September 27-28, 2023 Meeting Recap
The Board of Regents met September 27-28, 2023 in Iowa City. Selected items discussed are outlined below. View the full agenda here.
FY 2025 State Appropriations Requests VIDEO
The Board approved FY 2025 higher education state appropriations requests totaling 506.3 million, which include 13.8 million in new incremental funding. In addition, the Board approved requests totaling $22.5 million in additional special purpose dollars to fund three much-needed service projects for Iowans. These include the UI Rural Health Care Partnership, the ISU STEM Workforce Initiative and the UNI Educators for Iowa Program.
Read More: FY 2025 State Appropriations Requests
Free Speech and Campus Affairs Committee VIDEO
The Regents approved the merging of the Free Speech Committee and the Campus and Student Affairs Committees in April. The first meeting of the Free Speech and Campus Affairs Committee included an update on university free speech training, authorization of a 2023-24 free speech survey and an update on the start of the 2023-24 academic year.
Further: A New Committee Structure
Annual Facilities Report
The Regents approved the annual facilities report, which includes five-year capital plans for UI, ISU, UNI, the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The reports also includes the institutional roads program, the facilities governance report and the following year’s capital request.
Academic Affairs Committee VIDEO
The committee approved the terminations of three programs at UI, including the executive MBA, the MA in Asian Civilizations and the MA in German. ISU’s request to terminate its BA in Speech Communication was approved, as well.
The annual accreditation report and the annual Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Regents Resource Center Report were received. Finally, the UI request to rename and reorganize the Iowa Institute for Public Health to the Institute for Public Health Practice, Research and Policy in the College of Public Health was approved.
Property and Facilities Committee VIDEO
The committee approved the annual facilities report and institutional agreements, leases and easements that included a 20-year lease agreement with the ISU Research Park to lease their tennis facility to the ISU Tennis Program. In addition, capital registers for UI and ISU were approved. These included projects such as the Stead Family Children’s Hospital eighth floor build out and the gymnastics and spirit squad training center projects at UI and the LeBaron Hall replacement project at ISU, among others.
Read More: LeBaron Hall Replacement
Bond Sales VIDEO
The Board approved bond sales to support the construction of the new health sciences building at the University of Iowa.
HF 135 Presentation VIDEO
Board of Regents Associate Chief Academic Officer Jason Pontius presented the Regents dashboard for House File 135 compliance. The dashboard will better show students the costs associated with higher education and the average salaries those students can expect to earn after graduating.
Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee VIDEO
The committee approved the appointment of David Spalding as VP for Economic Development and Industry Relations at ISU. New health and dental insurance rates were approved, along with the ISU specialized retirement incentive program report.
Investment and Finance Committee VIDEO
Doug Oest and Dave Smith from Marquette Associates Inc., the Board’s investment advisor, presented the investment and cash management report for the quarter ended March 31, 2023. In addition, the Marquette representatives presented the annual review of peer group comparisons.
Audit and Compliance Committee VIDEO
Board Chief Audit Executive Deb Johnston presented internal audits and the UIHC audit reports. Deputy Auditor of State Ernest Ruben presented state audit plans and state 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, Interim Associate VP of UI Health Care and UIHC CEO Kim Hunter, and Interim Associate VP for Finance and UIHC CFO Mark Henrichs.