Iowa regents review university president performance this week

Iowa’s Board of Regents will conduct midyear performance reviews Tuesday of their university presidents, who over the last year have faced a range of high-profile issues and challenges — like the transition from pandemic-era restrictions, free speech on campus and hundreds of millions in of dollars in new facilities and upgrades.

Regents will do the evaluations in private because each president requested that, according to the board — citing a portion of Iowa Code allowing closed-session reviews only if those being evaluated ask for it.

In addition to evaluating University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson, Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen and University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook, the board will evaluate its executive director, Mark Braun.

The midyear reviews won’t bring compensation or contract changes — as that typically happens during annual evaluations in the summer. Last June, both Wilson and Wintersteen received an 8.3 percent raise for the 2023 budget year, bringing their base compensation from $600,000 to $650,000. Nook’s pay held steady at $357,110 — although he, like Wilson and Wintersteen, received a new deferred compensation deal that will pay him hundreds of thousands more if he stays several years.

For the 2022 budget year that ended June 30, Wilson received salary payments totaling $597,348 — just under her $600,000 base rate, as she started her presidency two weeks into the budget year. Wintersteen, according to new state salary data, saw her pay top $618,000 — above the base rate, as it includes extra pay and other forms of compensation.

Braun — given a complex salary matrix the board uses to skirt a state law capping the position’s salary at $154,300 — was paid $390,336 in the last budget year, records show.

In the last year

Since administrators last sat for a review in June, the campuses have increased tuition and welcomed to campus fewer students than in years past. The three campuses combined for a total enrollment of 68,933 in the fall — down 8 percent from the 75,030 in pre-pandemic 2019.

This year’s enrollment was 14 percent below a peak of 80,068 in fall 2015. Looking at each campuses, only the UI saw a slight enrollment uptick this fall from last — although it remained below pre-pandemic levels.

The universities, in asking for a combined $32 million more in higher education funds from the Legislature in the next budget year, laid out their respective priorities for the coming year by disclosing how they would use the money — should they get it:

“When fully implemented, the college will be able to increase its capacity with the intention to graduate 48 additional nurses per year,” UI officials said in their appropriations request. “This is a 30 percent boost in the number of nurses the College of Nursing will prepare for entry into the workforce.”

UI also wants to use $5 million to improve higher learning outcomes for students who are the first in their family to go to college.

“Students who are first-in-family to attend college have retention and graduation rates below their peers who have family members who have college experience,” according to UI’s funding ask. “Addressing this disparity has been a primary focus of the university.”

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

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