Tuition, CYTown agreements are on regents agenda

Tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year and an agreement between Iowa State and Ames-based McFarland Clinic for the first building in CYTown are on the agenda when the state Board of Regents meets June 11-13 at the University of Iowa. The meeting agenda is online and public sessions of the meeting will be livestreamed on the regents' website.

Board members met May 10 for a first review of proposed tuition increases, at Iowa State a 3% for resident undergraduates and 4.5% for nonresident undergraduates and all graduate students except those in the executive MBA program. The Ivy College of Business proposes a 10% tuition increase for its executive MBA program to cover cost increases in materials, instruction and participant travel.

As proposed, tuition for students enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program would increase 5% for residents and 3.5% for nonresidents.

Student leaders from the three universities will have time to comment on the proposed increases during the meeting.

The table below presents proposed tuition and mandatory fee rates for fall. Tuition rates don't reflect supplemental tuition paid by students in specific colleges or programs.

Base tuition and fees: 2024-25 academic year

*Years 1-3, fourth year is 12 months

The Business college also is in the second of a three-year process to align tuition rates for sophomore business majors with those for juniors and seniors, who have paid supplemental tuition since fall 2009. The proposed increase is $1,340 for resident sophomores and $2,476 for nonresidents.

Iowa State also has proposed a $20 increase (1.3%) to students' mandatory fees, split among the technology fee ($10 increase), recreation fee ($7 increase) and Memorial Union building fee ($3 increase). As proposed, all Iowa State students would pay at least $1,535 in mandatory fees. Students in specific programs pay a higher technology fee, according to the demands of that program.

Iowa State requested a $4.5 million increase (about 2.6%) to its general university operating appropriation for the budget year that begins July 1. The Legislature increased that appropriation by $4.35 million.

CYTown agreements

The proposed land lease agreement between the university and McFarland is for 30 years, with five-year renewal options. As proposed, McFarland would lease 30,000 square feet in the south end of the under-development CYTown district north of the football stadium, on which it would build and operate a medical facility for the primary purpose of providing ISU student-athletes convenient access to orthopedic and imaging services. Secondarily, the clinic would complement Thielen Student Health Center by providing after-hours and weekend services.

As proposed, McFarland Clinic would pay to construct its building. Upon completion, ownership would transfer to the university, which would lease it to McFarland. Iowa State leaders anticipate that all property and facilities constructed in the CYTown area would be owned by the university and remain property tax-exempt.

McFarland would pay Iowa State $50,000 per year in rent, increasing $5,000 per year for 30-years.

The board also will be asked to approve a proposed agreement between Iowa State and the city of Ames that establishes a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for CYTown tenants. Following a proposed timeline, collected funds would be reinvested in the CYTown development, including existing performing arts facilities at the Iowa State Center. The amount of PILOT to be collected for each building each year would be calculated similarly to the assessment and collection of property taxes in Ames.

Salary policy

University salary policies for the year that begins July 1 also are on the agenda.

As announced in November 2022 and following a transition this fiscal year, Iowa State will implement FY25 salary increases on Jan. 1, 2025, for faculty, professional and scientific (P&S) staff, contract staff and post docs. The timing shift puts some space between state appropriation decisions, the regents' tuition-setting process and parameters for employee salary increases. The change also moves the window for performance evaluations for those employees to the fall.

The agenda item gives authority to executive director Mark Braun to approve salary policies when the universities submit them this summer or fall.

Part of the salary increase for Iowa State's approximately 1,100 merit employees follows the state's two-year contract with Council 61 (PDF) of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. That contract calls for an across-the-board 3% increase on July 1. As proposed, merit employees also would be eligible for a performance-based increase of 1% to 2% on their anniversary date at the university.

Iowa State also is requesting a 3% adjustment to the P&S pay grade structure (PDF) , effective July 1. The proposal is based on median increases for higher education and general industry since the last adjustment in March 2022. Employees whose salary falls below the new minimum in their grade would be increased to at least the minimum by Oct.1.

Executive evaluations

Board members will complete annual performance evaluations of the three university presidents in a closed session Tuesday, June 11. The board would share any compensation decisions Thursday morning during the full board meeting.

Presentations

The board (or board committees) is scheduled to receive these presentations:

• Supporting students and faculty with open education resources, with Anne Marie Gruber, librarian and coordinator of the Textbook Equity initiative, University of Northern Iowa; and Mahrya Burnett, librarian and member of Iowa OER, University of Iowa; and Ann Marie VanDerZanden, associate provost, Iowa State; academic affairs committee, Wednesday 10:45 a.m.
• 2024 changes to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (changes since 2020 and anticipated impact), with Jamie Jorgensen and Maria Lukas, office of general counsel, University of Iowa, free speech and student affairs committee, Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.
• Faculty research, "Bible and Archaeology: A New Entrepreneurial Approach to Humanities Public Education," with Robert Cargill, Roger A. Hornsby Associate Professor in the Classics, University of Iowa, full board, Thursday, 11:30 a.m.