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UNI adds majors, restructures health departments to meet student, workforce needs
University of Northern Iowa students will see several changes between July 2023 and the beginning of the fall semester as the university creates a new department, school and two new majors. UNI Associate Provost Patrick Pease presented these changes to the state Board of Regents at a meeting on June 14, where they were approved. […]
ISU, UI campuses to see $260 million in building projects
Students at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa will soon see changes to their campuses in the form of nearly $260 million worth of capital improvement projects. The Iowa Board of Regents approved the projects June 14. The UI is building a new Health Sciences Academic Building which will cost $249 million. The […]
Iowa professors say students must be educated about artificial intelligence
Three professors from Iowa’s public universities are working to raise awareness of the importance and contradictory nature of artificial intelligence in higher education, pointing to concerns about privacy, bias and academic integrity. The professors, speaking to the Board of Regents on June 14, pointed to the benefits and detriments of AI use in classrooms, as […]
Board of Regents increases tuition, approves raises for university presidents
Students at Iowa’s public universities will pay more in tuition for the 2023-24 academic year, the Iowa Board of Regents agreed Wednesday. In-state undergraduate students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa will pay 3.5% more for their tuition and fees. Resident students will pay $9,016, $8,982, and […]
Iowa Democrats approve 2024 caucus delegation plan
The Iowa Democratic Party’s State Central Committee unanimously approved its draft delegate selection plan for the 2024 Iowa caucuses without alterations on Saturday. State party leaders introduced the 62-page delegate selection plan in May. The plan, which moves the party to a presidential preference card system and allows participants to receive and return cards by […]
Economist: Iowans to see personal impact if U.S. defaults on debt
With a potential federal debt default less than a week away, Iowans will feel the pain if the U.S. reaches the point of failing to pay its bills, University of Iowa Economics Professor Anne Villamil said. Congress has left Washington, D.C., for a weeklong holiday break with no deal on addressing the debt limit. Treasury […]
Iowans to see more health effects of drought, heat waves
As droughts become a consistent reality across the country, the health implications of extreme dryness and excessive heat will increasingly plague Iowa. As of April 20, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported more than half of the state was abnormally dry or in a moderate or severe drought. The western Iowa counties of Woodbury and Monona […]
Regents to study universities’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts
The Iowa Board of Regents will study the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of state universities over the next seven months. Board President Mike Richards informed the board at its April meeting that the working group, composed of Regents David Barker, Jim Lindenmayer and Greta Rouse, will be investigating the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives […]
Iowa Regents approve union contracts for 2023-25
The Iowa Board of Regents has settled 2023-25 contract negotiations with the state’s public university unions, ending with a 3% base wage increase with United Faculty, SEIU, and the Campaign to Organize Graduate Students. There are five unions employed through the three public state universities, but two are state held and their contracts are not […]
Lawmakers expect House debate on bill addressing university sports lawsuits
A bill specifying that state university athletic departments have to pay for their own lawsuit settlements is expected to see debate on the Iowa House floor. The legislation was introduced after a settlement of nearly $4.2 million against the University of Iowa athletics department in a lawsuit filed by 12 former football players. House File […]
Regents prepare for governor’s reorganization goals
The Iowa Board of Regents is preparing for some changes if Gov. Kim Reynolds’s proposed state government reorganization bill is passed. Regents President Mike Richards discussed the two shifts the regents will see if Senate Study Bill 1123 moves forward. The Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Iowa School of […]
Iowa’s state universities not shying away from AI technology in classrooms
While educators around the country are wrestling with ethical concerns posed by new artificial intelligence chatbots, Iowa’s public universities are looking to use the advancements in the classroom. ChatGPT is a natural language processing artificial intelligence (AI) technology tool, developed by OpenAI, that generates human-like conversations. The program other bots are currently expanding, although their […]