Lawmakers debate their role in university classrooms as bill advances

DES MOINES — At the center of a legislative proposal to require undergraduate students at Iowa’s public universities to take courses on American history and American government is the question of what role lawmakers should have in a public university classroom.

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“It is definitely not the job of the Legislature to dictate curriculum,” Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny, said Thursday during a subcommittee discussion on House Study Bill 543, which would add American history and government requirements to the public universities’ general education core curricula. “We may be unhappy with decisions that have been made, but that doesn't suddenly mean we have a different role to play, in my opinion.”

Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, disagreed — arguing, “It needs to be done.”

“I don't know who says it's not the role of the Legislature,” he said. “But we've left it to the experts lately, and I don't think they've done a very good job. I don't like seeing a younger generation that doesn't understand our history, doesn't appreciate our founding values, and in many cases, are embracing socialism, which I think is totally incompatible with our constitutional principles. So I support the legislation.”

Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, who proposed the study bill and chairs the House’s standing Higher Education Committee said the fact he had to propose this bill is “embarrassing.”

“'I’m going to be very frank and say that our core curriculum currently is a mess,” he said, highlighting several courses that meet the University of Iowa and Iowa State University’s “Understanding Cultural Perspectives” and “U.S. Cultures and Communities” general education requirements — like “Printmaking and the Politics of Protests,” “Music and Social Change” and “Dress and Diversity in Society.”

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“This is my favorite part, ‘Magic, Witchcraft and Religion’,” Collins said of an ISU gen ed course. “We are going to be prioritizing history and civics education in the State of Iowa. And quite frankly, I'm embarrassed of the state of our current liberal arts. We're going to return our core curriculum to what a true liberal arts education is meant to be. And the fact that the General Assembly has to address this is embarrassing.

“We will be considering this bill very soon in the Higher Education Committee.”

According to the study bill, the American history and American government gen ed courses “shall not be exclusively or primarily devoted to the study of subgroups of Americans or other nationalities.”

“Additionally, the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the State University of Iowa, the Center for Cyclone Civics at the Iowa State University, and the Center for Civic Education at the University of Northern Iowa shall designate courses at their respective institutions that satisfy the requirements,” according to the bill — referencing civics centers lawmakers and the Board of Regents mandated last year.

The proposed bill also requires regents by the end of this year to “conduct a review of all undergraduate general education requirements and core curricula.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com