TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016  |  IN THIS ISSUE

 

Story1UI's Harreld says private partnerships may supplant state funding
President Bruce Harreld visits with leading UI donor John Pappajohn at a "Life with Phil" event on the UI campus last school year. Photo courtesy of IowaNow.
University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld said that to compensate for historic lows in state funding, the university is likely to pursue more research partnerships with corporations, and may concentrate resources internally toward select areas such as big data, hydraulics and professional education.

Since 1992, state funding for higher education in Iowa has dropped from about 12 percent to 6 percent, with current state funding levels at their lowest since 1962, he said.

"The state of Iowa is basically right in the middle of the pack," Mr. Harreld said of national university state funding levels. "So it's the whole country that's actually disinvested from higher public education."

He also defended the University of Iowa's annual tuition rates, which the state Board of Regents has proposed raising by about $300 for in-state undergraduates for the upcoming school year.

When compared to peer institutions identified by the regents, which include University of Arizona, University of North Carolina, University of Texas and several Big Ten schools, Mr. Harreld said the UI's annual in-state tuition is the least expensive by more than $1,400.

"That gives you a sense of what's going on," Mr. Harreld said Monday during his keynote at a Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary meeting. "We need to get from a world of dependency to one of more control over our own destiny, so that suggests we need to be doing a lot more to think about new, 21st century ways of finding revenue and building new programs."

Mr. Harreld noted that UI programs such as the renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop may not produce a favorable "bottom line," but are central to the school's identity and should be supported in kind. He also said about half the university's two-year MFA writing students require financial support, either through internships or scholarships, and that the university plans to "double down and protect the best writers."

"We're going to continue investing behind that," Mr. Harreld said. "Our values are going to drive a big hunk of what we're investing in."

Exactly how the university invests funding, however, may be changing. Mr. Harreld said the university may start to internally administer funds by concentrating on key programs, opposed to across-the-board appropriations of new revenue.

"I often joke about 'spreading the peanut butter,' because whatever resources we get, ... we take them and spread them across the entire institution at the same level," Mr. Harreld said. "So there hasn't been a sense of priorities."

Aligning focus to research and applied science appears may be a response to a larger trend. Last summer, the online education journal Inside Higher Ed examined a study concluding that students exposed to higher unemployment rates typically seek jobs with higher wages and stronger job prospects, including those in STEM fields.

"Prepare for a world where people say 'no,' and what that means is we're going to continue to look for new sources of revenue," Mr. Harreld said. "We're exploring dramatically relationships with new corporations for research, [and] we're stepping out and looking at new programs that create revenue-certificates, executive education and the like."

Mr. Harreld said he's fielded inquiries about the university's "big data" studies, and specifically identified the Stanley Hydraulics Laboratory as one asset with noteworthy commercial potential, but declined to give details about any specific partnerships.

"I know a lot of people in corporate America, so I've asked them to come and take a look at what we're doing, and see if it might play a role, and if they're looking for a partner," Mr. Harreld said. "This is going to lead to some pretty interesting potential relationships, so we're launching some of those."


Story2AAUP issues sanction against UI for presidential hiring process
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has issued a sanction against the University of Iowa over concerns about the hiring last year of UI President Bruce Harreld.

According to the AAUP, the list of sanctioned institutions is comprised of colleges and universities that committed "infringement of governance standards" set by the association. Institutions are placed on or removed from the sanction list by vote at the association's annual meeting.

"Sanction by the AAUP informs the academic community of infringements of generally accepted governance standards after investigations reveal serious departures by the administration and/or governing board from those standards," the association stated in a summary of its meetings, which took place late last week in Washington, D.C.

In an investigation completed in December, the association took issue with the decision by UI Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter to disband a presidential search committee, which included six faculty members, shortly before the regents selected Mr. Harreld.

The AAUP report also noted that in September, the faculty senate voted no confidence in the Board of Regents for its "blatant disregard for the shared nature of university governance."

"[I]n contrast to historical practice at the university, which had been to involve faculty fully in presidential searches, the board designed this search process specifically to prevent any meaningful faculty role in the selection of the final candidate," the association wrote in a summary of its report.

When asked about the sanction, Mr. Harreld quickly noted that one of the association's three overarching divisions is the AAUP CBC (Collective Bargaining Congress), but declined to elaborate.

"It's bizarre to me," Mr. Harreld said. "That's all I can say. It doesn't make any sense."
Dan McGehee (left) and Herm Reininga. Courtesy of University of Iowa.
The University of Iowa Center for Computer-Aided Design has made two key director appointments at its National Advanced Driving Simulator and Advanced Manufacturing Technology program.

Dan McGehee, director of the Human Factors and Vehicle Safety Research Division of the University of Iowa's Public Policy Center, has been appointed director of the National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa's Center for Computer-Aided Design (CCAD), a research unit under the UI College of Engineering. He will officially assume the new role on Aug. 17.

Mr. McGehee also will become associate professor of mechanical and industrial engineering. He also holds faculty positions in occupational health and emergency medicine at the UI, and has studied car crashes for more than 20 years.

According to the university, Mr. McGehee has conducted research on driver performance, distraction and technology that's contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations involving engineering, medicine and public health.

