Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen, left, and University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson speak with Iowa lawmakers Feb. 24, 2025. The University of Iowa is facing increasing distrust from Iowa lawmakers after incidents involving staff and events relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.(Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
While a decision by the Iowa Board of Regents to propose changes to its policies relating to academic freedom and the teaching of controversial topics is being seen as a good first step, a key Iowa lawmaker said one of the state’s public universities has lost some respect in the wake of repeated incidents relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said in an interview he believes “it’s significant” that the Iowa Board of Regents will bring forward proposed policy changes for adoption, though language has shifted drastically from the first to final draft.
The new version eliminates mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory and inserts that instructors can teach controversial topics if it relates to the course and is taught “in a manner that fosters critical thinking and avoids indoctrination of one perspective.”
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“I think they’re coming to the same realization that many of the legislators have come to, that it’s just inappropriate that some of these materials are forced on Iowa students,” Collins said. “And ultimately, this is about restoring trust in our institutions.”
Collins previously posted online that the Iowa Legislature’s Higher Education Committee, which he chairs, would be “ready to act” if the board didn’t approve the previous policy. With the new policy released, he said it ensures controversial topics are dealt with “in a manner that is appropriate in the classroom” and won’t indoctrinate students into a certain ideology.
New suggested policy OKs controversial topics with caveats
The initial policy, originally set to be read and approved in June, had concerned students, university staff, members of the public and Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, speaking out against the harm it could cause, leading the board to slow down the approval process. Board President Sherry Bates announced in July another delay in consideration of the policy, setting a special meeting date for Aug. 12.
As shown in board documents released ahead of the meeting next week, the proposed policy revision has shifted its focus from diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory-related topics to not referring to specific areas of study at all. Instead, it clarifies that controversial topics can be taught as long as they relate to the course and adds guidelines for how instructors should teach these areas.
The original policy restricted requiring students to take classes that include “substantial content that conveys DEI or CRT.” The new proposed addition to the board’s academic freedom policy instead states “faculty are expected to uphold academic integrity, encourage open and respectful inquiry, and present coursework in a way that reflects the range of scholarly views and ongoing debate in the field” when teaching “controversial subjects,” of which no examples are provided.
If approved, state universities will be required to implement practices to ensure compliance with the new policy and the board will have the power to direct staff to audit these practices.
Another addition to board policy stated classes should incorporate “opportunities for students to openly examine and discuss the concepts, ideas, and materials addressed in the class,” and student grades “must reflect their mastery of course content and skills, not their agreement or disagreement with particular viewpoints expressed during instruction or in their work.”
University of Iowa president sees ‘diminished’ trust from Collins
As the board of regents and its universities work to come under compliance with state and federal law when it comes to DEI programs and policies, Collins told University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson in an email the university needs to recognize the DEI “ideology” is present in campus culture and send a “strong message” that DEI is done.
The UI last week came under scrutiny of national media and state government when Fox News aired a video showing Andrea Tinoco, assistant director of UI Leadership and Student Organization Development, telling someone about how she still uses the term DEI and how the university could be working around DEI restrictions. Gov. Kim Reynolds referred the incident to the state attorney general for review of potential violations of state law.
Both the university and board said they are working to investigate the incident. Collins said he found another “violation” made by the university in a drafted orientation schedule for the UI’s radiation sciences program, which was sent to him by a student.
A training session titled “Implicit Bias and Microaggressions and IRESPOND Toolkit” was included in the schedule on the document, which Wilson said in her email was a draft taken from last year’s program and not ready to be published. The document has now removed this session, she said.
“I am sorry for this error, and I apologize for the concern it has raised,” Wilson said in her email. “The Carver College of Medicine assures me that they are redoubling their efforts to comply fully with directives from the Iowa Board of Regents as well as state and federal laws enacted to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and initiatives. I am confident they will make every effort to ensure this will not happen again.”
Collins said in his response he hopes UI leadership will recognize the current approach of treating these situations individually and “hoping things will blow over” is not sustainable and seek to change the culture that “continues to encourage this kind of behavior.”
“Me and my colleagues’ trust in your leadership was severely diminished this week,” Collins wrote to Wilson.
The UI has “fumbled the elimination of DEI” since April 2024, Collins said in his email, and if incidents like these continue to occur, “the reputation of our state’s flagship institution will continue to deteriorate.”
“My colleagues and I recognize that our legislative emails will continue to inundated with concerns from students, faculty and staff until we fundamentally change the culture in higher education – specifically at the University of Iowa,” Collins said in his email.
He added the university needs to work on encouraging intellectual diversity on campus, and said the pattern behind these incidents “is why there was such broad support for” legislation passed last session establishing a center for intellectual freedom at the UI.
Looking ahead to the next legislative session, Collins said one issue remaining for him in higher education in Iowa is core curriculum requirements and how he believes a student studying an area like accounting shouldn’t be required to take courses with DEI content.
“One of the things that I look forward to having a stronger conversation on next year is really civics education and making sure that we have strong standards when it comes to students,” Collins said, “making sure that they have three credit hours of American history, making sure that they have three credit hours of American government.”
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