Senate File 519 - Introduced SENATE FILE 519 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 127) (COMPANION TO HF 437 BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION) A BILL FOR An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the 1 university of Iowa. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh
S.F. 519 Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the School of Intellectual Freedom Act. 2 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 263C.1 Definitions. 3 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise 4 requires: 5 1. Board means the state board of regents. 6 2. School means the school of intellectual freedom 7 established by section 263C.2. 8 3. University means the state university of Iowa. 9 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 263C.2 School of intellectual freedom. 10 1. A school of intellectual freedom is established as an 11 independent academic unit within the university. The school 12 shall be physically located in the college of liberal arts and 13 sciences. 14 2. The school shall conduct teaching and research in the 15 historical ideas, traditions, and texts that have shaped the 16 American constitutional order and society. 17 3. The board may name the school in accordance with any 18 philanthropic naming policies or practices of the board or 19 university. 20 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 263C.3 Functions of the school. 21 1. The school shall offer instruction in all of the 22 following subjects: 23 a. The texts and major debates that form the intellectual 24 foundation of free societies, especially that of the United 25 States. 26 b. The principles, ideals, and institutions of the American 27 constitutional order. 28 c. The foundations of responsible leadership and informed 29 citizenship. 30 2. The school shall offer university-wide programming 31 related to the values of free speech and civil discourse. 32 3. The school shall work to do all of the following: 33 a. Expand the intellectual diversity of the universitys 34 academic community. 35 -1- LSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh 1/ 5
S.F. 519 b. Foster civic engagement among university students and 1 faculty. 2 4. The school may offer courses; develop certificate, 3 minor, and major programs as well as graduate programs; and 4 offer degrees. 5 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 263C.4 Bylaws. 6 The school shall establish bylaws governing the school 7 subject to the approval of the dean of the school. In addition 8 to any other bylaws established, the bylaws shall include all 9 of the following requirements, which shall take precedence over 10 any other requirements in the bylaws: 11 1. The school shall educate students by means of free, open, 12 and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth. 13 2. The school affirms its duty to equip students with 14 the skills, habits, and dispositions of mind they need to 15 reach their own informed conclusions on matters of social and 16 political importance. 17 3. The school affirms the value of intellectual diversity 18 in higher education and aspires to enhance the intellectual 19 diversity of the university. 20 4. The school affirms a commitment to create a community 21 dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects 22 the intellectual freedom of each member, supports individual 23 capacities for growth, and welcomes the differences of opinion 24 that naturally exist in a public university community. 25 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 263C.5 Funding use. 26 1. The school may accept and administer private and external 27 donations and gifts. 28 2. Any moneys appropriated to the school, and any private 29 and external donations to the school, shall be used only for 30 the direct operation of the school and shall not be used for 31 any indirect costs of the university. 32 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 263C.6 School faculty. 33 The university shall employ at least five tenure-eligible 34 faculty members to provide instruction through the school. 35 -2- LSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh 2/ 5
S.F. 519 Faculty members appointed to the school may hold joint 1 appointments to other academic units of the university. 2 Faculty members who are not appointed to the school shall 3 have no authority to approve, deny, or modify the terms of 4 appointment of faculty to the school. 5 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 263C.7 Academic council. 6 1. No later than December 31, 2025, the board shall appoint 7 an academic council for the purpose of assisting in the 8 selection of a dean of the school pursuant to section 263C.8. 9 2. The board may appoint up to nine members to the council. 10 No more than one member of the council may be an employee of the 11 university. A majority of the members appointed to the council 12 shall constitute a quorum. 13 3. The board shall determine the initial length of each 14 members term in accordance with this subsection. A majority 15 of the members initially appointed to the council shall serve 16 initial terms of four years. The remaining initially appointed 17 members shall serve initial terms of two years. The board 18 shall appoint new members to fill vacancies on the council in 19 accordance with this section. 