Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism (http://www.iowawatch.org/category/education/)
University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook said a proposed mid-year funding cut for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University but not the University of Northern Iowa reflects each university’s distinct mission, not favoritism. This IowaWatch Connection podcast covers that and other topics in an interview with Nook.
Facing intense academic demands and ever-present peer comparisons through social media, an increasing number of Iowa high school students grapple with mental health issues and enduring problems previous generations seldom confronted, an IowaWatch High School Journalism Project has found.
Legislators, superintendents and lobbyists in Iowa say the formula used to fund Iowa’s public school districts is outdated and creates a major disparity in the level of education Iowa students receive.
In their own words, students and faculty at Iowa colleges and universities reveal whether or not rhetoric on their campuses has calmed since the November presidential election.
Attempts to educate students about sexual assault in a high school setting sometimes lack effectiveness, IowaWatch interviews with teachers, administrators and high school students from 18 Iowa school districts revealed. The result is students who said they didn’t know what sexual assault consisted of, how to prevent it and how to get help after an assault took place.
Student-run college newspapers in Iowa are feeling newspaper industry trend repercussions, reporting fewer print readers but increased online readership as young readers increasingly get their news from digital sources.
When Cael Rudkin was in first grade at West Marshall Elementary School he got stuck outside one day because none of the school’s doors had handicap accessible push buttons. Fact is, the majority of Iowa school districts reviewed by the Iowa Department of Education do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, an IowaWatch investigation revealed.
Women are losing ground when it comes to coaching jobs at U.S. colleges and universities, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting shows in a new report. And the University of Iowa, Athletic Director Gary Barta and fired field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum are in the middle of the controversy. Read the report here.
Iowa State University has been a focal point for free speech issues the past few years because of moves free speech advocates criticized as stifling speech and expression.
Recent incidents at a small private Iowa college have evolved into an example of how animosities occur, spread across campus and sometimes shut down communication when different interpretations of free speech exist.
An IowaWatch college media journalism project in late winter and early spring found a general aversion to limiting speech and expression on several Iowa campuses but willingness among some to regulate speech – hate speech for instance – that threatens someone. One of several stories in this report.