Iowa Board of Regents March 11 roundup

Following is a roundup of highlights from the March 11 Iowa Board of Regents meeting on the University of Iowa campus:

West Campus Energy Plant

The Iowa Board of Regents has approved construction of a new $75 million power plant for the University of Iowa campus.  The West Campus Energy Plant will be located near the UI Healthcare complex and a majority of the UI research-related facilities.  It is intended to supplement the main campus power plant and replace two temporary natural gas boilers currently in use on the west campus which are nearing the end of their useful life.  The long-term vision for the utility infrastructure at the UI includes built-in support for the continued use and expansion of biomass fuels, including the perennial fuel crop Miscanthus, oat hulls, and wood chips.

Madison Street Residence Hall

The board also approved the schematic design, project description and budget for the Madison Street Residence Hall.  The new 12-story building is projected to cost $95 million and provide housing for about 1,000 students (primarily freshman) and dining services for 2,000 students.  The winning proposal/bid was submitted by Miron Construction Company in Cedar Rapids in conjunction with Rohrbach Associates Architects in Iowa City. 

World-championship quality indoor track

In addition, the board ratified the university’s request to purchase a world-championship quality indoor track to be used by the UI’s intercollegiate track teams.  The pre-fabricated, portable, indoor banked track will be used at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Portland, Oregon, in March 2016.  The original cost is $4 million but Beynon Sports Surfaces is selling the used track to the university for $2.6 million.  It will replace the existing track in the UI Recreation Building, which was installed in 2002.

Personnel actions

Other board action included approval of three personnel actions related to the university:

• The retirement of Sue Buckley, Vice president of Human Resources
• The appointment of Kevin Ward as Interim Vice President for Human Resources
• Position change for Mark Braun from Transformation Project Manager for the TIER study to Vice President for Operational Efficiency and Regulatory Analysis. 

Annual Report on Campus Safety

The March board meeting is also when Regents receive the Annual Report on Campus Safety and Security, which shows the total number of arrests and charges filed by UI police dropped by nearly 50 percent between 2013 and 2014, while the total number of alcohol-related charges filed by UI police dropped nearly 45 percent during that time frame.  Dave Visin, interim director of the UI Department of Public Safety, says the number of arrests and alcohol-related charges may have declined because UI police encountered less delinquent behavior during the 2014 football season. He attributes the behavior changes to increasing familiarity with UI’s tailgating policies, and the lasting impact of the 21-ordinance on campus.

The number of sexual assaults reported on campus increased from four reports in 2013, to 14 reports in 2014.  Visin says the increase in sexual assault reports can likely be attributed to the increased awareness of resources available on campus for sexual assault survivors through President Mason’s Six-Point Plan and continued collaboration between UI police, the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator, and other campus stakeholders on this issue. UI Police do not see any trends that would indicate campus is more dangerous than in years past, but Visin says he is grateful more victims are coming forward, and the university applauds their courage.

Presentations

The Iowa Board of Regents meeting also featured several presentations by the UI including the College of Nursing, College of Law, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and Public Policy Center.  

• College of Nursing Dean Rita Frantz highlighted the university’s new online residency program that’s designed to bolster professional development for nurses and in turn improve retention in the field.   
• College of Law Dean Gail Agrawal presented five years of national, and Iowa-based enrollment data. Last fall (2014), the UI College of Law welcomed 141 first year law students, a significant bounce back from the previous year’s (2013) enrollment of 94. Those students were also selected from a significantly larger applicant pool, 88 percent above the prior year. The bump in applicants and increased enrollment buck national trends at a time when applications to law schools continue to decrease across the country.  Dean Agrawal also answered questions about the UI’s Master of Studies in Law Program which was approved by the Board of Regents in December, but is pending acquiescence of its accrediting body, the American Bar Association.
• Provost Barry Butler and Associate Provost Lon Moeller highlighted progress on the Iowa Degree in Three offerings.  The accelerated bachelor’s degree option is designed to help ambitious, talented students complete their studies earlier, save money, and get a head start on their careers. 
• Director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) Lynn Allendorf introduced the board to the startup company Immortagen which recently participated in the university’s business acceleration program known as Venture School.   Founded by University of Iowa researchers, Immortagen is hoping to be at the forefront of future cancer treatments with help from the university’s economic development resources.
• UI researchers  Daniel V. McGehee and Christopher Buresh demonstrated their new mobile app TraumaHawk which enables state troopers to share photos and information from a crash scene with trauma doctors long before a patient arrives in the emergency room.