Iowa Provost Reassures MFA Students

Quick update on this morning’s item about concerns over electronic thesis publication at the Univeristy of Iowa: Dan Wickett has published a letter from provost Lola Lopes assuring that the university library will not be publishing thesis works by students in the MFA creative writing program. “There is no such plan nor will there be,” says Lopes. “I regret sincerely that we did not convey this message when students and faculty first voiced their concerns.”

Although the library is considering ways in which it can make student dissertations and theses available online, Lopes emphasizes that “any such process must be preceded by developing policies and procedures that allow authors to decide whether and when to allow distribution.” A committee is being formed to explore the issue.

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