About the Center

The Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa opens a bold new chapter in our community as a dedicated hub for exploring the foundational ideas, texts, and traditions that have shaped the American constitutional order and free societies. Established through state legislation in 2025, the center promises more than just traditional academic coursework. We offer a unique environment where diverse viewpoints are encouraged to come together to engage in civil debate and thoughtful conversation.

Through a range of academic opportunities - including courses, certificates, majors, minors, and graduate programs - members of the University of Iowa community will have a brand new hub for American civics, centered on constitutional thought, foundational debates, and traditional education.

The center's mission is to advance top-tier scholarship in areas such as the texts and debates foundational to free societies, the principles and institutions of the American constitutional order, and the foundations of responsible leadership and informed citizenship. Courses in American history, government, and civic leadership will be paired with public programs, guest speakers, and opportunities for research that connect classroom insights to real-world challenges.

Operating independently from the university's individual colleges, the center is currently led by Interim Director Luciano I. de Castro of the Tippie College of Business.

Review House File 437 to learn more about the act and the establishment of the Center for Intellectual Freedom