February 28, 2024 Recap
The Board of Regents met February 28, 2024 at the Board Office in Urbandale. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.
Board Leadership Elections VIDEO
Interim President Sherry Bates was unanimously elected to serve as the 23rd President of the Board of Regents, filling the unexpired term of former president Mike Richards, who stepped down January 16, 2024. Bates has served as the Board’s President Pro Tem since 2021.
With the election of Bates to president, Regent Greta Rouse was unanimously elected to serve as President Pro Tem. The terms of President Bates and President Pro Tem Rouse will commence immediately and expire April 30, 2024.
Prior to stepping down from the Board presidency, Richards was the longest-serving Board President since Owen Newlin’s nine-year term from 1996 to 2005.
Administrative Efficiency VIDEO
Board of Regents Associate Chief Academic Officer Jason Pontius presented an update on the administrative efficiency of Iowa’s public universities. The update noted that Iowa, Iowa State and UNI rank among the most efficient four-year public universities in the country.
Read More: Administrative Efficiency at Iowa’s Public Universities
Graduation and Retention Report VIDEO
Pontius also presented the annual graduation and retention report. The report highlighted first-year retention rates and record-high three and four-year graduation rates at Iowa’s public universities.
Academic Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Academic Affairs Committee received the annual academic program review and distance education reports and held a discussion on new approaches to monitoring and addressing academic integrity. The committee approved new programs at all three institutions, including a BBA in Entrepreneurship at UI, an MA in applied statistics at ISU and a BS in mechanical engineering technology at UNI, among others. The committee also approved requests to close three program locations at UI and terminate UNI’s BA in athletic training and rehabilitation studies program.
Property and Facilities Committee VIDEO
The committee approved capital registers from Iowa, Iowa State and UNI that included NICU expansion plans from UI, the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center expansion project at ISU and the Courts Practice Facility project at UNI, among others. In addition, the committee approved ISU’s request to purchase new video displays at Jack Trice Stadium. The committee also approved the institutional roads program update and approved leases and easements at UI and ISU.
Read More: UI NICU Expansion on the Docket
Free Speech and Campus Affairs Committee VIDEO
The committee accepted the annual student financial aid report, which noted that total financial aid awarded to students increased from $1.06 billion to $1.12 billion.
Read More: The Annual Student Financial Aid Report
Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee VIDEO
The committee approved policy manual revisions, including DEI Directives approved at the November 2023 meeting. In addition, the committee received the annual span of control, human resources and affirmative action reports.
Investment and Finance Committee VIDEO
Doug Oest and Dave Smith from Marquette Associates Inc., the Board’s investment advisor, presented the quarterly investment report from the fourth quarter of 2023.
Audit and Compliance Committee VIDEO
Board Chief Audit Executive Chad Sharp presented internal audits and the UIHC audit reports.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics 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.