1.4 Meetings

(Iowa Code § 262.8 (PDF))

  1. Regular Meetings
    1. The Board shall meet at least four times a year.
    2. Meetings shall be held at sites designated by the Board Office.
  2. Special Meetings

    Special meetings may be called by the Board, by the President of the Board, or by the Executive Director.

  3. Agendas

    The Executive Director, in conjunction with the Board President and President Pro Tem, shall be responsible for determining all matters to be brought before the Board. The Board Office, in consultation with the institutions, shall be responsible for preparing the agenda and gathering all necessary documentation and supporting material. The Board Office shall establish a schedule for submission of agenda items and materials. Each institution will prepare its own portion of the agenda and forward the same, with all supporting material, to the Executive Director in accordance with the schedule for submission.

    1. Consent Agenda. The decision to place an item on the Consent Agenda shall be made by the Executive Director in consultation with Board leadership. Generally, the Consent Agenda shall be limited to the following:
      1. Approval of meeting minutes
      2. Routine business or procedural matters
      3. Reports and recommendations from Regents Committees
    2. The agenda of Board meetings will be made available to students, faculty, staff, and the general public through the Board Office, its website, and the public information officer at each institution prior to the Board meeting at which the agenda is to be considered.
    3. Legislators, the majority and minority leadership in both houses, the Governor’s office, state department heads, and members of the press are provided notification concerning the availability of agenda materials on the Regent website. This release of information is sent as soon as practicable and at least 24 hours prior to the Board meeting.
       
  4. Conduct of Meetings

    Six members of the Board shall constitute a quorum (Iowa Code § 17A.2(1) PDF). The number of votes required to constitute a majority for a given purpose shall be a majority of those present, assuming a quorum. Except where otherwise required by statute, the Board shall conduct its meetings according to Robert's Rules of Order (opens in new window).

    The Board of Regents shall comply with Iowa Code § 21 (PDF) OFFICIAL MEETINGS OPEN TO PUBLIC.

  5. Board Procedures for Holding a Closed Meeting
    1. The Board may hold a closed session as permitted by law. The procedure for calling a closed session will begin with the president of the Board determining whether a suggested topic is a proper one for a closed session.
    2. The president will notify the Board in public session that such a request has been made and will identify by letter or topic the specific exemption for holding a closed session and then request a roll call vote which, in accordance with the law, will require an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board or all of the members present before the closed session can be approved.
    3. At the beginning of the closed session, the president will inform the Board more specifically of the topic of the session. The minutes of the regular Board meeting will reflect the roll call vote for the closed session and the time at which the closed session began and ended. 
  6. Public Attendance at Board Meetings
    1. Members of the public are welcome to attend Board meetings. All sessions of the Board are open to the public except for those authorized by law to be conducted in closed session (see 1.7E of this Policy Manual for details).
    2. Signs, placards and other display media may be permitted in the meeting room at the discretion of the President of the Board. For public safety reasons, signs shall not be mounted on sticks, posts or similar structures. Audience members may be asked to remove signs from the meeting room if they disrupt the meeting or interfere with the ability of others to observe the proceedings. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. The President of the Board reserves the right to have individual attendees removed from any board meeting if the attendee engages in behavior that materially interferes with the board’s ability to conduct the meeting or other attendees’ ability to observe or hear the proceedings.
      1. Megaphones and sound amplifiers, other than systems provided at the request of the Board, are not permitted in the meeting room.
      2. The Board reserves the right to supplement these rules of conduct upon announcement at any meeting. 
  7. Presentations to the Board
    1. The business of the institutions shall be presented to the Board by the institutional executives. The university presidents are authorized and encouraged to utilize appropriate faculty, students, and staff representatives as institutional resource persons at each meeting when, in their judgment, it is desirable.
    2. Any person (petitioner) may request to make a written or oral presentation to the Board. All such requests must be in writing and state the specific subject to be discussed and the reasons why a personal appearance is necessary. Requests may be submitted directly to the Executive Director at any time in advance of the Board meeting at which the petitioner requests to make a written or oral presentation. Requests must be accompanied by any supporting documentation or evidence that the petitioner wishes the Board to consider. The Executive Director shall cause the subject matter of the request to be investigated, including soliciting institutional comment as necessary. The Executive Director will determine, in his/her discretion, whether a request is to be granted and whether such a request for oral presentation is relevant to the business before the Board. The Executive Director may defer ruling on a request until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board if there is insufficient time to adequately investigate the matter and make a determination as to its appropriateness for Board consideration. If a request is granted, the Executive Director shall notify the petitioner of his/her tentative place on the Board’s agenda, the prescribed manner of the presentation and what written materials, if any, the petitioner should provide for Board consideration. Priority may be given to requests from students, faculty, staff, or representatives of campus constituencies.
  8. Public Comment
    1. A public comment period will be held at regularly scheduled, in-person meetings of the Board. There will not be public comment at telephonic meetings or special meetings called by the Board.
      1. Students, faculty, parents, alumni and citizens have an opportunity to provide comments on any issue affecting the Board of Regents, with priority given to presenters with subjects that relate to agenda items for the current Board meeting.
      2. The Board will allow for up to 30 minutes in total for public comment. An individual will be permitted up to three minutes to speak. This will be tracked by a timekeeper.
      3. When the Board’s docket for a regularly scheduled, in-person meeting is made public, all persons requesting to speak must register by completing an online form. A link to the sign-up portal will be available when the docket for that meeting is public.
      4. Registered requests to present to the Board must be received no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting.
      5. Presenters will be organized by the Board Office, and confirmed speakers will be contacted via e-mail no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting.
      6. Handouts are allowed to be distributed to the Board. Presenters should bring 20 copies of materials for the Board to receive. Materials will be distributed to the Board during the speaker’s comments.
      7. Public commenters are subject to the rules governing public attendance at Board meetings (Board Policy Manual 1.4.F).
      8. The public comment rules may be adjusted at the discretion of the Board President.