University of Northern Iowa administrators are asking legislators for the seed money for a Center for Civic Education.
UNI president Mark Nook says the university’s College of Education and departments of history, philosophy and political science have spent the past five years laying the academic groundwork.
“It really is focused on promoting civic learning not only on our campus, but at other universities and colleges across the state; increasing civic education knowledge especially amongst K-12 teachers — both those learning on our campus, but also those that are already active teachers across the state,” Nook said, “and then providing public programming as well.”
UNI is asking the legislature to provide $1 million to launch that programming and hire a director for the center.
“In the end what we are planning to do is we are going to ask the director to be very aggressive in fundraising, especially with grants and things, and to operate this center in the future fully off of outside money,” Nook said last week as he reviewed the plans with a House subcommittee.
Nook mentioned that UNI is the repository for U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley’s papers.
“His papers when he was in the state House here but then all his House papers when he was in the (U.S.) House and we will be receiving all of his Senate papers once he retires from the senate. It’s four semi loads of papers coming our way in the future, ” Nook said. “…Those will be a great asset to this university as we talk about engaged citizens and educating citizens for a civic life.”
Grassley earned an undergraduate degree from UNI in 1955 and a masters degree in political science in 1956. He won a seat in the Iowa House in 1958 and has held elected office ever since.
Grassley designated UNI as the home for his papers in 1988. Senator Tom Harkin donated his papers to Drake University in Des Moines and that’s where the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Civic Engagement is located.