Fall tuition rates are set

Meeting on campus April 23, the Iowa Board of Regents approved tuition rates for fall and elected board leaders for the next two years. In advance of their summer discussion of employee salary increase parameters, they also received oral reports from elected leaders of non-unionized employee groups at the three regent universities.

Elections

The regents voted unanimously to keep incumbent board leaders, president Robert Cramer and president pro-tem Kurt Tjaden, in their posts for two-year terms that end April 30, 2028. The two initially were elected this winter to complete the terms of regents who resigned their board leader posts.

Tuition increases

With regent Christine Hensley casting a dissenting vote, the regents approved Iowa State's proposal to raise tuition 3% this fall for resident undergraduates and all graduate students, 4% for all students in the professional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, and 4.5% for nonresident undergraduates.

With a $25 (1.6%) mandatory fee increase at Iowa State, the total increase this fall is:

• $311 (2.8%) for resident undergraduates
• $1,311 (4.3%) for nonresident undergraduates
• $381 (2.9%) for resident graduate students
• $925 (2.9%) for nonresident graduate students
• $1,231 (3.9%) for resident veterinary medicine students
• $2,561 (3.9%) for nonresident veterinary medicine students

These costs don't reflect any differential tuition paid by students in programs that are more expensive to deliver.

Hensley said that "when you look at everything else that's going on in the state," a 3% tuition increase is too much, and suggested the university's response to flat state funding should be budget cuts, not tuition increases.

'We can't continue increasing tuition every year, and that's what's been happening," she said.

Regent Peter Cownie said the new deadline to approve fall tuition by April 30, mandated by last spring's College Affordability Act (Iowa House File 440), makes for bad timing since the legislature hasn't adjourned yet and July 1 state appropriations are unknown.

"I don't like the timing. I think we should do better on the process," he said.

Cramer said the net effect of a 3% tuition increase (the revenue source for two-thirds of a university's general operating budget) and flat funding from the state (the other third of operational support) is a 2% revenue gain, which he called "reasonable and defendable."

"That's pretty lean, not knowing yet what efficiencies we can gain this year," he said. And he noted that a portion of tuition revenue is used for financial aid to keep the final price tag as low as possible for students with need.

Input on salary policy

Ahead of a summer decision on salary increase parameters for faculty and professional staff, the regents received comments from the elected leaders of governance groups at the three campuses. From Iowa State, that was Meghan Gillette and Jennifer Schroeder, presidents of the Faculty Senate and P&S Council, respectively.

Gillette noted the many responsibilities faculty perform: updating and developing new courses to meet Iowa’s workforce needs, securing external funding, partnering with industry, translating their research into patents, startups, and Extension and Outreach efforts in all 99 counties.

In all of those, she said, "students are the ones who immediately benefit by gaining hands-on training through research positions, field experiences or study abroad, and receiving mentoring and instruction by faculty on the cutting-edge of their fields.

The partnership between faculty and students is unique to higher education, she said.

"Students experience faculty mentoring and instruction in an environment where they can take risks, think big and be wrong -- without impacting their job performance or their next paycheck."

Money is not the prime motivator for faculty; intellectual discovery, the success of their students and public impact are, she said.

However, "Like any job, compensation is important; and providing competitive compensation is crucial for recruiting and retaining faculty who are productive, gain external funding, develop industry partnerships, innovate for the public good, and are deeply engaged in student success," she concluded.

Schroeder said P&S employees touch nearly every operation of the university, often behind the scenes, but always in ways that directly affect students, faculty and communities. 

When staff salaries don’t remain competitive, she said, "We lose talented staff. Student-facing and operationally essential departments end up shouldering more work with fewer people and resources - but the same expectations for excellence. Departments lose critical knowledge. Burnout rates rise. And employees ask themselves difficult questions: Can I afford to stay? Do I want to stay?"

On the other hand, "retaining skilled staff members leads to stronger outcomes, smoother operations and more innovation," she said. "Why? Because departments can build on their successes instead of constantly rebuilding after turnover."

Schroeder concluded, "My request is simple: Invest financially in our staff. Competitive salaries don’t just increase a paycheck; they strengthen the work that drives student success, fuels innovation and powers our operations across the entire state."

Regent resigns

The meeting was the final one for regent JC Risewick, who has resigned from his seat because he is moving out of state. A board member for nearly four years, his current term runs through 2031. The governor appoints members to the board, subject to confirmation in the Iowa Senate.