The Daily Iowan met with University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld and Associate Provost Lon Moeller Monday. You can view the full transcript here, but here are some takeaways from the session.

Strategic plan

Harreld has faced some heat, including during a panel just a few hours after we met with him, for the 11-day span the planning sessions take place over. Harreld said on Monday officials will continue to have these planning sessions this summer and fall in an attempt to “take pressure off the system,” amid finals and end-of-the-year plans.

“So people who are so busy now, that they can’t get into one of those forums, that really want to get involved, we’ll have some more this summer, we’ll have some more next fall,” he said.

The strategic plan and budgeting process will likely take up most of Harreld’s time in coming weeks, he said.

Tuition

UI students knew they would face a tuition hike in the fall after the state Legislature passed slightly more than $6 million in increases for the regent institutions, though the state Board of Regents requested more than $8 million.

But Harreld plans to advocate for even higher tuition rate, saying it’s “all at the table,” including in-state, out-of-state, international, and professional students.

“I’m actually speculating and will be arguing for a more dramatic increase going forward. I mean, we’re at the bottom of our peer group. We can raise our tuition well more than $1,000 and still be in the bottom of the Big Ten in terms of in-state tuition,” he said.

Seashore Hall

Last month, the UI began to enter the first of many stages to create a new facility for the UI Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences. Seashore Hall, a 117-year-old building, would eventually be razed.

Harreld, who has visited the building, said he was “embarrassed” about it, noting that he has seen many high schools with better facilities.

“I think it’s at the top of my list as the worst building we’ve got on campus,” he said. (He admitted he hasn’t been to them all.)

After speaking with various leaders about failed proposals in the past, he told them to “buckle up.”

Harreld noted that the UI could consider a “center,” or some sort of organization that would combine several disciplines relating to the brain.

Final thoughts

Harreld acknowledged that, amid graduation season, there is lots of celebrating to do, for students and faculty alike. He gave a special nod to Sandy and Susan Boyd, longtime members of the UI community.

Sandy Boyd was the 15th president of the University of Iowa, and the Boyd Law Building  was named after him.

Sandy Boyd celebrated his retirement last week.