November 11-13, 2025 Meeting Recap
The Iowa Board of Regents met November 11-13, 2025 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center in Ames. Selected items discussed are outlined below.
Cook Named 17th President of Iowa State University VIDEO
Following final interviews on Tuesday, the Board named David Cook the 17th President of Iowa State, succeeding Wendy Wintersteen. Cook, President of North Dakota State University, will take office in Ames March 1, 2026.
Press Release: Iowa Board of Regents Names David Cook as President of Iowa State
Video: David Cook Introduced as Iowa State’s 17th President
Hiring the President: The ISU Presidential Search, Step-by-Step
Interim President Spalding VIDEO
The Board appointed David Spalding, ISU vice president for economic development and industry relations, to serve as Interim President after President Wintersteen retires and before President Cook assumes office.
Regent McKibben Remembered
President Bates began the Friday session with words of remembrance for former Regent Larry McKibben, who passed away earlier this week. McKibben was a member of the Board of Regents from 2013-19.
Fall Enrollment Report VIDEO
Associate Chief Academic Officer Jason Pontius presented the Fall 2025 enrollment report. This year, total student enrollment at Iowa’s Regent universities increased by 1,378 students, or 2 percent from Fall 2024. Undergraduate enrollment also increased by 1,471 students. Iowa residents represent 58 percent of students enrolled at Iowa’s public universities, including 61 percent of undergraduate students.
More on the 2025 Fall Enrollment Report
Workforce Alignment VIDEO
Last February, Board of Regents President Sherry Bates charged the universities and the Board Office to conduct a review of academic programs to determine how they fit with high-demand jobs and align with workforce needs in the state. The Board received the report on Wednesday afternoon.
More on the Workforce Alignment study
Facility Analysis of Presidential Residences VIDEO
Representatives from all three universities presented updates on presidential residences, with emphasis on ISU’s Knoll. At the September 2025 meeting, President Sherry Bates asked Regent Kurt Tjaden to lead efforts in creating a plan to update ISU’s presidential residence in time to involve the new president.
Tuition Guarantee Study VIDEO
House File 440 mandated the Board to research the merits of a tuition guarantee program, whereby students that enroll as freshmen at one of Iowa’s public universities would not see a tuition increase during their subsequent three academic years.
Economic Development and Technology Transfer Report VIDEO
Board of Regents Senior Communications Director Josh Lehman presented the annual Economic Development and Technology Transfer Report. Lehman and representatives from the three universities outlined their efforts to aid university collaboration with business and industry to foster economic development and entrepreneurship efforts in Iowa.
Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee VIDEO
The committee approved appointments to committees, boards and commissions. Center for Intellectual Freedom bylaws were tabled during Consent Agenda discussions on Thursday morning.
Free Speech and Student Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Board heard its annual update on First Amendment training from university representatives as part of the Free Speech and Student Affairs Committee. In addition, the committee authorized the 2025-26 Free Speech Survey for the three universities, which is performed every two years.
Property and Facilities Committee VIDEO
The Committee approved the UI Register, which included numerous UI Health Care related projects. In addition, the ISU Register, including its dining support center project, and the UNI Register, which included plans for revamping its Redeker Dining Center, were approved.
Academic Affairs Committee VIDEO
The committee approved new programs and department realignment plans at UNI. Further, the committee received the annual accreditation report, biennial faculty activity reports and assignments and the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory annual report. The committee also approved an honorary Doctor of Musical Arts degree request from UI for Steven Schick, Distinguished Professor of Music and Reed Family Presidential Chair at the University of California, San Diego.
Faculty Presentation VIDEO
Karl Mueller, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory and ISU Professor of Chemistry, presented The Ames National Laboratory: Science and Technology for the Future to the Board.
Audit and Compliance Committee VIDEO
Chief Audit Executive Chad Sharp presented internal audits to the Committee.
Investment and Finance Committee VIDEO
The committee received the quarterly investment report from Dave Smith and Doug Oest of Marquette.
UI Health Care 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.
Public Comment VIDEO
One presenter, ISU faculty member Annemarie Butler, spoke to the Board on the topic of workforce alignment.