Education

After 58 years of collaborative diplomacy, the U.S. Department of State has notified the University of Iowa’s esteemed International Writing Program that it is terminating its grants because they “no longer effectuate agency priorities” or align with “national interest.”

Iowa House and Senate lawmakers Tuesday advanced bills aiming to — among other things — increase intellectual diversity on the University of Iowa campus and sexual abuse awareness and prevention education in schools, restrict state funds to libraries that are American Library Association members, and allow public schools to offer an elective social studies course on the Bible.

The State of Iowa has agreed to pay $85,000 to the Cedar Rapids family of a 3-year-old boy who was bit in the ear by a bomb-sniffing K9 patrolling Kinnick Stadium during a home Hawkeye football game in September 2022.

The city of Cedar Rapids has “paused” internal initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion amid mounting state and federal pressure to dismantle related programming. It’s not alone. Other area municipal and school officials report ongoing assessments of internal practices and programs.

“I thank my mother for finding the physician,” he said. “Of course, I was involved with that whole process of finding a surgeon, going and meeting them, and asking them about the operation and the alternatives and getting second opinions. And the decision was left up to me, ultimately, of whether or not to get surgery.”

Jenny Wagner is the first individual recipient of the statewide Dan Marburger Mentors in Violence Prevention Advocacy Award, which recognizes efforts to curb bullying, gender violence and sexual harassment among students.

Amid an onslaught of criticism from lawmakers and proposed legislation to codify their higher education critiques, Iowa’s Board of Regents this week directed its public universities to do “a lot more” to comply with the “spirit of the laws” — including pulling down current or archived webpages with any mention of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Board of Regents on Thursday levied a rare rejection of a University of Iowa construction project, opting not to approve -- at least for a period of time -- a long-awaited renovation of the 100-year-old Iowa Memorial Union.