The Iowa Board of Regents (BOR) will be meeting today and tomorrow on the University of Northern Iowa’s campus. The meeting will be held in the Slife Ballroom in The Commons, and will be open to the public. A livestream on the Board of Regents YouTube channel will also be available. Highlighted below are a few of agenda items the BOR is set to discuss for this session.
DEI report deliberations
The BOR will consider a report from its three-member Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) study group, which was formed last month to study DEI programs at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. Governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 560 into law last June, which directed the BOR to conduct a “comprehensive DEI study and review of Iowa’s public universities.”
According to a meeting preview released by the BOR, “The group gathered information from a variety of campus leaders and solicited public input online to form its report.”
The report in question notes ten recommendations which are divided into four categories: current structure of DEI and compliance functions, human resources, academic and curricular matters, and free speech and related matters.
The DEI Study Group includes Regents David Barker, Jim Lindenmayer and Greta Rouse. They are scheduled to formally present the report in its entirety to the BOR today. While no decision has been made on the report or its recommendations, the Board will discuss and consider the plan at their meeting.
West Gym demolition
UNI has submitted a request to the BOR to demolish the West Gym. The proposed demolition cost as stated in the report is estimated to be $1.3 million to $1.5 million. According to the report, the cost would be funded by the Treasurer’s Temporary Investments.
The report also states that $10.8 million in building costs will be eliminated by demolishing the West Gym.
Citing various building code and ADA issues as well as concerns surrounding the HVAC, electrical, roofing and windows of the gym, the report says the building is “now a safety concern” while also citing the east exterior wall that is now being held with steel supports.
Fall 2023 enrollment highlights
Fall enrollment data will also be presented to the BOR. According to the report, total undergraduate enrollment increased by 247 students The number of Iowa residents attending a Regent university declined by 2%, while student enrollment from out-of-state increased by 3.4%.
A new name for UNI College of Business
The BOR will consider UNI’s request to name its college of business after David W. Wilson – a 1970 graduate who recently donated $25 million to the College of Business. If approved, the Wilson College of Business will become the first ever named college in the history of UNI. In addition, if the BOR approves, all three Regent business colleges will be named after alumni who have donated to their respective colleges. The University of Iowa’s College of Business was named in honor of Henry B. Tippie in 1999, and Iowa State’s College of Business was named in honor of Debbie and Jerry Ivy in 2017.
