23-04-2025
Iowa Board of Regents considers study, policy changes reflecting legislation
The Iowa Board of Regents discussed changes to policy and progress on a study Wednesday driven by state legislation. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Legislation proposed during this year's session drove some updates on academic program study and policy changes heard Wednesday by the Iowa Board of Regents.
Iowa Board of Regents Chief Academic Officer Rachel Boon provided an update to the board on efforts to review academic programs at each state university to examine their alignment with state workforce needs.
Board President Sherry Bates directed staff and state universities in the board's February meeting to commence a study of all academic programs across the three institutions with the goal of compiling a report determining whether each program should be changed, eliminated or kept the same when looking at workforce alignment.
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House File 420, which Bates referenced in her directive, would have directed universities to complete the same study for presentation to the General Assembly. The bill passed out of the House Higher Education Committee but did not see House debate.
'We have a significant amount of information and expertise that we're already amassing and will continue to do so,' Boon said.
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A team formed to plan and conduct the study includes board staff and representatives from the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University, Boon said, and it has met several times already to determine how to compile data and set the parameters for what programs they should scrutinize.
Beyond internal processes, Boon said the team is also working to get in touch with the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Workforce Development and community colleges to learn more about education and labor needs in the state. The team also plans to connect with the Iowa Business Council and other external partners, Boon said.
Boon said she doesn't expect to have updates for the board at every one of their meetings before the full report is presented in November, but work on the study will be ongoing.
'The work is underway, and we feel good about being on target to have a really good product to bring forward to you for the November meeting, and (we're) happy to take questions at any time between now and then,' Boon said.
Regent Christine Hensley said she was especially happy to hear that board staff will work with the Iowa Business Council, which opens up an opportunity for more collaboration between the council and full board.
'This is great information,' Hensley said. 'I really appreciate hearing (about) all of the activity and the collaboration you're working with everybody on, so I'm excited to see what comes back.'
The board also recommended approval for changes to its policy manual, adding language complying with legislation referred back to the House Higher Education Committee after failing to be taken up in House debate.
House File 270 would have state universities post online certain syllabus information. The board's Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources Committee provided initial approval to add language to its academic affairs policy requiring institutions post online syllabi information for most undergraduate courses, including course topics, materials and more.
Changes were also proposed for the board's business and finance policy, adding a section stating the board will not set a rate of tuition increase that exceeds 'the average of the three most recently established' Higher Education Price Index inflation indexes, according to the policy.
The price of equipment that institutions must include in their inventory would also increase from $5,000 to $10,000 in the proposal.
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