June 10-12, 2025 Meeting Recap

June 12, 2025

The Iowa Board of Regents met June 10-12, 2025 at the University of Iowa Levitt Center in Iowa City. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.

Welcome Regent Tjaden
The meeting served as the first in-person meeting for Regent Kurt Tjaden, who was appointed in March by Governor Kim Reynolds. Tjaden fills the seat of Regent Jim Lindenmayer, who retired from the Board in May.

Evaluations and Compensation VIDEO
The Board held its annual evaluations of the university presidents and executive director. Following evaluations, the Board approved the following compensation plans:

For Executive Director Mark Braun:

Increase his base salary to $176,384 effective July 1, 2025.
Establish a new deferred compensation plan commencing July 1, 2025 and terminating June 30, 2027 with annual contributions of $230,000.
Delegate to the Board President the authority to negotiate and finalize a retirement incentive agreement to be effective July 2, 2027.

For University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson:

Increase her base salary to $825,000 effective July 1, 2025.

For Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen:

Increase her base salary to $735,000 effective July 1, 2025

For University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook:

Increase his base salary to $410,000 effective July 1, 2025

Farewell Laura Dickson VIDEO
President Bates read a resolution honoring Board of Regents Executive Assistant Laura Dickson, who is retiring this summer. Dickson has served the Board of Regents as executive assistant since 2006.

Iowa State University Presidential Search VIDEO
The Board received professional development training in presidential search best practices from Dr. Roderick McDavis, Managing Principal of AGB Search. McDavis was President of Ohio University for 13 years and has been at AGB Search since 2017.

Prior to the meeting, the Board announced it had hired AGB Search to assist with the search for the next President of Iowa State. The Presidential Search Committee also was announced.

2025-26 Tuition and Fee Rates VIDEO
The Board approved Tuition and Fee Rates for academic year 2025-26. Undergraduate base tuition rate increases of three percent at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University and 2.7 percent at the University of Northern Iowa were approved. No action was taken on UNI undergraduate non-resident tuition rates for students residing in contiguous states. Action is expected to be taken on those rates at a subsequent meeting.

Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee VIDEO
The committee approved salary policies, professional and scientific pay structures and student insurance rates for the coming academic year. In addition, the committee heard a first reading of policy manual changes regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory as they apply to course materials and content. A final reading of policy manual changes is scheduled for the July meeting.

Property and Facilities Committee VIDEO
The Committee approved capital registers from the three universities and the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. The UI register included early work on UI Health Care’s forthcoming Patient Care Tower, which includes skywalk updates, utility work and roadway changes. Approval of UNI’s register granted permission to proceed with project planning for its Commons Modernization project, which will renovate the UNI Commons to house the Center for Civic Education.

Academic Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Committee approved UI’s plan to move its MS in Finance program from in-person to online only.