Director Center for Intellectual Freedom, University of Iowa - Iowa Board of Regents

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).

The CIF is an independent academic center operating under the authority of the Iowa Board of Regents.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, hire, and terminate all CIF staff in accordance with state and federal law.
• 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.
• 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.
• Develop other courses and certificates, majors, minors, and graduate programs.
• Build a nationally prominent center dedicated to free inquiry, constitutional thought, and civic education.

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

• Academic record sufficient for tenure at the rank of full professor at the University of Iowa.
• 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.

Skills

• Strong leadership and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage a diverse team and oversee multiple projects.
• Experience in higher education administration and academic governance.

Benefits

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

Pay

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

Schedule

N/A

Skills

• Strong leadership and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage a diverse team and oversee multiple projects.
• Experience in higher education administration and academic governance.

Benefits

• Iowa's cost of living is among the lowest in the nation.
• The Common Sense Institute ranks Iowa #1 for paycheck stretch.
• UNI enhances this advantage with an excellent benefits package for eligible non-temporary positions.
• Visit our Compensation Tools page to explore your estimated total compensation, compare Waterloo-Cedar Falls cost of living to other major cities, or review the paycheck stretch ranking details.
• Learn more about the Cedar Valley at https://livethevalley.com/.