Director, Center for Intellectual Freedom, University of Iowa

About the role

The Iowa Board of Regents invites applications for the inaugural permanent Director of the Center for Intellectual Freedom (the Center or CIF). Established by the Iowa General Assembly through House File 437 (2025), the CIF is an independent academic center operating under the authority of the Iowa Board of Regents. The Director reports directly to the Board, not to University administration, and holds sole and exclusive authority over all CIF hiring and termination decisions.

Responsibilities

• Offer courses in American history and civil government to University of Iowa students, and coordinate with Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to ensure those courses are available to students at those institutions as well.
• May offer other courses and develop certificates, majors, minors, and graduate programs.
• Rapidly expand CIF course offerings to meet the requirement of six credit hours for all University of Iowa undergraduates starting in the 2028-29 academic year.
• Plan, organize, and execute adjustments to the Center’s operations to comply with the HF 2800 (2026) graduation requirement of six credit hours for all University of Iowa undergraduates.

Requirements

• An academic record sufficient for tenure at the rank of full professor at the University of Iowa.
• A research expertise in at least one of the Center’s core disciplines (classics, economics, history, law, philosophy, political thought, or quantitative political science), combined with a demonstrated ability to engage with academic literature across all of these fields.
• An uncompromising commitment to academic freedom, unfettered and rigorous intellectual inquiry, and institutional neutrality, even in the face of countervailing pressures.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Qualifications

• An uncompromising commitment to academic freedom, unfettered and rigorous intellectual inquiry, and institutional neutrality, even in the face of countervailing pressures.

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Benefits

The Center is mandated to offer courses in American history and civil government to University of Iowa students, and is further required to coordinate with Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to ensure those courses are available to students at those institutions as well. The Director will play a foundational role in building a nationally prominent center dedicated to free inquiry, constitutional thought, and civic education.

Pay

This position is assigned to a Board of Regents Office pay grade 6, with an anticipated salary range of $200,000 to $450,000 commensurate with experience.

Schedule

The Director shall have the sole and exclusive authority to recruit, hire, and terminate all CIF staff in accordance with state and federal law. Have the authority to invite guest speakers to the University on behalf of the Center. Report directly to the Iowa Board of Regents. Plan, organize, and execute adjustments to the Center’s operations to comply with the HF 2800 (2026) graduation requirement of six credit hours for all University of Iowa undergraduates.

Application Materials

• A curriculum vitae.
• A detailed letter explaining the applicant’s qualifications for the position and vision for the Center.
• A list of five professional references.

Contact Information

To ensure best consideration, applications should be received by Friday, August 14, 2026, and must include:

• A curriculum vitae.
• A detailed letter explaining the applicant’s qualifications for the position and vision for the Center.
• A list of five professional references.

References will not be contacted without the applicant's prior authorization. Applicants selected for initial interviews will also be asked to submit samples of their scholarly work.

The search is conducted by the CIF Advisory Council and its Executive Committee, which will submit finalists to the Iowa Board of Regents for final appointment.

Applications will remain confidential through the semifinalist stage, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Please direct any questions regarding the application process to info@iowaregents.edu.

EEO Statement

The Iowa Board of Regents does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, status as a U.S. Veteran, or any other classification protected by law.