February 23, 2022 Meeting Recap

February 23, 2022

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The Board of Regents met February 23 in Urbandale. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.

2022-2027 Strategic Plan
The Board approved its five-year strategic plan, which prioritizes student success and the academic experience, service to Iowans, operational excellence and effectiveness and stakeholder engagement. 

Further: 2022-2027 Board of Regents Strategic Plan

IPR Transfer Request
The Board authorized the transfer of university properties and licenses related to public radio stations in Iowa to Iowa Public Radio, Inc. IPR, which operates independently of Board of Regents funding and has since 2020, was established in 2007 to operate the universities’ public radio groups. 

More: IPR Transfer Request

Graduation and Retention Report
Associate Chief Academic Officer Jason Pontius presented the Fall 2021 Graduation and Retention Report. Overall retention rates are down one percentage point and graduation rates within six years are up two percentage points. Both metrics are well above national averages. 

Academic Affairs Committee
The committee approved requests for two new programs at UNI, including the BS in Automation Engineering Technology and BA in Business Analytics programs. ISU received approval for the Translational AI Research and Education Center and the Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation, while UI received approval for two new programs and a new Hawkeye Intellectual and Developmental Disability Resource Center. In addition, the Board received the annual distance education report and an update on the most recent winter session at Iowa’s public universities.

Read More: Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation at ISU

Property and Facilities Committee
The Board approved the UI request to name a new planned patient care tower on the UI Health Care main campus in honor of Richard O. Jacobson, whose foundation recently committed a transformational $70 million gift to the university. The Board also approved schematic design, project description and budget for a new UI Wrestling Training Facility. Permission to proceed with project planning was authorized for the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Phase 2 project, which combines all VDL operations under a single roof to better support Iowa’s animal agriculture industry. 

Read More: $70 Million Gift to the University of Iowa

Further: Iowa Wrestling Facility Request

Campus and Student Affairs Committee
The committee received the annual student financial aid report, which noted that federal and private aid dropped in 2020-21, while institutional aid grew and that the Regent universities continue to have the lowest net price among four-year colleges and universities in Iowa. 

Free Speech Committee
The committee received an update on free speech campus training. In addition, results from the first free speech survey report were presented. The Board approved a series of free speech-related recommendations last February, with a free speech survey to be administered every two years as part of that approval.

Read more: Free Speech Survey Results

Investment and Finance Committee
The Board received the quarterly investment report from Marquette and Associates and approved modification of financial institutions, brokerage firms and money market mutual funds.  

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, Associate VP of UI Health Care and UIHC CEO Suresh Gunasekaran, and Associate VP for Finance and UIHC CFO Mark Henrichs. Dr. Jason Wilken, director, Collaborative Research and Development and associate professor in the UI Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science presented his research on carbon fiber custom dynamic orthoses to restore limb function. President Richards read a proclamation in honor of Gunasekaran, who will become CEO of the University of California, San Francisco’s health system in March.

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

Honorary Degrees
The Board approved Iowa State’s request to award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Dan Houston, chairman, president and CEO of Principal Financial Group. Also approved was UNI’s request to award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to John R. Dinger, former ambassador of the U.S. State Department. 

Personnel Appointments
Sharon Perry Fantini, was appointed Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Iowa State. Kimberly Hunter was named Interim CEO of UIHC and Associate VP of UI Health Care effective March 1, 2022. Tina Caloud was appointed Director of Outreach at the Iowa School for the Deaf.  
 

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