Hunter
12/04/25
The University of Iowa’s new Center for Intellectual Freedom has passed their bylaws, and will host inaugural events this weekend.
The Daily Iowan reports Mark Braun, the board’s executive director, said the bylaws had been reviewed and approved by the advisory council for the center, but were basically what the board saw in November.
The original bylaws were drafted by Interim Director Luciano de Castro. The bylaws include guidelines on who will work on the center and what the center will accomplish.
The Center was mandated by the Iowa Legislature, who passed a law during this year’s session that states classes will be taught pertaining to historical ideas, traditions, and texts and will, quote, “work to expand the intellectual diversity of the university’s academic community.”
Inaugural events will be held at the Old Capital Museum and the Iowa Memorial Union ballroom. The l event Saturday will feature speeches by Governor Kim Reynolds, former Regent and current US Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker, and senior fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Christopher Rufo. The Gazette reports Rufo is a well-known conservative activist and critical race theory opponent who has pushed for higher education reform and been instrumental in triggering some of the Trump administration’s college- and university-directed moves.