Iowa Wesleyan University shuts down after 181 years.
Iowa Wesleyan University, one of the oldest universities west of the Mississippi and the second-oldest in the state, is closing after 181 years due to financial challenges, including increased operating costs, enrollment trends, a significant drop in philanthropic giving, and Gov. Kim Reynolds' denial of a proposal for federal COVID funding. The university had asked for $12 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help it transition to a sustainable enrollment level of 1,000 students. The closure will take effect at the end of the current semester in May.