Joe Lane
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When President Bruce Harreld came to the University of Iowa, there was a lot of discussion about improving the university’s rankings and bringing our institution to the national stage for something other than sports. Or — at the very least — better recognizing in our own community those things that are already garnering national attention.
Yet as more stress is placed on the UI to perform and to climb the rankings of public schools in and outside its peer group, the opposite has occurred. At least with the most prominent ranking of colleges and universities in the country, U.S. News & World Report, the UI stumbled from No. 27 among public universities to No. 34.
Moreover, the UI fell from 71st among all national institutions to 82nd. And while this ranking places UI above Iowa State’s 108th position nationally, it is not positive.
In a tumultuous time during which the university is growing rapidly but not necessarily matching growth with ranking improvement, any and all things that can be done to improve these rankings must be pursued. And if impressive rankings already exist — such as our writing, nursing, speech and hearing science, or physician assistants’ programs — they should be brought to the forefront of national attention. It is a sad fact of the climate of upper-level education that rankings are so important, but it is a fact nonetheless.
One of the programs that is receiving national attention but limited local attention is UI REACH. According to its website, the program is “a two-year, transition certificate program for students with numerous intellectual, cognitive, and learning disabilities. UI REACH provides a campus experience to empower young adults to become independent, engaged members of the community.”
More than an impressive program that provides dignity and unique opportunities to these individuals, though, REACH places Iowa as the fifth-best “college for students with learning disabilities,” according to College Magazine. REACH often goes overlooked by members of the community, however, despite its national prominence and importance to Iowa’s overall recognition.
Last week, The Daily Iowan reported on a golf outing and fashion show hosted by REACH aimed at raising awareness of the program locally and providing supplemental funding. The program has previously been able to provide financial aid for several students through a grant. However, the grant recently ran out, and the program is now forced to look to the community for financial support for its students.
Supporting programs such as REACH is not only a morally kind thing to do for these students, it also goes a long way in getting more national attention for the university. Besides simply being the right thing to do, supporting REACH is self-serving in many ways. Every time Iowa receives national attention, pride radiates throughout the university, and the impact reaches beyond the program itself.
While much of the university’s national attention comes from athletics, there are other incredible things happening on this campus. As a die-hard Hawkeye football fan for as long as I can remember, I’m blinded by my unwavering love for Hawkeye sports. But when it comes down to it, sports prowess isn’t what makes an institution premier, and REACH is a perfect example of a program that is doing just that.