Despite a paperwork delay and Republican opposition, Wednesday, the Board of Regents approved a request to create the Harkin Institute of Public Policy at Iowa State; named after longtime Democratic Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin.

The vote was 6-2, with “no” votes coming from Regents Craig Lang and Greta Johnson. Regent Ruth Harkin, the senator’s wife, abstained.

While the most vocal opposition to the institute came from Republicans outside of the Board of Regents — including Gov. Terry Branstad and the majority of the state’s Republican legislators — within the Board, the vote did not fall along party lines. While Lang and Johnson are both Republicans, Regents Robert Downer and Jack Evans, also Republicans, both voted in favor of the institute.

Despite continued assurance of the institute’s academic integrity from ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, along with bipartisan Regents support, the project still faces opposition.

Regardless of anyone’s political feelings for or against Harkin or the Democratic Party, the creation of a public policy institute at Iowa State is an excellent opportunity for the university. And, as Geoffroy mentioned in the meeting, this would be one of almost 100 institutes at Iowa State; several of which bear the names of notable people and alumni.

We understand the initial concerns associated with naming a university entity for a sitting senator. It’s been done before, with Sen. Strom Thurmond at the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs at South Carolina’s Clemson University; Sen. Hubert Humphrey at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota; and, most recently, Sen. Mitch McConnell at the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville — and we imagine each situation raised similar concerns.

However, in this case those concerns have been assuaged. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, Geoffroy discussed goals and guidelines for the Harkin Institute. He assured the Regents that political figures would not serve on the institute’s board or be in leadership positions, to ensure that the institute operates independently of any political affiliation or influence. In addition, the institute would receive no anonymous funding.

The institute would likely focus — at least initially — on the policy areas that have been of particular interest to Harkin: agriculture, education, international affairs, disabilities, nutrition, health and labor, according to the proposal for the Harkin Institute. However, Geoffroy explained that Harkin will have “no input into the activities” of the institute.

From a university perspective, it’s clear this is a valuable opportunity. 

“From an academic perspective, I think there is strong, clear merit for establishing it,” Geoffroy said at the meeting. “I think this center will significantly enhance the university’s profile in the public policy arena. It will help us attract better faculty. It will help us attract better students.”

Iowa State is not currently known as a prestigious place to study public policy and, as a public university in a state that has a large effect on public policy at the very least, every four years, that’s a shame. Much like Sen. Charles Grassley — a University of Northern Iowa alumnus — Sen. Harkin is a respected figure in the field of public policy, regardless of political affiliation. A public policy institute with his name attached should bring to mind positive associations of a notable ISU alumnus who has found success and carried the ISU name all the way to Washington.

Iowa State isn’t known for public policy now, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. Why pass up an opportunity to make it so?