Staff Council, ISU Faculty Senate, ISU Professional and Scientific Council, UNI Professional and Scientific Council, ISD Faculty, ISD Professional and Scientific Staff, IESBVI Faculty, IESBVI Professional and Scientific Staff, Regents Interinstitutional Supervisory Confidential Council. 

Reports from Institutional Heads
Presidents Barbara Wilson, Wendy Wintersteen and Mark Nook, and Superintendent Steve Gettel presented the Board with updates on campus activities. 

Property and Facilities Committee
The committee approved project description and budget for the Hardin Library of Health Sciences building renovation project, a $2.4 million project that would renovate 3,800 square feet of Hardin Library. ISU received permission to renovate its administrative services building’s HVAC system. 

Public Comment Period
Five individuals spoke to the Board during the public comment period. They included Jonathan Scherling and Sarah Young Bear-Brown, who spoke on the future of the Iowa School for the Deaf. Abigayle Moser, Manish Mosalpuri and Anton Skvoretz, all ISU students, spoke to the Board on ISU’s position in the global climate plan.

Campus and Student Affairs Committee
The committee received the annual update from campus diversity officers and heard a presentation on campus substance abuse support. 

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Committee
The committee received the UIHC presentation from VP for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Carver College of Medicine Brooks Jackson, Interim Associate VP of UI Health Care and UIHC CEO Kimberly Hunter, and Associate VP for Finance and UIHC CFO Mark Henrichs. 

Audit and Compliance Committee
Board Chief Audit Executive Deb Johnston presented internal audit reports.