Regents approve civics center, two Degrees of the Future

Meeting on campus last week, the Iowa Board of Regents approved a new Center for Cyclone Civics and three degree programs, two of which are the fourth and fifth installments to Iowa State's "Degrees of the Future" strategic plan initiative. All three degrees will be available to students this fall.

The Center for Cyclone Civics, administered in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, transitions the initiative announced last fall to a center that will:

• Promote civic literacy, defined as a basic understanding of government, U.S. history and American philosophical traditions.
• Develop civic skills needed for a functioning democracy, including media literacy, critical thinking, problem solving and the ability to find common ground across differences.
• Create a civic disposition, which are attitudes and beliefs that support American democracy and a sense of civic duty.

It will accomplish this through research, curriculum and programming on campus as well as outreach to Iowa residents via extension. A key focus in its second year will be programming around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The center, which will have a part-time director and part-time support staff member, responds to the regents' November 2023 DEI directive #9. The university has committed $250,000/year for five years to the center, and the director will seek to supplement that with private funds (around $120,000 annually).

The new degree programs are:

• A B.S. in digital and precision agriculture, jointly administered by agronomy and agricultural and biosystems engineering, a degree of the future.
• A Master of finance technology, "fin tech," offered jointly by the departments of computer science, finance, and information systems and business analytics, also a degree of the future.
• A M.S. in supply chain management, an online program that a student could complete in 12 months.

Regents policy manual changes

The board approved changes to its own policy manual that:

• (Chapter 3.20) Requires the universities to post on public websites by the first day of the term a syllabus for all undergraduate courses that includes: course title and number, course description with learning objectives, general outline of topics to be covered, list of required textbooks and general description of the types of assessments to be used.
• (new Chapter 2.2.10) Requires each university to prepare and make publicly available: quarterly financial reports for each operating unit that receives a state appropriation, annual personnel report based on September data, home website link to the state employee salary database, and an annual report of funds exceeding $50,000 that came from a foreign source (excluding international student tuition).
• (Chapter 1.6.F) Changes the board's method for assessing proposed tuition increases, from the projected range of the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), to staying within the average of the three most recent HEPI inflation indexes.
• (Chapter 2.2.3) Raises the price threshold, from $5,000 to $10,000, for equipment that must be maintained in an inventory list, to align with the federal Office of Management and Budget.

Proposed tuition and fee increases

Without discussion, the regents had a first read of proposed tuition rates for the 2025-26 academic year. A vote is scheduled for the June 12 meeting.

Undergraduate. As proposed, resident undergraduates would pay $9,530 in tuition next year, a $278 (3%) increase from this year. Nonresident undergraduates would pay an additional $1,232 (4.5%), or $28,578 next year, as proposed. Mandatory student fees for all undergraduates would go up a proposed $26 (1.7%), to $1,561. The proposed new fee reflects a $10 increase in the technology fee (to $394) to support student-related software license fees and a $16 increase in the health fee (to $318) to support additional professional positions and higher supply costs.

Graduate. Tuition for resident and nonresident graduate students would go up a proposed 3%, to $11,838 for in-state students and $29,976 for nonresidents. With the same $26 increase, the proposed mandatory fees for graduate students would rise to $1,501 this fall.

Professional. Iowa State is proposing a 3.5% ($1,020) tuition increase, to $30,154, for resident Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students and 3% ($1,848), to $61,554 for nonresident students. Fourth-year veterinary students pay additional tuition for the 12-month curriculum.

Board president Sherry Bates announced a tuition guarantee study group, of regents David Barker and Christine Hensley, to "research the merits of a tuition guarantee program" for resident students at any regent university. The concept is that enrolled freshmen wouldn't experience a tuition increase "during their subsequent years." Bates asked for their report by the board's November meeting.

"Our board feels strongly that we must weigh the cost to our students and their families, while also being cognizant of the need to provide the university the resources they need to continue to provide a first-class education. This is a difficult balance, but we take our charge seriously," she said.

Bates also instructed the three universities to "redouble their efficiency efforts" to find additional savings and reallocations -- much like Gov. Kim Reynolds' DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) task force is trying to accomplish, she said.

Salary policy comments

In anticipation of its annual approval in June of employee salary policies for the year that begins July 1, the board heard comments Thursday from elected leaders of employee groups not covered by a union contract at the three universities.

Faculty Senate president-elect Meghan Gillette said faculty members' work is driven by a "deep sense of purpose and passion." Their commitment to the university and the state of Iowa may create financial pressures, for example, health insurance premium increases that are higher than their salary increases. Faculty departures to other states' more competitive salaries hurt not just the university, but the entire state, she noted.

"Providing competitive salaries and benefits to faculty helps to sustain the partnerships and programs Iowans receive from Iowa State University. By investing in faculty, we honor their dedication, sacrifices and enduring contributions, ensuring Iowa State continues to be a cornerstone of innovation and pride for Iowa and beyond," she said.

2024-25 P&S Council president Jason Follett used many examples to illustrate how P&S staff are a "key cog" in the daily operations and success of the university. Iowa State's P&S are the only regent employee group serving Iowans in all 99 counties, yet they feel undervalued, he said. Flat or decreasing state appropriations put pressure on tuition to "fill some of the gaps" related to aging buildings and salaries that can't keep up with inflation, he noted. But investing in employees is smart because (quoting the Memorial Union's late Col. Harold Pride) they are who "make any college," Follett said.

More ISU agenda items

In other business, the regents:

• Approved 3% parking permit fee increases for the Memorial Union parking ramp. The public safety department didn't seek increases to either parking permits or parking violation fines for fiscal year 2026.
• Approved student residence and dining price increases for FY 2026. Residence hall and apartment rates will go up an average of 6.5%. Academic year meal plans and flex meal plans (25-, 50- and 100-meal packages) will go up 5%.
• Approved a second project budget increase, a $2 million increase (to $14.17 million), to the large animal ward expansion project beginning this spring at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. The second increase is due to higher than anticipated construction bids. College funds and private gifts are paying for the phased project, which will wrap up in fall 2027.
• Approved faculty promotions for 60 Iowa State tenure-eligible faculty.
• Honored regent Jim Lindenmayer, who has served on the board since 2018 and whose second term (first full term) expires April 30.