Education
D.C. Dispatch: Lawmakers highlight meatpacking, weapons safety, health care
During their August recess, Iowa’s members of Congress were back in their home state, touring with presidential candidates, making state fair appearances and making progress on county tours. Rep. Randy Feenstra showed presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott around parts of the 4th District, Rep. Ashley Hinson completed her 22-county tour, Rep. Zach Nunn completed his […]
Simpson College president hits ground running with scholarships announcement
Simpson College President Jay Byers is riding the momentum of increasing enrollment and new programs and projects to prioritize building brand, community and bright futures. Byers, well-known as the president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, was announced Simpson’s new president in July. In the months since, he has gotten reacclimated to campus, […]
We can’t afford to leave centrists on the sidelines of politics
I cannot remember who recommended, when I was a much younger man, that I read Hermann Hesse’s novel “Steppenwolf.” I not only read it, but then embraced several more of his works. I think the reason I related to it was because there was a wolf in the novel, living in the mountains of the […]
Iowa public universities report higher enrollment numbers in fall 2023
Each of Iowa’s three public universities welcomed larger student bodies this fall, according to 10th-day metrics. Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa and the University of Iowa released information on the class of 2027 Thursday, touting high-achieving students who have moved to campus from all over the globe. Iowa State University saw its largest […]
Iowa Republican senators support blocking Biden student loan repayment program
Iowa’s U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are calling to overturn the Biden administration’s income-based plan to cut student loan debt payments, which is set to begin next month. President Joe Biden’s administration announced the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan in August, months after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the White House’s […]
Speakers urge state panel to save higher education groups from the chopping block
Iowa’s colleges and universities could lose money and avenues to speak at the state level if recommendations to reorganize, merge and eliminate certain state agencies are put into action, speakers told the Iowa Boards and Commissions Review Committee Wednesday. Almost 70 members of the public gave remarks to the committee at its meeting about the […]
Iowa College Aid commissioners await details on possible reorganization
Iowa College Aid commissioners are waiting to receive details on just how the commission could be changed as the state seeks public comment on recommendations to reorganize, merge or eliminate more than 150 state panels. Commissioner and state Sen. Herman Quirmbach, who represents the Iowa Senate on the board, said he reached out to Iowa […]
Iowa Flood Center receives $1 million to expand monitoring for droughts, floods
The University of Iowa’s Iowa Flood Center will use $1 million awarded through Congress’s Community Project Funding to expand its ability to monitor flooding and droughts and manage watersheds. Announced Tuesday in a news release, the funding will go toward the addition of 30 new hydrostations to its network, which includes counties in eastern and […]
Millions enrolled in new student loan repayment program
WASHINGTON — More than 4 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Education. Iowa has 39,900 borrowers enrolled, according to the Department of Education. With the pause of more than three years on federal student loan repayments coming to […]
Gun law raises funding concerns for school hunting programs
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are concerned that the Biden administration is interpreting last year’s bipartisan gun safety law to cut funding for school archery and hunting programs, though programs themselves say they haven’t been affected. A provision in the law – a bipartisan effort to curb gun violence that established new criminal offenses, and expanded background […]
About a third of ISU students in residence halls faced record heat with no AC
At its hottest, Jenna Morsovillo’s Iowa State University dorm room hit 95 degrees. Even with seven fans circulating air in the space, she and her roommate have taken to sleeping on the floor when it gets too warm in their lofted beds. Having moved into Wilson Residence Hall earlier than others on Aug. 11, the […]
Iowa student test scores hold steady as achievement gaps continue
Iowa students’ proficiencies in math, reading and science did not change significantly in 2023 compared to last year, according to the most recent Iowa Department of Education report. The department published results Tuesday from the 2023 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), an annual test for students grades 3-11. Most grades saw relatively small […]