UNI President Mark Nook plans to retire after 2026-2027 academic year

University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook announced Friday that he plans to retire at the end of the 2026-2027 academic year. Nook, who began his tenure at the Cedar Falls university in February 2017, has committed to continuing his service until his successor begins their tenure.

The announcement followed the university’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, which commemorated 150 years of service, and the conclusion of the record-setting Our Tomorrow campaign, in which more than 34,000 donors committed over $342 million to the institution.

UNI Grows Enrollment and Partners with Community Colleges

During Nook’s leadership, UNI developed a partnership with Iowa’s community colleges to provide placebound students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from any of Iowa’s 99 counties. The university saw first-year student enrollment reach 1,709, the highest total since Nook's first year on campus and making UNI the only state university this year to see higher first-year enrollment than in 2025.

Iowa Board of Regents President Robert Cramer praised the university’s trajectory in a prepared statement, noting that academic offerings have evolved to meet workforce needs. The University of Northern Iowa is truly thriving, Cramer said.

President Nook Reflects on His Departure from UNI

Reflecting on his upcoming departure, Nook shared a statement comparing his feelings to those of graduating students. In many ways we feel like most of our soon-to-be UNI graduates as they enter their final semester, Nook said. We are about to leave a place where we have built so many wonderful relationships, a place we love, a place — we call home.

Former board of regents member and campaign co-chair Katie Mulholland stated that the UNI community is indebted to President Nook for helping make a special place even stronger during his tenure. While Nook has stated he will remain in his role until a successor arrives, further details regarding the search process for the next university president have not yet been announced.