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U-I president calls for 5 years of 7.08% tuition increases

By

Bruce Harreld.

University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld is following the lead of his counterpart at Iowa State University and calling for an increase of 7.08 percent  in tuition for undergraduate resident students in each of the next 5 years.

The U-I was the last of the three state-supported schools to make their presentation to the Board of Regents Tuition Task Force.

“It is quite clear that our ability to compete is based on our ability to chase and complete our strategic plan,” Harreld says. “In order to implement that strategic plant — resources will be required — and tuition must be part of that equation.”

Harreld says salaries at the school have fallen behind their peers due to a cut in state funding and that is going to hurt the quality of the education offered. “It has resulted in significant talent loss. Over 90 per year over the last two years, 90 faculty members over the last two years have left us. It is a trend we must fix and we will,” Harreld says.

He says the tuition paid by in-state students is at the bottom of their peer group and near the bottom for students from out-of-state. The proposed increases would add $3,050 dollars onto the base tuition for an undergraduate student by the end of the five-year period.

Harreld says the U-I cannot continue forward with its plan to improve student success without the proper funding. “We are not at a point in which a choice will need to be made about what quality of an institution we want to be and how we will support the success of our students,” Harreld says. “Increasing tuition is never easy. It’s not something that anyone ever wants to do — particularly because of the impact and the burden it places on the students and their families.”

Harreld says the proposed increases are based on state funding staying the same and the student population staying around its current level. “We certainly understand the challenges related to increasing tuition. That’s why we are committed to maintaining our focus on first-generation students and increasing our need and merit-based student aid,” Harreld says. “A careful balance between an increase in tuition and appropriate scholarship will help mitigate the impact on those who might be struggling with the cost.”

Iowa State University interim president Ben Allen proposed a similar seven-percent increase in tuition last week. While the University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook said tuition would have to increase 6.7 percent, followed by increases of 5.2 percent, 3.7 percent and 3.1 percent if state support stayed the same.

Related stories:

Iowa State University proposes 5 years of 7% tuition hikes

UNI president lays out tuition scenario based on possible state funding

 

UNI president lays out tuition scenario based on possible state funding

By

Mark Nook

The Board of Regents Tuition Task Force heard from the president of the University of Northern Iowa on the school’s 5-year plan for tuition today.

UNI president Mark Nook laid out three scenarios on how tuition might be impacted based on the amount of state funding given to the Cedar Falls school.

He says the first scenario has state funds increasing at the rate of inflation and allows them to keep tuition increases low.

“If our state appropriation increases at the inflation rate…we would have a need of a 3.9 percent tuition increase followed by 2.7, 1.75 and 1.75,” Nook says. He says in scenario two the revenue would remain the same and that would require an increase in tuition of 6.7 percent in 2019, followed by increases of 5.2 percent, 3.7 percent and 3.1 percent.

UNI chart on tuition possibilities.

The final scenario he presented would see state support cut at the same amount in the next year that it was cut this year. “The state appropriation that has the decrease of 2.3 percent and then flat — we’d bee looking at a nearly 12 percent increase in tuition next year,” Nook says, “followed by five, 3.5 and then 2.9.” Nook says these three scenarios give a good picture of how the school can keep tuition affordable with some added state help.

“These tuition increases are predictable, they’re there. Our question is are they reasonable? Are any of them reasonable, which are reasonable,” Nook asks. “I would argue that the last one is not a reasonable tuition increase to ask our students to take on. Twelve percent in one year, followed by nearly five and then 3.5 and three. Quite steep. Or, annualized at 5.7 per year.” Nook says the university is taking steps to keep education affordable with some increase in funding from the state.

“We’re putting forward a very conservative budget — hold the fiscal year expenses at the inflation adjusted 2008 levels — very few universities can do that, it’s what we’re projecting we’re going to try to do,” Nook explains. “From that we establish revenues so that tuition increases can be reasonable and predictable for Iowa families.”

The Tuition Task Force will hear from Iowa State University Wednesday and the University of Iowa next Monday.

Regents approve new budget amid concerns about state funding

By

Michael Richards

The board the oversees the three state universities gave final approval for the 2018 budgets during a meeting via telephone Wednesday.

The presidents of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Northern Iowa each talked about the challenges they face in light of state budget cuts.

Board of Regents President Michael Richards says the university leaders are doing what they can to handle the state funding cuts.

“I think that we have presidents that are willing to work together. There is stress obviously in the state on the budgets and I believe that each school is sort of differentiating itself as having little bit different issues,” Richards says. He says the board and the schools will continue working with lawmakers and the governor on the budget concerns.

“We’re are focusing on what the students need, what the parents need, we’re open to obviously to the legislature. We’re working with them and working with the governor’s office to come up with a good solution — and I think our presidents are the leaders to help us do that,” according to Richards. He says it’s not a fight between education and state government. “We’re all on the same side….and there’s always something more that we can do, and if we have the opportunity we will try to work with them,” Richards says.

