Iowa's Board of Regents will return to public, in-person meetings next week

For the first time in over a year, the nine-person board that governs Iowa's three public universities will hold in-person meetings that the public can attend.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Iowa's Board of Regents has not held a fully in-person meeting without COVID-19 restrictions since Feb. 5, 2020. During the pandemic, community members were able to view the meetings via livestream only. 

The regents' upcoming round of meetings, however, will take place in-person on June 1-3 in the Levitt Center on the University of Iowa campus. They will also be livestreamed.

Regents meetings are open to the public, except in certain circumstances, as part of a process that seeks to ensure community members have the authority to be aware of, and weigh in on important issues related to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa, among other entities.

More:State of emergency lifted for Iowa's public universities, meaning full classrooms in fall

The return to pre-pandemic style meetings takes place following board President Mike Richards' May 20 announcement that he would lift a 'State of Emergency" order related to the coronavirus. It had been in place for over a year — since March 18, 2020.

Lifting the emergency order, Richards alerted the community that physical distancing and masking will no longer be required on regents university campuses except in certain situations, like while inside healthcare facilities or on university buses.

Richards cited "significant improvements in the management of COVID-19 both in the State of Iowa and nationally" in his message. He also pointed out that more than 1 million Iowans have been fully vaccinated, and that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently loosened restrictions related to coronavirus health and safety precautions.

More:An ISU professor wants students to wear masks in his office, but he's not allowed to require it.

The upcoming meetings include a public comment period on June 2. Community members can sign up on the Iowa Regents website. The agenda for the upcoming regents meetings can also be found on the website.

Materials for the upcoming meeting are also available for viewing at:

• Board of Regents office, 11260 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa
• University of Iowa, 111 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, Iowa
• Iowa State University, 1750 Beardshear Hall, Ames, Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa, Seerley Hall, Room 1, Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Iowa School for the Deaf, Administrative Assistant’s Office, Room 1232, Council Bluffs, Iowa

The upcoming meetings can be viewed via livestream on the regents' website. 

Cleo Krejci covers education for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at ckrejci@press-citizen.com or on Twitter via @_CleoKrejci.