More transparency, but still some mystery, as the presidential search continues
The names of presidential finalists won't be known until their visits, just a couple weeks before the selection.
I didn’t write a newsletter last week, partly because I ran out of time, and partly because I didn’t have much to say. It’s not because of a lack of things happening, but more a lack of information about those things.
The presidential search is chugging along; Four candidates have been chosen and dates for their interviews are set, but we won’t know who they actually are until 24 hours before their visit to campus. This is done, so I’ve been told, to protect the candidates from any intense scrutinization from the public before the regents and the committee have had a chance to interview them.
This lack of information, unfortunately, doesn’t lend itself to insightful analysis, beyond the process itself. The process certainly allows more breathing room than it did in 2015, which I outlined a couple weeks ago. That year, candidates were brought in over six days, and a decision was made two days after the last interview. By that metric, the one week between the last interview and the final decision will allow for relatively more time for the public to offer feedback on the candidates. But there really isn’t much to say until we know who’s being considered.
Vaccines
On Wednesday, we got the surprise news that select colleges and universities would be getting shipments of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to distribute to students and faculty. It’s a good idea: I don’t have any data, but based on my gut I’d expect that students on the whole are less likely to really aggressively hunt for vaccine appointments, but students are a relatively important population to vaccinate. A lot of the recent spread that’s contributed to a slight uptick in cases in Iowa and nationally has been among young people. Especially in the dorms, students live in high contact, communal environments, which puts them at risk. So making it easy for students — giving it through their school, using a one-shot vaccine instead of two — will hopefully encourage more participation.
This initiative is brand new, and information about it is also relatively low. The UI says students will be notified to schedule their shots at some point in the future, but cautions it will take time to cycle through everybody. Neither the state nor the university have said exactly how many vaccines they’re getting in this first shipment.
It’s something to watch, and if it’s a success I can see it spreading to other colleges and universities in the state quickly.
That’s all for now, hopefully I’m thinking about talking about more broad higher-ed stuff or expanding coverage in the next few editions to get away from regurgitating UI news. This project is a work in progress, so I appreciate those of you who continue reading as I stumble through this.