The Board of Regents put together a tuition task force to look at the future of tuition and how it fits into the budget picture. It’s meeting schedule last week where they were supposed to hear from legislative, economic development and business representatives was canceled. Richards says he’s not concerned about that.

“I think it was really a situation of timing this summer, it was hard to get everybody’s schedule together,” Richards says. “I know we have a great deal of interest at the universities. So, I think it was more schedules rather than a lack of interest, it was just getting everybody together.

The task force has meetings scheduled next week with each of the three schools where they will talk about their 5-year tuition plans.

Board of Regents executive director to resign

By

Bob Donley

The executive director of the board which oversees the three state universities is resigning.

A news release from the Board of Regents says Robert Donley will resign on July 15th. Donley has been the executive director since 2008 and his resignation comes after a closed session by the board to review his performance. The Regents did not offer any comment on the review.

Donley said in a statement in the news release that with a change in leadership on the board, “it is the right time for me to move on and let the next person lead the Board office.” He is expected to comment more during the meeting.

The Iowa Legislature had capped the salary for the executive director at $154,300, but the Regents have at times paid him more than double that amount through performance bonuses. He will be paid $140,000 in a deferred compensation package on July 1st.

 

Leath wraps up time at ISU with discussion of tuition

By

Steve Leath (file photo)

Steven Leath completed his last day as the president of Iowa State University by participating in a Board of Regents meeting Monday where a proposed tuition increase was discussed.

Leath is leaving Ames to become the president of Auburn University. The tuition discussion touched on student debt, and Leath says progress has been made in reducing the debt students face when they graduate.

“In the ideal world it’s nice if you graduate with no debt — but I am not sure that is necessary. I am not even sure that is ideal — because students perform better when they have skin in the game,” Leath says. Leath points out that the two most popular majors at I-S-U, engineering and ag, have a 98 percent placement rate for students. And he says they are getting high-paying jobs.

“I don’t know that it is such a bad thing, even though we don’t like to talk about it, but if a kid gets a high-paying job as soon as they graduate, that they have some responsibility to pay for part of their education,” Leath says. He says the placement rate is also high for several other majors and that should be considered in the talk about the cost of education.

“And I think placement rate and overall success of the graduate when they get out probably should be talked about more often,” Leath says. Leath joined the meeting Monday by telephone and said he was finishing up some final paperwork on his last day. Former UNI president Ben Allen takes over as the interim president at the Ames school. The search is underway for Leath’s replacement.

Students leaders criticize state funding cuts to U-I, ISU, UNI

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The Board of Regents discuss a proposed tuition increase.

Student leaders criticized lawmakers and the governor as the Board of Regents held the first reading of a proposed tuition increase this morning in a telephone meeting.

The proposal tacks on a $216 increase for undergraduate students on top of the two percent increase approved in December for a total of $358. Iowa State University student body president, Cody West, says those at the state capitol have forgotten that ISU is a “proud land grant university.”

“As a collective body we must make a persistent effort to change the status quo that has developed at the statehouse. Together we can set the state of Iowa apart as a state that values a quality education for all, at a price that makes sense,” West says. University of Iowa student body president Jacob Simpson says the lack of state support has impacted the school in many areas.

“The reality of the situation is that the University of Iowa lacks the revenue necessary to continue providing the world-class it has offered the students for over 170 years,” Simpson says. “Rankings are falling, faculty are leaving, strategic initiatives are going left unfunded. The Iowa Legislature decided to place our university in this position as they cut appropriations by $9.2 million mid-year and by 6.4 million this coming fiscal year.” The U-I proposal includes increasing tuition for students who aren’t residents of the state by 6.8 percent. Simpson says he is concerned about the “magnitude of the burden being placed on nonresident students.”

“If you value diversity for its contributions to our community and to learning — you cannot continue punishing nonresidents at the University of Iowa for the sake of maintaining relatively equal resident tuition at the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University,” Simpson says. The nonresident tuition increase at the U-I would be $1,784. Others also spoke out about the increase. University of Northern Iowa president Mark Nook says the increase in tuition will not cover all of their increases in operating costs.

“We will still be looking for ways to provide a high-quality education and meet our budget with the reduction in our total resource,” Nook says. “It is a difficult challenge for us because of our commitment to our students in making sure that they have an affordable education.” U-I president Bruce Harreld says his school will rank lower in cost than other institutions even with the increase. He says the budget problems the state schools are having started several years ago as the state started cutting its support to the schools.

“While in 39 states total funding for students has increased, Iowa’s has in fact decreased,” Harreld says. “The result has been problematic here on campus with 22 faculty resignations last year, 96 this year and declining rankings,” Harreld says. The Board of Regents will vote on the tuition increase at its meeting in June.

Photo courtesy of the Board or Regents.

Regents release proposed tuition increase to make up budget cuts

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The Board of Regents is proposing another increase in tuition to make up for state budget cuts.

