Board News - Page 25

Through decades of support for the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa, we have built three of the nation’s finest public universities, benefitting students, local communities and our entire state. 

The proposal in House Study Bill 84 to force the Board of Regents to sell the Jackson Pollock painting, “Mural”, is a profoundly bad idea – one that was examined by the Iowa Board of Regents in 2008 and determined to be not in the best interests of the University of Iowa or the state.

In response to the statement released earlier today by Board of Regents President David Miles, Regent Michael Gartner disagrees. Gartner believes that providing scholarships to Iowa students is far more important than owning a painting that is not on the campus, has not been for two years, and is unlikely to be for at least another three years. 

The health and well-being of students at all of Iowa’s Public Universities is of paramount concern to the Iowa Board of Regents and to the University of Iowa. As such, the recent hospitalization of 13 University of Iowa football players following pre-season workouts is a cause for grave concern. Our immediate focus is the full recovery of each of the young men involved, and we continue to closely monitor the medical condition of our student-athletes. 

President Allen advised me yesterday of his diagnosis of early stage prostate cancer.   President and Mrs. Allen are important members of our educational community, and I expressed to them my full support, as well as the support of the Board of Regents, as the two of them address this challenge.

I commend Governor Culver for his swift action today in response to yesterday’s report of the Revenue Estimating Conference and the need to prepare for additional decreases in State revenues.    The Board of Regents also needs to act quickly given the potential impact of this national financial crisis on the many important programs and services that Iowa’s Public Universities and Special Schools provide for our students, and for all of Iowa.   

Today’s report of the Revenue Estimating Conference projecting a large decrease in FY 2010 State revenues is undoubtedly discouraging for the Board of Regents and Iowa’s Public Universities and Special Schools.  Any additional budget reductions that may result from today’s estimates would be a significant burden on our institutions. 

(Ames, Iowa) – At its meeting today, the Board of Regents approved establishment of the Iowa Teacher Intern License (ITIL) program, a collaborative effort of Iowa’s public universities that provides a nontraditional teacher preparation program for professionals wishing to enter the teaching field from other careers. 

President Miles announced that this was the first meeting of the Board of Regents being broadcast via live audio streaming over the Internet, which will allow Iowans easier access to the Board meetings. 

(Urbandale, Iowa) – Executive Director Robert Donley, on behalf of the Board of Regents, congratulates Mark Braun on his appointment as Chief of Staff to President Sally Mason at the University of Iowa.