In 2011, she expressed very strong reservations about a proposal to establish a policy institute at Iowa State University named for a sitting elected official, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. First, she objected to its lack of transparency; the Iowa regents publicly proposed a plan that they had been working on without notice to the public or to legislators.
In 2011, she objected to creating an institute at Iowa State University named for U.S. Senator Tom Harkin because it lacked transparency. The Iowa regents privately formulated a plan without consulting the public or legislators.