Iowa grad students don't wait to press Board of Regents on protest issues

IOWA CITY — A new University of Iowa-based coalition is planning to protest the Board of Regents during its meeting later today, but some graduate students presenting to the board this morning took the opportunity to press the issue early.

'What do you plan to do to get us fully funded, and why would you appoint a president who would not advocate for full funding at the University of Iowa?' one student asked the seven of nine regents in the room.

Regent Larry McKibben, who served in the Iowa Legislature for 12 years, described the challenge of dividing up the funding 'pie' to all the different entities, organizations, and needs within the state.

'No matter how you choose to carve the pie, someone is going to come back and say, 'You did not carve the pie big enough for me,'' McKibben said.

The students interrupted McKibben and said he's not answering the question. McKibben responded by saying the regents do advocate for full funding for all three of its public institutions – as hard as they can.

'That's a fact,' he said.

Other UI graduate students in the room put an end to the debate by introducing other presenters, but the graduate student union on Tuesday vowed to attend Wednesday's 3 p.m. protest during the board's meeting in the Iowa Memorial Union.

The newly-formed coalition, 'Iowans Defending Our Universities,' announced the protest last week in response to the board's decision to hire businessman J. Bruce Harreld to be the next UI president.

'By corrupting the search for a new UI president, the Iowa Board of Regents has tarnished UI's reputation and integrity,' according to the coalition's website and fliers. 'The board's illegitimate search process has produced an illegitimate president.'

The group lists its intentions, including defending 'our universities against board actions that undermine integrity,' and demanding all regents be removed or resign.

Despite dismal support for Harreld as a presidential candidate among UI faculty, staff, and students, the board on Sept. 3 chose him for the job. That decision prompted no-confidence votes in the board among faculty and student leaders, and votes of censure against Harreld himself, for inaccuracies on his resume.

Harreld, a former executive with IBM and Boston Market Company who also taught at Harvard Business School, has no academic administrative experience. Supporters say he'll provide a fresh and innovative perspective during a time of significant change in higher education.

Opponents have expressed concern with his lack of experience and questioned his intentions, citing previously undisclosed meetings with regents throughout the closed portion of the search.