Regents approve tuition increase, discuss draft policy to regulate course content

At its June 12 meeting in Iowa City, the Iowa Board of Regents approved fall tuition increases in the range of 3%-4.5% and an increase to the mandatory student fees package of 1.7% ($26) for all full-time students. Excluding differential tuition assessed to many subsets of undergraduate and graduate students, the base tuition and fees for the 2025-26 academic year are:

• $11,091 for resident undergraduates, a 2.8% ($304) increase
• $30,139 for nonresident undergraduates, a 4.4% ($1,258) increase
• $13,339 for resident graduate students, a 2.9% ($372) increase
• $31,477 for nonresident graduate students, a 2.9% ($900) increase
• $31,715 for resident Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students, a 3.4% ($1,046) increase ($45,538 for the 12-month fourth year)
• $64,963 for nonresident Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students, a 3% ($1,874) increase ($76,918 for the 12-month fourth year)

The mandatory student fee package will total $1,561. The $26 increase reflects a $10 increase to the technology fee (now $394) to support student-related software license fees and a $16 increase to the health fee (to $318) to support additional professional positions and higher supply costs.

Diversity, critical race theory in required courses

A proposed addition to the board's policy manual would prevent instructors at the three regent universities from including "substantial" content on diversity, equity and inclusion or critical race theory in a required course. The policy reflects spring legislation that cleared the Iowa House but not the Iowa Senate.

Executive director Mark Braun and regent David Barker noted they've received dozens of emails and comments about the draft policy, and during the public comment period of the June meeting, six of the eight individuals spoke against it.

Braun said the weeks between the board's June 12 and July 30 meetings will provide time to make edits and clarify what the policy does and doesn't do. And the proposed effective date, June 30, 2026, gives the universities time to review their course content, he said.

For example, Braun said the word choice "substantial" in the draft is vague. The implementation process will involve the universities in defining "substantial" and providing guidelines for how to apply the definition.

Barker said some of the emails the regents received convinced him the draft policy can be improved prior to its scheduled second reading in late July.

"Our goal is not to shut down a point of view. Our goal is to prevent instructors from presenting contested, controversial ideas as settled fact," he said. "If you think this never happens in Iowa, you should talk with more parents and students."

Barker said some version of the policy is "an important first step to correct the loss of confidence" in American higher education.

Regent Robert Cramer said he believes most faculty are not pushing fringe ideas in their classrooms.

"We don't want to infringe on the First Amendment or push an agenda ourselves," Cramer said. "This tries to address that more extreme case where students are put into a pressure situation they shouldn't be in. It's about trying to find that balance."

Cramer invited faculty and staff representative groups to send to board members their proposed language for this policy that captures those three concepts: protect students and give freedom to instructors while deterring the extreme occurrences.

Adjustment to P&S pay matrix

The board approved a 3% increase to the professional and scientific (P&S) pay grade structure (PDF), based on median increases for higher education and general industry since the last adjustment to the structure on July 1, 2024. The change is intended to keep the compensation structure aligned with changes in the job market. An estimated 84 P&S employees whose current salary is below their new pay grade minimum will need to receive a salary increase, to at least the minimum, by Jan. 1, 2026. University human resources notified the managers of these impacted employees this week, and the employees will receive notifications during the week of July 7.

The regents also completed a first reading on a board policy change that would require only future adjustments to the P&S pay grades that exceed 3% to receive board approval; smaller adjustments could be submitted to Braun for approval.

Wintersteen evaluation and compensation

After completing her annual performance evaluation, the regents raised President Wendy Wintersteen's base salary on July 1 to $735,000, a 3.5% increase to her FY 2025 salary. During her service as president, the regents also offered Wintersteen several deferred compensation incentives. The fourth and final one, established in June 2023, covers the 18 months concluding on Dec. 31, 2025, and provides an annual contribution of $415,000.

Other business

In other Iowa State-related agenda items, the regents:

• Approved pay increases for regent merit employees, as negotiated between the state of Iowa and Iowa chapter 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees covering FY 2026 and 2027. The agreement provides for a 2% across-the-board increase to all bargaining unit employees on July 1.
• Approved updated pay matrixes for fiscal year 2026 for the merit and public safety merit employee groups that contain 15 pay grades (3-17) and two pay grades (22-23), respectively.
• Completed a first reading on another proposed policy change in which the executive director also would receive the authority to approve changes to employee insurance benefit and contribution levels that didn't exceed the weighted average of the last three fiscal years of medical trend indexes.
• Directed the universities to submit their proposed 2026 salary policies to Braun for approval when they're drafted.
• Approved the budget ($7.5 million) and schematic design for phase 2 of the pet cancer clinic at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. The second phase includes a 3,600-square-foot renovation and 2,000-square-foot addition. Phase 1, a radiation therapy addition to the center, opened in 2019. Senior vice president for operations and finance Sean Reeder said the college has private gifts totaling $2.35 million, and fundraising continues. College funds will cover the difference.