Demand transparency from Iowa Regents

To the editor:

The discontent within the University of Iowa community is widespread. For the second time in as many UI presidential searches, the Board of Regents' conduct has elicited faculty and student no-confidence votes. A chorus of voices have condemned the board's leadership during the recent search. All we can do now is wish Bruce Harreld well as he embarks on an uphill battle that the board's actions created. Still, many questions surrounding the board's actions during the search remain.

As concerned members of the UI community, we are tired of the controversies that the board consistently creates at the UI. In the past, voices from all corners of campus had an opportunity to be heard; it is evident that the board ultimately has no interest in anyone's perspective but its own.

Why is this happening? Now, more than ever, we can see that the board has a specific agenda for the UI. Without a change in the board's leadership, we will no doubt find ourselves in this situation again. Either the board will tire of Harreld, should he resist its forceful hand, or Harreld will grow weary of the endless political chess game with the board.

For the benefit of the university, we hope to move forward and support Harreld as he works to carry out his vision for the UI's next chapter. In order to do that, however, the UI community and all Iowans demand the same transparency from the board that it expects from Iowa's Regent universities.

Michael Appel

Teresa Ball

Wanakee Carr

Jake Christensen

Ben Gillig

Emma Hashman

Samuel Konchar

Katherine Vald

Hawkeye alumni and students