The Iowa House Higher Education Committee moved forward several bills Wednesday after hearing from a University of Iowa presenter on the proposed school of intellectual freedom. (Photo courtesy of the University of Iowa)
A University of Iowa professor told Iowa lawmakers Wednesday a new “school of intellectual freedom” could “make universities great again.”
Iowa lawmakers are working to pass legislation that would require the University of Iowa create a “school of intellectual freedom,” according to House Study Bill 52. There is a companion bill in the Iowa Senate, Senate File 127.
Luciano I. de Castro, a research fellow and professor in the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, presented to the Iowa House Higher Education Committee Wednesday about how the new school could help bring about more diversity of thought, and how it needs to be protected from left-leaning members of the college community.
“We have an opportunity here to create a leading school, a truly remarkable opportunity that we have in front of us,” de Castro said. “It will be good for Iowa, but it can have an impact even beyond the borders of our state, we can pioneer a new educational model rooted in American values.”
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Higher education is difficult to change from both the inside and outside, de Castro said, for multiple reasons. Faculty, whom de Castro said are majority left-leaning, and donors, taxpayers and other overseers of public higher education have an influence on what kind of education students are getting, causing them to come out of college with certain perspectives.
Citing data from a 2020 study by “Langbert and Stevens,” de Castro said at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, there is an 11-to-1 ratio of Democrat to Republican faculty, with an even larger divide for donations to a party. Level of education has become a predictor in how people will vote, he added, with college-educated people voting more blue and those who didn’t attend college voting more red.
De Castro said left-leaning faculty “hire like-minded colleagues who are competent in two things, one is producing interesting, and by interesting, you can understand the pursuit of ideas, and this is called research, and convert believers (with) teaching (that) all align with the cause they cherish.” He said he is exaggerating some with this statement.
Faculty have little incentive to change this, he said, as going with the status quo can make it easier in academia to get their ideas heard. He added that no courses on capitalism are taught at the UI, a statement that some lawmakers disputed. These professors will also complain about academic integrity and freedom if outside interference is pushing on them, he said.
De Castro said it is on legislators to “fight the resistance” they will find to this legislation and get the center established, as well as ensure through a proposed academic council that the university itself cannot exert power over it. The school needs to teach on the institutions and values of the U.S., and the positives behind the system of capitalism it was built on, he said.
As an immigrant, de Castro said, he and other conservatives who support this and other legislation are motivated by a love of their country, not by hate or political gains.
“As I said, I was not born here, but I learned to love this country because of the values that it was created in,” de Castro said. “It’s just a great country, it’s the greatest country on Earth, and we have to love it.”
Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, said during discussion after the presentation that just because faculty has been shown to identify as more Democratic, that doesn’t mean they cannot teach critically and fairly.
“The fact that the University of Iowa produced myself and Representative Shipley shows that a lot of different thinking and thoughts can respectfully occur,” Wilburn said. “My issue and problem is … if folks are interested in establishing a class or a new school, there’s a process with the institution, with the universities. I just disagree with this entire bill and most of the committee.”
Rep. David Jacoby, D-Coralville, said in discussion about the proposed legislation he was unsure before the presentation on how he would vote on this bill, but after hearing from de Castro, he decided he was a “heck no.”
With issues remaining about the lack of a definition of “intellectual” and his seeing it as a “nationalist bill,” Jacoby said he also has concerns about donations to the center not being made public and the fact that a new council would be formed to govern it, when those in the state and federal government have been working to lessen bureaucracy.
“This bill is not funded, and this bill is not what Iowa is about,” Jacoby said.
Jacoby brought forward an amendment to the bill when it was discussed in committee, which would add in language stating the Iowa Board of Regents could not oversee state universities unless it, and the state, fund more than 51% of operating costs for the higher education system. He said the Legislature seems to be taking a “rather stringent,” complete oversight of universities while only funding around one-third of their budgets.
The amendment failed in committee.
Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, said the presentation made many good points. In both his experience teaching on group dynamics and in the military, Wills said diverse viewpoints are needed in order to better solve problems and ensure a community doesn’t “become homogenized” and begin leaning one way or another.
“I submit to you that what we’re having happen is a non-diverse group at the University of Iowa diverging off into a path that, really, do we want as a state of Iowa to be happening,” Wills said.
Democrats on the committee praised Wills for his recognition that diversity is needed on campus, with Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, saying that is the purpose of DEI efforts at universities. However, she said the way to address bias is not to introduce additional bias.
Committee chair Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, said in closing comments on the bill he appreciated the healthy, lively discussion between committee members, and he wishes he saw more of that at Iowa’s universities. He also told Jacoby that most donations to the center will be made public.
