There is already an Education Committee in the Iowa House, but House Speaker Pat Grassley says a "comprehensive review” of the state’s colleges and universities is "long overdue,” and he is establishing a new committee to do it.
Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, will chair the House Higher Education Committee.
“It’s no secret that we have a workforce shortage in this state, and I think many people have seen the fact that our institutions have been distracted by ideological agendas rather than actually filling the needs of Iowa’s workforce,” Collins said. “So we’ll be looking at a comprehensive review of Iowa’s higher education system.”
Collins led the effort to force the recent closure of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices at the three public universities. He said there has been "great progress” on that front, but the panel may push to eliminate some courses or majors.
We have to make sure that Iowans are getting a return on their investment when it comes to these institutions.Rep. Taylor Collins
"I think, when you’re looking at some programs, for example, when they focus on teaching literally a major in social justice, I think there is a question that needs to be asked. What is the return on investment for the taxpayer and should our constituents be paying for those kinds of academic programs?" Collins asked rhetorically.
"We have a lot of members in the House Republican Caucus that are passionate about reforming our system and making sure that we’re not wasting taxpayer money on initiatives or agendas that do not benefit Iowans," he added. "We have to make sure that Iowans are getting a return on their investment when it comes to these institutions.”
Collins said the committee's focus will not just be on the three public universities in Ames, Cedar Falls and Iowa City, but on Iowa’s community colleges and the state’s private colleges and universities as well. Taxpayer money is used to provide Iowa Tuition Grants to Iowa residents who are students at those private institutions.
“Last year, we looked at what kind of course offerings and what return on investment Iowa taxpayers are getting with the Iowa Tuition Grant,” Collins said. “I think there is work in the future where we could look on ensuring when we are providing dollars to these institutions that they are focused on those high-demand fields.”
In recent years, bills to eliminate tenure at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa were introduced in the Legislature, but Collins does not expect that policy to become law.
"That issue has been considered in the past. I don’t think it’s something that that Legislature’s serious about, though,” Collins said during a Radio Iowa interview. "There is a value to tenure and making sure the individuals are able to freely teach ideas.”
A spokesperson for House Democrats was not immediately available for comment.
Collins was just reelected to a second term in the Iowa House. He earned a degree in business management from Iowa State University and has a masters in public administration from Drake University.
On Thursday, Rep. Grassley announced his picks to lead all House committees in the 2025 legislative session. Next year’s list of Senate committee chairs has not been released.