University of Iowa engagement with the state government is coordinated by the UI's State Relations Officer.  This individual is an employee of the Board of Regents and reports directly to the Executive Director of the Board of Regents.  The State Relations Officer is responsible for explaining policies and legislative requests to the Board of Regents and information about the university to the General Assembly and other state officials. 

The expertise or viewpoints of individual faculty, staff, and students are frequently essential in developing assessments of the potential impact that proposed legislation might have on the university. In this context, when consistent with institutional objectives, the staff of the Office of Governmental Relations may facilitate direct communication to elected officials by University faculty, staff, and students. (see Operations Manual II-32 Lobbying Restrictions)

While faculty, staff, and students are also free to communicate individually with elected representatives about their personal views, it is important that any communication which is not coordinated through the Office of Governmental Relations be carefully framed so as not to imply that the individual is communicating an institutional position or viewpoint on behalf of the University (see Operations Manual II-33 Use of University Name).