The chair of the Iowa House Higher Education Committee is asking Iowa’s private universities to fall into line with curricular changes for state institutions that have yet to be passed into law.
But the head of the association for Iowa’s private colleges and universities says the institutions can make their own decisions.
Rep. Taylor Collins, a Republican from Mediapolis, sent a letter to leaders at Iowa’s private universities Thursday urging them to require three-semester-hour courses in American history and government for all students — a change he is trying to make law for public institutions.
“For too long, we have seen a gradual erosion of foundational knowledge about our nation’s history, its founding principles, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship,” Collins said in the letter. “Restoring a robust understanding of American history and civics is essential not only in producing informed citizens, but also to fulfilling the mission of a true liberal arts education.”
Collins has made higher education reform in favor of certain conservative viewpoints a central focus. In March, he congratulated Linda McMahon on her confirmation as secretary of the Department of Education, adding, “Now let’s shut it down.” He joined Iowa Senate Education Committee Chair Lynn Evans in calling for the immediate termination of any university employee who posted about Charlie Kirk without proper deference after Kirk’s murder in September, citing a “culture problem on our college campuses” that “we need to course correct.” (Such firings have triggered investigations and First Amendment lawsuits in Iowa.)
In September, Collins announced plans to introduce “legislation requiring the ‘Charlie Kirk Lecture and Debate Series’ at each of Iowa’s public universities,” though that bill has not yet appeared.
Legislation has moved out of subcommittee in both the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives that would require universities governed by the Iowa Board of Regents to include American history and government courses in their general education criteria.
Described in a press release sent out with the letter as “forthcoming law,” Collins said in the letter that when state universities adopt these rules, the state’s community college system will “develop parallel courses that satisfy the same requirements” to ensure a seamless transfer of credits.
Private universities are not included in the bill, but Collins said in the letter having them align their requirements would “preserve maximum flexibility for students who transfer between the many institutions of higher education in our state.” He added that he and his staff are ready to begin discussions on the topic with university faculty, provosts and other “stakeholders.”
Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities President Gary Steinke commended Collins for leaving private universities out of the general education requirements legislation, saying their curriculum “is the sole responsibility of each of our private institutions and nobody else’s.”
Most of Iowa’s private institutions are already having students participate in civic learning in one way or another, Steinke said, often implemented as community engagement and volunteering opportunities.
“Do you have to offer curriculum, and do students have to take classes in American history in order to learn what a great country this is? No, you don’t need to take classes to do that,” Steinke said. “And it’s oftentimes better if you don’t.”
Brooklyn Draisey is a Report for America corps member covering higher education for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this story first appeared.