The board approved a two percent increase in tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa in December based on their previously adopted plan to raise tuition by that amount with a corresponding two percent increase in state funding.

But the Iowa Legislature cut funding in February by nearly $21 million and then again in April by nearly $10 million  due to lagging state tax collections. The Regents are now proposing tacking on a $216  increase for undergraduate students at the three state schools to make up that difference.

They will meet Monday to discuss the tuition increase.

 

Hiring ISU president, tuition, key issues facing new Board of Regents president

By

Mike Richards

The newly elected president of the Board of Regents, Mike Richards, joined the board last May filling a spot left open by the resignation of Mary Andringa resigned.

He told Radio Iowa that he had to do a lot of talking with family, friends and other board members before taking over the leadership role. “Initially I did not seek it out, and then over the last month or two as the situation changed and the leadership with president Rastetter and (president pro-tem) Katie Mullholand both departing, several people did talk to me and asked that I consider it,” Richards says.

Richards says the biggest issue facing him is hiring a new president for Iowa State University. “We have a selection committee that has already been put in place, and they haven’t quite started their work, but we have great leadership on that,” Richards says. The search for a new ISU comes after the board selected a new president for the University of Northern Iowa in December. Richards doesn’t think the turnover in the stop spots at the schools is anything unusual.

“I think we’re solid,” Richards says. “I think we have some of the best schools in the country that people want to come to work and be president there.” He says coming to a decision on tuition increases is also a key issue. Richards says the board staff is putting together a task force to review the issue.

He says they will meet with the students, the public, parents and the legislature about “how we fund our universities and the role that tuition plays in them.” The state budget tightening is at the center of the tuition talk, and Richards says funding for the schools is key.

“We want to work with the legislature so that we can give more clarity and advanced clarity to the students as they prepare their own budgets,” Richards says. Richards says he wants to ensure that the discussion on the new ISU president, tuition and other issues are transparent, so he plans to institute more public access at the board’s monthly meetings.

“To help with this transparency, I think that we are going to have an opportunity for the public to comment at the board meetings,” according to Richards. The board holds hearings before the meetings that are taped and then reviewed, but they have come under criticism because people say they aren’t able to speak directly to the board members. Richards says going back to public comment during the meetings is not a response to that criticism.

“It’s not so much a reaction to those concerns, but it is the direction that I want to go to increase the public transparency and to just allow people to have a voice,” Richards explains. Regent Pattie Cownie of Des Moines was elected president pro-tem. Their terms as president and president pro-tem will end April 30th of 2018.

Board of Regents elects West Des Moines man new president

By

Mike Richards

The board that oversees the three state universities met by telephone today to select new leaders. Mike Richards of West Des Moines was elected the new president of the Iowa Board of Regents.

Regent Sherry Bates of Scranton made the nomination and it was seconded by Regent Rachael Johnson of Sioux City. Regent Larry McKibbon then moved that the board cast a unanimous ballot electing Richards president. That motion passed and Richards, who is a doctor, became the 22nd president of the organization.

Richards once led what is now the Unity Point Health System in Des Moines and is listed as vice chairman of the Wild Rose Casinos in Emmetsburg, Clinton and Jefferson on the company’s website. Richards is also currently managing partner of Quatro Composites, a manufacturing company

Bruce Rastetter and Katie Muholland at their last Regents meeting with Regent Larry McKibben.

based in Orange City.

Pattie Cownie of Des Moines was elected president pro-tem. Previous board president Bruce Rastetter did not apply for another term. The previous president pro-tem, Katie Mullholand of Marion, did ask for another term, but was not nominated again by the governor.

Previous board president Bruce Rastetter did not apply for another term. The previous president pro-tem, Katie Mullholand, did ask for another term, but was not nominated again by the governor.

Photos courtesy of the Iowa Board of Regents.

New president expected for ISU by fall

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The Board of Regents announced the names of the 21-person Iowa State University Presidential Search Thursday.

The committee is will chose the finalists for the next president to replace Steven Leath who is leaving to take the same position at Auburn. Regents executive director, Robert Donley, told the board at its meeting in Council Bluffs that they are finalizing the selection of a search firm to help the committee.

He says they expect to award a contract to the search firm by May 3rd. The search committee will be co-chaired by the CEO of the Principal Financial Group, Dan Houston and Iowa State College of Design dean Luis Gutierrez. The committee consists of eight members of the ISU faculty and two students in addition to representatives from the ISU Alumni Association, the ISU Foundation, and the Ames community.

Regents Patty Cownie, Sherry Bates, Milt Dakovich, and Nancy Boettger (Butt-ger) also will serve on the committee with Donley and Board of Regents Chief Operating Officer Mark Braun serving in ex-officio non-voting roles. The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting in late May. Donley says they should be ready to vote on a new president by this fall.

“We expect that we will have a president that will be before the board for approval in September,” Donley says. Leath leaves Ames on May 8th and former UNI president and ISU provost Ben Allen will serve as the interim president.