Following are remarks presented to the Iowa Board of Regents at the board's April 26 meeting in Cedar Falls, where representatives from faculty and staff groups at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa spoke about salary policy. See also comments by Earlene Erbe, president of the UI Staff Council.

It is my honor to be given this opportunity to introduce myself to the board. I am Linda Snetselaar, and I have the superb privilege of becoming the next president of the Faculty Senate at the University of Iowa.

Over the past 13 years, I have been a faculty member in the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Endocrinology in the Carver College of Medicine.

My first love as a faculty member is teaching and learning from my students. I also have an active research program that informs all I do in the classroom.

The goal of our teaching and research institutions is to blend these two important elements of our professional careers and to know that graduating students leave with a deep understanding of academic disciplines that create careers and inform the world.

I am a first generation Ph.D. and grew up in small town Iowa. My parents did not attend high school, but grew to care a great deal about education. Their love of learning and encouragement has allowed me to know the joy of walking on two of Iowa’s regents campuses, the University of Iowa, where I have spent the largest part of my professional life, and Iowa State University, where my learning began.

My research has involved many Iowans—from youth, including K-12, to elderly in randomized clinical trials with sites throughout the United States. Iowa study participants are always the first to sign up for research projects, and the most likely to fully complete research studies. Our Iowa study sites are always in the top tier of research sites nationally.

I was asked to make a brief statement concerning fiscal year 2013 salary issues that the economic downturn made difficult for our universities.

Over the past few months I have marveled at the work the university has done in maintaining its mission and its excellence in the face of reduced state appropriations. On behalf of our faculty, I would like to thank the members of the Board of Regents for their dedication to our regents institutions and the focus on making them the great places they are today.

Please know that our faculty appreciates your dedication to supporting the three regents institutions as important investments in the future of youth and in lifelong learning. It is paramount that we convey to Iowa citizens and legislators how support for our missions is an investment in the future of students and the state.

The process used by the UI to manage faculty salary setting for colleges, departments, and individual faculty is rational, recognizes effort and performance, and recognizes the ability to pay by various units. We hope the university and this board continues to support compensation systems with these key elements.

Thank you again for allowing me to address the board on behalf of University of Iowa faculty.