(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents elected a board member who is a construction engineer who builds bridges to take over as president in a meeting this (Wednesday) morning. New president Robert Cramer says he has three goals. “I think our university should be providing an affordable education with a good rate of return on that investment,” he says. His second goal is to improve the performance across the three state universities. ” To provide academic excellence that from the top to the bottom at our universities. That everybody’s striving for better academic excellence and it comes through merit and through just hard work and keeping that always in the forefront of trying to produce better and better students,” Cramer says.

His third goal addresses the ongoing discussion on campuses about free speech. “To provide a fair and balanced place for vigorous debate,” he says, “And that’s what a lot of our work has been this last year is just to create an atmosphere where students can engage. And college is a great place to learn, to learn new things, to find out what you believe, but we just want a fair and balanced place, where students can do that.” Cramer says those three things can address the idea that the cost of college isn’t worth it for students. ” I think we can flip the narrative on higher education, and that is that here in Iowa, a degree from one of our public universities is a great investment. And it’s going to help these students going forward for the rest of their lives,” Cramer says.

Cramer will replace Sherry Bates who became Board president in 2024 and served on the board 11 years. Cramer read a resolution honoring Bates, saying hundreds of millions of dollars in capital projects where approve for the schools and for healthcare and other facilities. And he says there were successful presidential searches were conducted at Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa during her tenure. Regent Kurt Tjaden was elected president pro-tem to replace Greta Rouse, who is stepping out of the leadership role, but staying on the board.

The two new Board members officials take over Thursday.