The first candidate for ISU president visited campus Tuesday to tackle questions dealing with homosexuality, tuition increases and research versus teaching.Sharon Brehm, Ohio University provost, spoke to and answered questions of more than 100 people at a diversity forum, and then again during an open forum with about 150 people in attendance. Both forums were held in the Gallery Room of the Memorial Union.Answering a question about research versus teaching, Brehm said she believed they go together well and research can be an advantage in undergraduate teaching. Although there is a struggle with limited time and the importance of both teaching and research, Brehm said she believes most professors enjoy teaching undergraduates.”Undergraduate teaching was not seen as something onerous or something to be avoided; it was seen as something intellectually refreshing,” she said.Brehm said too many people think of a research university as a small, elite liberal-arts college.”Research universities can do things that smaller colleges cannot,” Brehm said. “We can use technology to create a more active learning environment for undergraduates.”During the diversity forum, Brehm was asked about her views on homosexuality. She said it is important for the university to send a message of inclusiveness to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.”It is a personal preference that some individuals have,” she said.In regard to minority recruitment and retention, Brehm also said it is important to connect with minority students in junior high and high school.”There are ways to send a message of inclusiveness,” she said. “There’s no formula. There’s no magic bullet.”In response to a question about the 9.9 percent tuition raise recently approved by the state Board of Regents for the 2001-2002 school year and the possible increase for 2002-2003, Brehm said universities need to make sure financial aid keeps up. She said it is difficult to decide which needs more money: universities or primary and secondary school systems.”I’m uncomfortable pitting K-12 with higher education,” she said. “It is really difficult when one has to raise tuition.”Brehm said she would have to learn more about Iowa State before she would think about making any changes. However, she said communication, both internal and external, is a general problem at universities which needs to be worked on.Brehm said she is very happy about Iowa State’s outreach program and would like to see more classes offered through the Internet.”I think Iowa State University could be a very serious, active player in distance learning,” she said.Concerning treatment of temporary faculty, Brehm said it is important to pay them fairly and give reasonable benefits.”Temporary faculty are not tenured, but they are faculty, and they should be treated with respect,” she said.Brehm also said she believes in the importance of increasing diversity on campus and shared governance.John Mayfield, associate dean of the Graduate College, said he thought Brehm answered questions well and presented herself well.”We would have a person who was very concerned about people,” he said regarding the possibility of Brehm as president.