MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — The 181-year-old Iowa Wesleyan University will graduate its last class in May. The university’s governing board voted unanimously to close. The Board cited rising costs, changing enrollment, and dropping donations. There also was bitterness at Governor Kim Reynold for denying federal CoVid relief funds that were channeled through the state government. Christine Plunkett, president of the Methodist-affiliated university, said the focus now is assuring that 850 students have a smooth transition elsewhere. There are agreements, she said, with William Penn University, Upper Iowa University, University of Dubuque and Culver-Stockton College to complete degrees.
Iowa Wesleyan. Second oldest university in Iowa.