02-04-05
President's Statement on Supreme
Court decision
Today, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the fund-raising efforts of the
Iowa State University Foundation are subject to the Iowa open records law,
and remanded the case back to district court for further proceedings that
should clarify the requirements of the law. The Iowa State University
Foundation provides very important service to the University by raising
private funds to support our students, faculty and programmatic priorities.
The Foundation has an outstanding record of achievement in managing our
donor relations, and the employees and volunteer leaders of the Foundation
carry out their responsibilities with a high level of professionalism and
integrity. Central to their fund-raising efforts is the need to maintain
donor privacy, which I also believe is an ethical obligation to the
university's benefactors. Clarification of the open records law on that
point will be especially important .
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