By Brooklyn Draisey

Iowa Capital Dispatch

A new committee established by Iowa House Republicans will conduct a “comprehensive review” of Iowa’s higher education system, curriculum and administrative costs, the new chairman says, but the panel is sparking some concerns among students and faculty members.

Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, will lead the new committee announced this week by House Speaker Pat Grassley. Leaders from organizations at state universities said their institutions already have a tremendous impact, and shared concerns that certain changes could hurt students, the universities themselves and the workforce.

Collins said he is grateful to be able to lead the committee in its “holistic review” of Iowa’s higher education system, looking at how colleges and universities handle state dollars and what they’re doing for Iowa’s workforce needs.

“I think that a review, a comprehensive review, of our higher education system is long overdue,” Collins said. “And it’s important that … these institutions that spend billions of dollars each year, not only Iowa taxpayer dollars but also tuition revenue that is given to them by Iowa students and taxpayers, that they are operating as efficiently as possible, and that they are preparing Iowa’s workforce.”

The committee will also work to ensure that Iowa’s universities are “mission-focused” and that they aren’t using tax dollars without oversight, Collins said.

Iowa’s state universities are overseen by the Board of Regents, with nine members appointed by the governor.

Spending, program oversight

One area Collins said the committee will look into is administrative spending. Discussions about administrative costs at public universities, especially in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, were held last session, and Collins said the amount of spending on DEI administrative positions was “appalling.”

Iowa’s universities have reallocated a combined more than $2 million away from DEI offices and programs, the result of cutting dozens of units and positions.

A group of Iowa State University students have formed a coalition to speak out against anti-DEI legislation passed last session, which alongside DEI directives from the Iowa Board of Regents, have led to state universities restructuring and closing DEI offices and eliminating positions. They have shared concerns with the board of regents and held multiple protests, with the support of Ames community members.

When asked about students who have spoken out against the changes to DEI offices and activities on their campuses, Collins said he is “not too concerned,” as he hasn’t seen that many students protesting. While he doesn’t see a need to make more legislative changes to DEI activities in higher education, the committee will oversee the colleges’ work in changing their units to comply with the law.

Cary Stough, president of the Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS), said he is concerned for students of color and international students on campus who have lost resources because of the changes to DEI programs on campus. A “culture of fear” has been created on campus, Stough said, as students and graduate workers teaching classes are unsure of what they can and cannot say without facing consequences.

The initiatives that fall under the umbrella of DEI are research-based, he said, conducted by graduate workers and others across the U.S.

Collins said a conversation does need to happen about the academic programs provided to Iowans by their universities. Using the example of a social justice degree offered by the University of Iowa, he said it raises questions about what Iowans are paying for and what value they’re getting.

“Academic freedom doesn’t mean you get to take our money and do whatever the hell you want with it,” Collins said. “Legislators who represent Iowa taxpayers have every right to look at what academic programs are being offered and make sure that those programs are offering Iowa taxpayers a return on their investment.”

Chris Martin, president of UNI faculty union United Faculty, warned against the Legislature getting too concerned about things like the names of degree programs, as people often use the degrees they receive in unexpected ways. That’s one of the reasons universities like UNI try to educate their students broadly, and not on just one specific thing.

He brought up Gov. Kim Reynolds as an example. Reynolds earned a bachelor of liberal studies degree from ISU while serving as lieutenant governor.

“I would just remind people that a healthy society has people with all kinds of experience, and in such a dynamic economy as Iowa’s and the United States’, you oftentimes can’t predict what’s going to be the next big thing,” Martin said. “And I always see this as a strength of the United States, the fact that we have universities and people can study a number of different things, rather than get tracked onto specific things that the government selects.”

Workforce needs must be met

Much of what the committee will focus on, especially when it comes to Iowa’s community colleges and private universities, is examining their programs and practices from a workforce angle, Collins said. Students attending community colleges often then transition to a public university, and private college students have access to the Iowa Tuition Grant program.

“There’s no secret that Iowa has a workforce shortage, not just Iowa, but across the country,” Collins said. “So it’s critically important that we have institutions that are mission-focused on providing for the needs of Iowa employers.”

Lawmakers had discussions with constituents last year about the Iowa Tuition Grant and potential changes to the program, which concerned university officials. Collins said any possible changes to the grants will be determined by data provided by private universities about what degree programs students are using those dollars for, and whether that degree will get them a job.

Collins said the state can no longer “throw money out the window and hope that this money is being utilized to the best of its ability.”

Martin said UNI is already focused on trying to meet the needs of Iowa’s employers, establishing nursing and applied engineering programs to train students for in-demand jobs.