UI grad students rally against funding cuts, demand 'academic freedom' in Iowa City

As the University of Iowa celebrated its 24-hour donation day on Wednesday, March 26, at least 40 graduate students rallied as part of a counter-movement organized to denounce federal funding cuts, advocate for their demands, and send a message to school leadership.

The Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS) organized the event, which took place only a few feet from the university’s official “One Day for Iowa” showcase. Union speakers shared how they impact their departments, with many discussing feelings of “disrespect” from UI leadership and the state Board of Regents.

COGS had a central message dotted throughout speeches, signs and flyers: 'Do not donate to the UI on their day of giving until they agree to several demands.' 

The union's demands included putting an end to graduate student worker fees, making a promise to protect grad student worker jobs regardless of funding cuts and a rejection of “oppression” and protection for “civil rights and academic freedom.”

Demonstrators urged the University of Iowa to reinstate soon-to-be-disbanded living learning communities, adopt the American Association of University Professors standards on academic freedom and support student rights.

COGS members distributed fliers that urged people to relay the demands by commenting on "One Day for Iowa" social media posts. Several speakers at Wednesday's rally urged the university to step in and use its endowment funds to guarantee graduate student jobs while also ensuring that research continues to be funded.

Funding cuts impacting grad student research

Eight speakers addressed federal funding cuts and the university's "inaction" across departments like psychology, brain sciences and library studies.

Zachary Demko is a Ph.D. student in the UI psychology department and said cuts to funding for the National Institutes of Health “have created an environment of uncertainty” around research grants and departmental staffing.

“My lab, which studies child development, has had pointless obstacles put up (for) submitting grants and we’ve had approve laboratory funds held up, seemingly for no reason other than to show academics that the Trump administration believes our work does not matter,” Demko said.

Demko called federal and state leadership “middle school bullies” and said though these cuts are reaching departments across the university.

“We refuse to be intimidated. Repression will not win,” Demko said. “We will.”

Psychological and Brain Sciences grad student Solange Bolger said, “like many of you,” had her Howard Hughes Medical Institute research funding cut "abruptly and without warning." The grant was part of the institute’s Inclusive Excellence Initiative, which she said helps “make science more inclusive and accessible.”

“These are not just political attacks," she continued. "They are direct hits to our ability to do our jobs, to fund our lives and to pursue the kind of research that pushes science forward and addresses pervasive and often overlook problems or topics in our world.”

Bolger said the University of Iowa has the “means and responsibility” to step in and should align its budgets with “its stated values.”

Former UI grad student, Marie Krebs, speaks out

Former University of Iowa graduate student Marie Krebs recently drew headlines after she announced she would be leaving the University of Iowa after facing discipline for a presentation she made in October that heavily discussed diversity, equity and inclusion. The Daily Iowan first reported her departure.

Krebs spoke during Wednesday's rally on the Pentacrest.

She also serves as the director of the Great Plains Action Society. She is pursuing her master's degree elsewhere after receiving emails from the director of the UI's School of Social Work about her presentation in Kansas City.

She said the email asked her questions that “had nothing to do with social work or our presentation" and was allegedly told to share the presentation with the director or face possible "expulsion." Krebs said she responded, noting that she felt that her academic freedoms were being infringed upon.

Krebs said the UI Office of Student Accountability reached out to say they were investigating her “failure to comply with a university directive.” Krebs said she believed the investigation was actually because of her refusal to “comply with the infringement of my First Amendment (rights)."

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached atrhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.