Vanessa Miller

All three of Iowa’s public universities have larger student bodies this fall than last -- as of their official 10th-day census -- including the University of Northern Iowa, which has been watching its enrollment trend down for more than a decade.

Although Mercy Iowa City has agreed to an initial $20 million offer to sell substantially all its assets to the University of Iowa, hospital officials Wednesday told creditors, retirees and others that they didn’t perform any appraisals or assessments of their property before making the deal.

University of Iowa police are investigating a body found on campus Wednesday morning, although “the death is not believed to be suspicious.”

The State Appeal Board on Tuesday agreed to pay $2.52 million to settle six lawsuits against University of Iowa Health Care — with the university paying most of that total under a new agreement inked last week upping the cap on what doctors and their insurance will cover.

More than a year away from a trial of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, its University of Iowa chapter, and two former brothers -- accused of sexually assaulting a fellow UI student, recording the attack, and disseminating the video -- a judge has agreed to move the case outside Johnson County, citing a “violent protest” and “inflammatory” online comments after allegations went public two years ago.

A deal with a consultant shows it could be paid a “success fee” of $250,000 if it arranges a sale to continue Mercy’s health care mission.

Of nearly 400 companies or individuals with “nonpriority unsecured claims” against Mercy Iowa City – meaning the hospital owes them money but will pay them back last, if at all, in its bankruptcy restructuring – more than a dozen are litigants who sued and won settlements, awards, or judgments.

Although Mercy Iowa City two weeks ago told participants of its 55-year-old pension plan – via mailed letter – that they will, for now, “continue to receive your monthly pension checks,” hospital leadership Thursday announced the temporary but immediate suspension of three other benefit programs.

Two and a half years after Iowa State University began a review of its naming of Catt Hall after controversial women’s suffrage-leader Carrie Chapman Catt, a 17-member review committee last week cast an initial — but not unanimous — vote to keep the name on the central campus academic building.

Mirroring the energy-drink tide swelling across the country of late, a University of Iowa health assessment this year indicated undergraduate and graduate consumption of the caffeine-boosted beverages is surging — even past national averages, which also are on the rise.

Although Mercy Iowa City wants an expeditious sale of its assets – after the 150-year-old hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month – its bondholders and creditors this week asked a judge to tap the brakes to give them time for due diligence and to maximize the “value of the sale.”

Iowa State University’s campus cooling system was back up and running Friday morning after a Thursday fire at the campus power plant knocked out its cooling system — canceling classes, closing buildings, and sending many students packing just days into the start of the fall semester.

Having gone years without a property-value assessment – given its tax-exempt status as state owned – the University of Iowa’s for-sale Mayflower Residence Hall over the summer received an updated evaluation that, on a preliminary basis, valued it at $30.7 million.

A fire at Iowa State University’s power plant has disrupted the cooling system on campus, prompting the school to move classes online and encourage students living on campus to go home for the weekend.

Iowa’s public universities are back in session, with students kicking off the fall semester this week under sweltering heat — making the start especially uncomfortable for some of the tens of thousands who moved into residence hall rooms without air conditioning.