“The future of our country is dependent on ensuring that the citizens of this country are taught to cherish and celebrate our Western and American heritage, and I want to thank the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State, (they) have made great progress on this initiative, it’s been very positive,” Collins said. “With the passage of this bill, I believe we’ll be expanding civic education at all of our regent institutions, including our first regent university, that is, the University of Iowa.”
Bills aimed at review, education requirements move ahead
The House Higher Education Committee also advanced several bills on Wednesday:
House Study Bill 50 would require state universities to conduct a review of all academic programs and submit a report to the General Assembly recommending whether each one should be changed, eliminated or remain the same based on their alignment with state workforce needs. The legislation will move to the House floor with near-unanimous support, as only Jacoby cast a “nay” vote.
Konfrst said she was thankful to hear during a subcommittee meeting on the bill that the Iowa Board of Regents has already started work on the review.
“I think that the purpose of this committee should be to investigate and look into how our higher education institutions are working,” Konfrst said. “So I support the legislation.”
House Study Bill 56 would require students attending public universities and community colleges to complete an American history and civil government course in order to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Included in the proposed course is “the study of and devotion to American institutions and ideals,” the history and principles of U.S. government, founding documents and important court cases throughout American history. The course can expand upon these topics and teach things not included in the bill, it stated.
Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, voiced her opposition to the bill during the committee meeting, questioning whether there is proof of its necessity and saying the quality of higher education curriculum would be stifled by requirements driven by political ideology.
“This bill is an overreach of legislative power, and there is no logical justification for being this specific in the course material,” Kurth said.
Language in the bill pertaining to course requirements was taken from model legislation crafted by the Civics Alliance and National Association of Scholars, both of which Kurth said are “undeniably conservative groups.”
She also took issue with language in the bill that included the word “devotion.”
“I would like to state that devotion is earned, not taught,” Kurth said.
Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said devotion to the U.S. has been earned during the Battle of the Bulge, at Okinawa, at Iwo Jima, at Peleliu and more.
Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, said Republicans are not pushing an ideology with this legislation, but instead stating that the contents in the bill are facts that everyone should know and would gain value in learning about.
“I don’t know how there’s a political ideology being pushed when we’re teaching kids to read letters from Birmingham jail or the Gettysburg address or the Emancipation Proclamation or the Federalist Papers,” Wheeler said. “If that’s a political ideology, your guys’ political party has to do a lot of reflecting.”
The bill passed out of committee 7-4.
Collins said during the committee meeting that House Study Bill 51, or the “College Affordability Act,” could be one of the most important pieces of legislation the committee considers this session. It would cap tuition and fee increases for in-state students at public universities at 3%, as well as freeze tuition for those students in their first year, ensuring they won’t see yearly increases in their college costs.
The board of regents would need to have its tuition and fee rates set by Dec. 31 of the year before the new academic year, according to the bill, and each university would be required to offer at least one three-year bachelor’s degree program and at least one “work plus” program where a student can work part-time while attending college, paid for by a qualified employer.
Jacoby introduced two amendments to the legislation, both of which failed to pass in the committee. The first, which he said was prompted by comments Collins has made about the board of regents not completing its duties, would put in language stating the board is elected by the people, rather than appointed by the governor.
The second would require that the student member of the board of regents, a position that has been vacant since last June, be present for votes approving tuition and fee rates.
Collins said during closing comments the Legislature allocates “nearly $600 million every year” to state universities and the board of regents, and it’s important lawmakers find areas to lower costs while getting young people into the workforce to fill gaps.
The bill passed, moving to the House floor with a 9-2 vote.
“I think it’s important that we provide surety to our students and create some innovative ways where we can not only reduce costs, but also get those students more quickly into the workforce,” Collins said.
House Study Bill 63 would establish new general education requirements at state universities, stating that students must take classes in English and composition, math and statistics, natural and social sciences, a world language, the humanities, Western heritage and American heritage.
These courses cannot “distort significant historical events or include any curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States of America or the state of Iowa,” according to the legislation.
As amended, Holt said the bill would allow for courses from the Legislature’s proposed school of intellectual freedom for the UI to qualify as general education courses in the western and American histories.
Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, said during discussion this bill is coming forward too hastily, as a review of courses at the universities has not been completed yet, and the experts should be allowed to decide what general education standards are needed for the vastly different programs offered at state universities.
Holt said the board of regents signaled its support for the bill if it moves forward as amended.
“My understanding is that core curriculum is all over the board for different majors,” Holt said. “Students frequently change majors, and it would be very helpful for students to have some consistency, that would probably save them some money.”
The bill will move to the House floor with a 7-4 vote.
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