Lawmakers grill Iowa State president on spending

DES MOINES - Iowa's university presidents cited surging enrollment and faculty losses in asking lawmakers Wednesday for more money, but faced questions whether state funds are used wisely now.

The presidents noted their institutions have become more efficient and promised to be good stewards of any additional revenue. But the skepticism raised questions whether the universities would see the 2 percent increase in each of the next two years that the Board of Regents wants.

State Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, specifically hammered Iowa State University President Steven Leath on his institution's hiring practices.

Citing reports in The Gazette about hires that avoided the usual search processes to land former lawmakers Kraig Paulsen and Jim Kurtenbach for high-paying posts, Quirmbach demanded to know if Leath followed protocol.

'You've hired two politically-connected white males to big six-figure salaries without advertising either position - without taking any other applications, without interviewing other candidates. My question to you is this,” Quirmbach said. 'To someone outside the university - the average taxpayer - do you think this looks like equal opportunity hiring or do you think it looks more like the old boy network in full swing?”

Leath said Kurtenbach was promoted into the $252,794-a-year vice president and chief information officer position from a previously held faculty post and had been out of the Legislature for years.

Leath also said sometimes competition and unique opportunities necessitate exceptions.

'I have hired thousands, literally thousands of people since I've been at Iowa State, and if you make a couple of exceptions to get top people at the right time for the right position, that can move the university forward,” he said. 'I'm not going to apologize for that.”

Quirmbach pressed on, leading to a heated exchange that involved table-pounding and an intervention from Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, who serves as chair of the committee but sounded at times like a courtroom judge - telling Leath, 'You don't have to answer that.”

Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, pressed Leath on his use of ISU airplanes. Media reports and a Board of Regents audit found Leath at times improperly used the school's two planes.

'I think that integrity and accountability are very important,” she said, vowing to continue following the issue.

During Leath's presentation, he pointed to his university's achievements, noting its ability to provide top-quality education for a growing student body, despite dwindling state support.

ISU's total fall enrollment reached a record 36,660, making it the biggest public university in Iowa. Meanwhile, Leath said, the percentage of his school's budget coming from general state appropriations has plummeted from nearly half in 2009 to 29 percent now.

When looking at state support per resident student, Leath said, the numbers have fallen from $12,704 in 2008 to $9,012 in 2016 - a number that could slide more after lawmakers voted to take back $18 million from the regents as part of a $117.8 million statewide de-appropriation.

Should lawmakers grant the new appropriations request, which Leath called 'very, very modest,” he vowed to decrease his institution's 19-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, which is 'by far the highest of the three regent universities.” He also committed to enhancing student-centered initiatives and lowering student debt.

University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld told lawmakers his campus would use any increase toward restoring student scholarships - if the university is allowed to increase tuition in step with its peers.

That additional revenue, along with savings through efficiencies, would help the university implement its new five-year strategic plan.

Doing so would require an additional $251.4 million by the 2022 budget year, he said. That includes $5 million for 'high-impact” student practices, $2 million toward improving the graduation rate, $10 million for diversity efforts and improved success of minority students and $6 million for economic development.