Legislation aimed at eliminating higher education support programs in Iowa code passed through the Iowa Senate Tuesday. (Photo via Getty Images)
Legislation to eliminate certain higher education support programs will head to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk after passage through the Iowa Senate.
House File 2539 would repeal certain higher education policies and programs in Iowa code, including the College Bound program, Minority and Women Educators Enhancement Program and others. Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen, R-Walcott, said programs in the legislation “are either no longer used, funded, are redundant or obsolete.”
According to Iowa code, the goal of the Minority and Women Educators Enhancement Program is to recruit educators from minority communities to faculty positions and provide more opportunities to women faculty members. College Bound was created to reach minority students earlier in their education and give information on Iowa’s public universities.
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While he acknowledged that certain areas of code may be obsolete, Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, said programs like College Bound should be expanded rather than eliminated.
Providing college guidance to minority students is a “worthwhile exercise,” he said, and those worried about discrimination should want to open it up to all students who need help, like first-generation students. From there, admissions and other higher education decisions can be made purely based on merit.
“There are lots of people of all races who have some advantages in life, who, if you will, maybe were born on second base, and there are other people who were born with two strikes called against them,” Quirmbach said. “If you really want equal opportunity, you have to address the unevenness of the starting line. I realize I’m mixing sports metaphors, but you get my point.”
Gruenhagen said the College Bound program has never been funded by the state, and “could be actually illegal at this point in time.” Other programs also already complete this work, he said, from initiatives at state universities to the federal TRIO program to support first-generation and low-income students.
The legislation passed with a 30-17 vote, and having seen House approval in early March, will need to be signed by Reynolds before becoming law.
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