The presidents of Iowa’s three public universities were at the statehouse, asking legislators to boost state funding for the schools by more than 20 million dollars. That is two-and-a-half times what Governor Branstad has recommended — and Republican legislators suggest 20-million dollars is an excessive request. Iowa State University president Steven Leath wants more than eight million dollars more — just for I-S-U where enrollment has soared…
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University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld (HAIR-uld, like the name “Harold”) says other schools are poaching his professors and he wants four-million more to boost faculty salaries.
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University of Northern Iowa president William Ruud (ROOD, like the word “rude”) says his institution’s budget needs a boost because most U-N-I students are Iowans — and pay the cheaper in-state tuition rates.
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Republican legislative leaders say nearly all the new state tax money available to spend in the next budgeting year is dedicated to K-through-12 schools and there would have to be cuts elsewhere in the state budget to accommodate a 20-million dollar increase for the three Regents universities.