20 Sec. 9. NEW SECTION . 263C.8 Appointment of dean. 21 1. The academic council established under section 263C.7 22 shall conduct a nationwide search for candidates for the dean 23 of the school. The council shall strictly adhere to all 24 relevant state and federal laws in conducting the search. The 25 council shall submit a list of finalists for the position to 26 the board, which shall select and appoint the dean from the 27 list. Subsequent deans shall be chosen in the same manner. 28 2. The dean shall be eligible for tenure. 29 Sec. 10. NEW SECTION . 263C.9 Duties of dean. 30 1. The dean of the school shall have the sole and exclusive 31 authority to manage the recruitment and hiring process and to 32 extend offers for employment for all faculty and staff of the 33 school and to terminate employment of all staff of the school. 34 2. The dean shall oversee, develop, and approve the 35 -3- LSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh 3/ 5
S.F. 519 curriculum, courses, and programs of the school. 1 3. The dean shall have the sole and exclusive authority 2 to invite guest speakers to the university on behalf of the 3 school. 4 4. The dean shall consult with the dean of the college of 5 liberal arts and sciences when carrying out the deans duties. 6 However, the dean shall report directly to the president of the 7 university or a designee of the president. 8 Sec. 11. NEW SECTION . 263C.10 Annual report. 9 The dean of the school shall submit an annual report to the 10 governor, the general assembly, and the board of regents by 11 December 31. The report shall provide a full account of the 12 schools achievements and shall identify any opportunities, 13 challenges, and obstacles in the development of the school. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill establishes a school of intellectual freedom 18 (school) as an independent academic unit within the university 19 of Iowa (university). The school shall be physically 20 located in the college of liberal arts and sciences. The 21 school shall conduct teaching and research in the historical 22 ideas, traditions, and texts that have shaped the American 23 constitutional order and society. The bill authorizes the 24 state board of regents (board) to name the school in accordance 25 with any philanthropic naming policies or practices of the 26 board or university. 27 The bill provides functions of the school, including 28 instruction on specified subjects, offering university-wide 29 programming related to the values of free speech and civil 30 discourse, and working to expand the intellectual diversity of 31 the universitys academic community and foster civic engagement 32 among university students and faculty. The bill authorizes the 33 school to offer courses; develop certificate, minor, and major 34 programs as well as graduate programs; and offer degrees. 35 -4- LSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh 4/ 5
S.F. 519 The bill requires the school to establish bylaws and 1 specifies certain subjects that must be included in the bylaws. 2 The bill authorizes the school to accept and administer 3 private and external donations and gifts. The bill provides 4 that any moneys appropriated to the school, and any private and 5 external donations to the school, shall be used only for the 6 direct operation of the school and shall not be used for any 7 indirect costs of the university. 8 The bill requires the university to employ at least five 9 tenure-eligible faculty members to provide instruction through 10 the school. Faculty members appointed to the school may hold 11 joint appointments to other academic units. The bill provides 12 that faculty members who are not appointed to the school shall 13 have no authority to approve, deny, or modify the terms of 14 appointment of faculty to the school. 15 The bill requires the board to establish an academic council 16 no later than December 31, 2025, for the purpose of assisting 17 in the selection of a dean of the school. The bill provides for 18 membership and procedures of the council. The bill provides 19 that the board shall select and appoint the dean from a list of 20 finalists submitted by the council. 21 The bill provides duties of the dean, including recruitment, 22 hiring, and termination of employment of school faculty and 23 staff; overseeing, developing, and approving the curriculum, 24 courses, and programs of the school; and inviting guest 25 speakers to the university on behalf of the school. The bill 26 requires the dean to consult with the dean of the college of 27 liberal arts and sciences when carrying out the deans duties. 28 The bill provides that the dean shall report directly to the 29 president of the university or a designee of the president. 30 The bill provides that the dean shall be eligible for tenure. 31 The bill requires the dean to submit an annual report to 32 the governor, the general assembly, and the board of regents 33 regarding the school. 34 -5- LSB 1206SV (1) 91 je/jh 5/ 5