After legislation resulting in massive changes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, programs was introduced during Iowa’s 2024 legislative session, the Iowa Board of Regents approved recommendations to alter programming across the state’s three public universities.

These recommendations led to the closure of DEI offices at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, as well as the restructuring and renaming of the University of Iowa’s office.

As an organization, the regents have the power to change and adapt all initiatives of the UI and approve funding for major projects, which involves allocating taxpayer dollars. The regents’ authority extends to the daily lives of students enrolled at public universities in the state and affects the type of education
they receive.

The drastic changes to DEI drew students’ attention statewide — and not in a good way. Protests sprung up at the UNI and ISU, and many students at the UI expressed fear.

These decisions, seemingly oblivious to student concerns, made one thing crystal clear: The Board of Regents does not reflect the priorities and values of the students enrolled at these institutions.

What is the Board of Regents?

In Iowa, the Board of Regents is a nine-member group that governs the state’s regent universities — ISU, the UNI, and the UI.

According to the Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 262, those who serve on the board are appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the Iowa Senate. Currently, eight of the nine seats are filled.

Among the regents, no more than five members can belong to the same political party, Josh Lehman, senior communications director for the Board of Regents, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan. Lehman also wrote that one of the regents must be a full-time student, either undergraduate or graduate, at one of the three universities represented when they are appointed.

The student regent position was established during the Vietnam War, according to the regents’ website. There was reportedly so much dissent with administrative decisions that students began demanding a seat at the oversight table.

The call for student representation on the board stuck, and in 1988, House File 2046 was passed, requiring the inclusion of a student regent from then on.

Lehman said university presidents typically choose candidates for the student regent, and then the names are forwarded to the governor for selection.

The universities rotate the student representatives. The most recent student regent, Abby Crow from the UI, had her last meeting over the summer. The next representative will come from UNI, Lehman wrote.

It has been 36 years since the student regent requirement began, and it is no longer enough.

The UI, ISU, and UNI have more than 70,000 undergraduate and graduate students. One student from one university cannot adequately represent such a large and diverse population.

How do states compare?

Iowa is not an outlier. Governor appointment is the vast choice for states across the nation. However, four states — Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Michigan — have implemented district-level elections for some of their state university regents, an approach Iowa should consider.

Michigan is unique among these states. Three of its 15 state universities — The University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State University — are governed by regents elected through statewide elections held every two years for all nine seats.

The University of Colorado also elects one candidate from the state at large, and the University of Nebraska has one non-voting student regent.

These election models provide stepping stones for Iowa to follow and adapt.

Gender balance

A significant change from the most recent legislative session was Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ repeal of gender balance requirements on boards and commissions, which directly affects the Board of Regents.

Lehman wrote that the regents fall under the new legislation, meaning gender balance is no longer required when considering appointments.

“I believe that our focus should always be on appointing the most qualified people,” Reynolds said in an April press release. “That includes engaged citizens with a genuine interest in serving their state or local community, as well as individuals with valuable experience that directly relates to the position.”

So, with this change, it is hypothetically possible for a future board to be composed entirely of men, who could make decisions affecting female or female-identifying students, such as in Title IX discussions.

Student voices

Lehman wrote that public comment during regent meetings is how students can ensure their voices are heard by these institutional officials.

“Student success and the academic experience are the top priorities of the Board of Regents,” Lehman wrote. “The Board has frequent public meetings and holds a public comment period at its regular on-campus meetings where anyone can express their concerns. Board members also regularly communicate with the student government elected leadership on issues that are of importance to students.”

However, to ensure all students’ voices are truly heard, Iowa’s regents need to be elected.

Student government leaders on campus — those the regents primarily speak to — don’t adequately reflect their schools.

In the case of the UI, the undergraduate student body sits at around 22,000. In the most recent Undergraduate Student Government election, approximately 2,015 students voted for the presidential and vice presidential ticket — less than 10 percent of the student body.

Those who serve as elected campus leaders often have a level of privilege, enabling them to work in mostly unpaid or underpaid positions while still affording tuition, rent, and other expenses.

Despite the low voter turnout on campus, we have faith that turnout would be higher in an election for a powerful body like the state Board of Regents.

Even if voter turnout is not ideal, a percentage of people voting is better than one person making all appointments.