AIB College of Business making ‘teach-out’ transition plan

IOWA CITY - As it transitions into a Regional Regents Center over the next year, Des Moines-based AIB College of Business is formulating a 'teach-out plan,” detailing arraignments for its 1,000-some students.

Officials with the Des Moines-based private school on Tuesday said they're working with the Higher Learning Commission to meet teach-out requirements in hopes of transferring control of the 20-acre campus to the Board of Regents in July 2016.

Administrators last week said original plans to turn AIB into a satellite University of Iowa campus have changed, and the institution now is proposed to become the Regional Regents Center. The center, while operated by UI, will allow Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa to offer courses as well.

The plan is to cease AIB programming June 30, 2016, and begin UI operations July 1, 2016. AIB will not enroll a freshmen class in fall 2015, and advisers will work with students to help them earn their degrees before June 2016 or transfer.

AIB students wanting to transfer to UI must meet admission criteria for transfer students, which vary by college and degree and in many cases are more stringent. Faculty contracts will end Aug. 31, 2015, and it's unclear how many will be asked to stay or whether they'll have to reapply.

AIB scholarships for students and athletes will be honored only through June 2016.

The Higher Learning Commission requires teach-out plans in several scenarios, including when institutions intend to close 'before all students have completed their program of study,” according to its website. To receive approval from the commission, teach-out plans must involve another accredited institution, must meet state and federal regulations, and must be 'fair and equitable to students,” providing them 'reasonable opportunities to complete their education without additional charges.”

Plans also must ensure students have complete information about tuition and fees for the institution conducting the teach-out, and that institution must be able to provide an educational program that is similar in content, structure, and scheduling to that of the closing school.

According to the commission's teach-out requirements, the new institution must provide access to programs and services without requiring students to move or travel substantial distances, be stable, and meet 'all obligations to existing students,” according to the commission.

It's unclear which requirements would apply to the AIB-UI transition, and further details of the partnership and teach-out plans haven't been made public.

Some students and lawmakers have criticized the AIB-UI partnership and the way it was rolled out, saying they were led astray - being told initially that all AIB students would become UI students, possibly as soon as fall 2015, and later that they would have to reapply.

In an effort to mitigate concerns and ease the transition, UI admissions officials will be on the Des Moines campus Thursday to meet with AIB students and provide an overview of the university's transfer admission process and requirements.

A UI representative also is planning to meet with AIB faculty and staff members before the school's winter term ends Feb. 26, according to AIB spokeswoman Jane Schorer Meisner.

Administrators are in the process of working out programming details for the new campus, including how ISU and UNI might be involved. AIB has confirmed that all of its athletic programs will be discontinued after this spring season.

'Coaches and staff continue to work with student-athletes to determine if they want to stay at AIB or pursue other opportunities at other institutions,” according to a Tuesday news release from AIB.