Inside Iowa State Nov. 10, 1995 Pomerantz: Reviews Are Necessary by Linda Charles Universities should have little to fear from the current review of the Peat Marwick audits, State Board of Regents President Marvin Pomerantz told the Faculty Senate Nov. 7. The Peat Marwick audits, conducted during Pomerantz' first tenure as regents president, examined the universities' organization, financial operations and programs. The current review, being conducted by the Pappas Consulting Group Inc., Greenwich, Conn., is to determine whether the universities have followed the recommendations of the Peat Marwick audits. The Pappas review "should cause no one or no institution concern" if the institutions have been true to the original Peat Marwick audits, he said. The Peat Marwick audits "were absolutely necessary to assure the people of Iowa that they were getting the most for the hundreds of millions of tax dollars they invest in these institutions each year," he said. During a question period following his talk, Pomerantz elaborated on the Peat Marwick audit, saying, "I can't think of anything in the history of the regents that was more of a watershed. It wasn't everything we wanted it to be, but it was the basis for a significant shift in the way the universities are managed." Pomerantz praised the accomplishments of both the regents and the state universities during the past seven years. "I believe we will look back on these years as seven years that changed the course of the regents university system in Iowa," he said. "The regents system -- from the board office staff to the individual institutions -- have changed in ways that will enable them to respond more effectively and more rapidly to the changing needs of the people of this state." He lauded the universities' efforts in developing mission statements and strategic plans, and noted Iowa State is the first of the institutions to complete its second strategic plan. "You are No. 1 in that regard with the regents," he said. He also praised the universities for internally reallocating funds to meet strategic planning goals. "By redirecting resources from marginal programs that are not central to their missions to areas of strength that are central, the institutions have become more focused and stronger overall," he said. He added that Iowa State "has been especially effective in using this tool, with reallocations of more than $50 million over the past six years." Following are other comments Pomerantz made during the meeting: Enrollment. "Enrollment is an all-university issue, and the faculty must become more directly and more actively involved in enrollment efforts if the university is to meet its goals." Teaching. "The board's position is that everyone can do a better job of teaching, and we want the institutions to develop efforts to support this kind of continuous improvement in teaching. President (Martin) Jischke is to be commended for his call to place greater emphasis on teaching, especially the introductory liberal arts and sciences courses that are the foundation of Iowa State University." Finances. "We are in a period of fiscal restraint. Even given Iowa's relative fiscal health, the dominant talk in the State Capitol is of tax cuts, not new programs. Still, there are opportunities -- usually very targeted opportunities, such as the hog odor issue for Iowa State. The institutions must be ready to respond quickly to take advantage of these opportunities. And you must look to new sources of revenue -- especially private sources." Downsizing. "Frankly, I don't see that downsizing is in Iowa State's future. I'd like to see it grow. If I had my wish, Iowa State would attract more students and carry out its mission more effectively for those students." Institutional cooperation. "Iowans want their publicly supported higher education institutions to work together -- not in competition. Avoiding duplication and focusing on institutional strengths is part of the regents' response to this concern, as is encouraging the state universities to increase their cooperative activities with Iowa's community colleges. The focus on cooperation should not be limited to community colleges. There is also much to be gained by working cooperatively with Iowa's private colleges and universities." __________ University Relations Iowa State University