Mr. McGehee replaces Herm Reininga, who has served as NADS' interim director since 2009. Mr. Reininga will move to a new role at CCAD as Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMTECH) program.

The AMTECH program includes work conducted with the the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, a federally funded development group that encourages U.S. factories to deploy new manufacturing and design technologies. Mr. Reininga previously was senior vice president of operations for Rockwell Collins and was a corporate officer with the avionics company, where he was responsible for overall management of global production and material operations. 
Ann Lebo of Grundy Center has been named the new executive director of the Iowa Board o f Educational Examiners, which sets state standards for teaching licenses.

Ms. Lebo currently is the secondary principal at Grundy Center Community School District, and previously served as a member of the Board of Educational Examiners.  She also acts as an online adjunct faculty member in organizational leadership at Waldorf University. 

"I'm pleased to be able to name Dr. Ann Lebo as the new Executive Director of the Board of Educational Examiners," Gov. Terry Branstad said in a news release. "Dr. Lebo will be a great leader and asset to the Board and has an impressive résumé, which makes her uniquely qualified to lead as executive director."

Prior to being principal at Grundy Center, Ms. Lebo taught and coached sports at Grundy Center High School, Mason City High School and Gilbert High School as well as taught at Hawkeye Community College.  Ms. Lebo also served on the statewide Teacher Leadership and Compensation taskforce in 2012.   

Ms. Lebo holds a doctor of education degree and an advanced education specialist degree, both in educational administration, received from the University of South Dakota. She also holds an M.A. in English language and literature from the University of Northern Iowa, a B.A. in English Education from the University of Northern Iowa, and a B.A. in Speech Communication from Iowa State University.  She resides in her hometown of Grundy Center.

Ms. Lebo replaces Duane Magee, who recently resigned to become superintendent for the Norwalk Community School District.  Ms. Lebo will begin the appointment on July 1.

Story5Student operated 'rent-a-chicken' taking flight in Pekin
Unusual rentals are increasingly common in the age of the "on-demand" economy, but a fledgling company under a University of Iowa's entrepreneurial education program is catering to customers in a special market: live, fresh chickens.

The rent-a-chicken business is two years old, and is being facilitated with the help of Juston Lamb, head of vocational agriculture at Pekin Community High School. The students' business is two years old, and has five chickens available for rent by community members who want fresh eggs.

The idea to pursue the chicken rental business came after Mr. Lamb attended the STEM Innovator program at the University of Iowa in 2013 and 2014. The program, offered in collaboration by the College of Education and the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, helps teachers from across the state apply entrepreneurial principles to develop unique solutions to STEM problems.

Mr. Lamb said students came up with their idea in response to a growing demand for fresh food, and because of a void in the local market: Pekin does not have a local grocer.

"Since we don't have a grocery store anywhere in the school district, this would be a great addition to the community," Mr. Lamb said in a university news publication.

To read more about the students' business, click here
aroundthewebFrom around the web: 
  • KCRG reports that the Iowa City Community School District homelessness liason who was placed on administrative leave earlier this year will not have her contract with the district renewed when it expires at the end of this month.
  • The University of Iowa says its spinout company Virtual Systems Engineering will soon be working with the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute and the Electric Power and Research Institute.
  • The Washington Post reports on several U.S. college courses that are forgoing text books in an effort to reduce costs.
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Short-Term Event Planner
     
June 22
Professional Women's Network Informational Meeting, by Professional Women's Network, 5:30-7 p.m., Wine Styles, 4201 42nd St. NE, Ste. 170, Cedar Rapids. Learn more about professional development, networking opportunities, PWN Perks and more. Free, with light appetizers provided and drinks available for purchase. RSVP by June 17 to pwn@pwn.org . For more information, visit www.pwn.org or call (319) 560-2250.
 
June 23
Summer on the Links: LinkedIn Publishing & Content Creation, by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8:30-10 a.m., Cedar Rapids Metro Economic, Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Understand how content creation and publishing components are critical to business success. Intended for marketing executives, sales associates and business owners. Free. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/24xrpHU.
 
Business PM - Selzer Werderitsch Associates, by the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Selzer Werderitsch Associates,2222 Heinz Road, Iowa City. Join fellow chamber members for networking, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres and more. Free for chamber members. For more information, call (319) 337-9637.
Headlines from CBS 2/FOX 28 
These news items are provided by CBS 2/FOX 28

Grundy County authorities are investigating a potential attempted abduction in Dike. The Sheriff's Office believe the attempted abduction occurred around 11 a.m. today near the Dike City Park. Deputies said a girl was riding he bike near the park when a man asked approached her and offered to give her money. The girl was able to bike to a nearby home and is safe with her family. Anyone who believes they saw a gray car in the park this morning is asked to call Grundy County authorities at (319) 824-6933.
  
T hese news items are provided by CBS 2/FOX 28 
CBS 2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast
 
Look for sunshine and warm temperatures today with highs ranging from 82-86. A low pressure system develops in the central plains which will lift a warm front into the region late tonight into Wednesday, resulting in showers and thunderstorms. A strong storm can't be ruled out and heavy rain is possible in the stronger storms. The front will lift to the north leading to additional showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. Highs tomorrow despite the storms will begin to warm to the mid- and upper 80s for the daytime with overnight lows in the mid-60s.