A bill requiring University of Iowa students to take courses at the Center for Intellectual Freedom awaits Gov. Reynolds’ decision, sparking debate.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa has been a hot topic of conversation this past school year, and a new bill headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk could change how the center operates.
House File 2800 has the privilege of being the last bill passed by the Iowa Legislature this year. The bill primarily addresses local government financing, with one section dedicated to undergraduate studies at Iowa’s three public universities.
The bill would require six credit hours of studying American government and American history, and for the University of Iowa, that would have to be completed at the Center for Intellectual Freedom.
Sen. Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, raised concerns about this when the bill passed earlier this month.
“They would be forced to take these freedom classes, six hours at the University of Iowa and that comes straight out of student and parent’s checkbooks,” Petersen said.
The Center for Intellectual Freedom was created last June and aims to provide a space to combat a perceived lack of intellectual freedom on college campuses.
Christine Hensley, on the Iowa Board of Regents, shared how the center has been difficult to manage properly.
“It’s been a little bit challenging at times just because it’s such a unique model that we are working with here. It’s completely different than any other center for intellectual freedom,” Hensley said.
Low attendance has sparked concern among Republican lawmakers about whether the program would be fruitful going forward. The addition of this requirement would cement the center as a mainstay for the school, something students and staff have voiced their concerns over.
“Center for Intellectual Freedom is not an academic pursuit. It is a political and conservatively political pursuit, and I hope you’re all ashamed of yourselves for it,” one University of Iowa student said in February’s Board of Regents meeting.
Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa would also have to meet these new academic requirements; they would be free to do it as they please on their campuses.
Democrats have urged Reynolds to line-item veto the measure, which would pass the bill but remove that requirement. She has not shared if and when she will sign the bill.
