Changes to Iowa higher ed are disheartening

It’s a good time to be retired from higher education. It’s disheartening to watch some university administrators and regents rush to eviscerate the core of academic work even before the majority in the state Legislature tells them they have to.

The Board of Regents is in the process of editing its Strategic Plan to remove references to “inclusion.” Are we really to the point where we don’t even aspire to include everyone in the educational endeavor?

Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, newly appointed chair of a new House Higher Education Committee bent on “reform,” recently wrote to the Board of Regents stating, “Iowans expect [public universities] to be focused on providing for the workforce needs of the state….” Of course, it is a core function of Iowa public universities to supply well qualified graduates to its workforce. But surely the overriding goal of higher education is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge.

Is it possible that Rep. Collins isn’t aware that the major advances in knowledge that drive our business, financial, health care, and arts communities (think the internet, emerging cancer treatments, musical innovation) were brought about by persons inspired by education to read widely, question everything, and imagine creatively? Doesn’t he want that sort of education for Iowa’s citizens?

I’m aware that these concerns will be seen as too “woke” by many. And that worries me too. Why have we turned a word that basically means “alert” into a term of abuse?

Lois Cox

Iowa City