IOWA CITY — Responding to new, often harsh higher education realities and a call from the governor to think outside the funding box, University of Iowa is exploring a public-private partnership for operating its utility system that could prop up its budget for years and propel its strategic plan.UI administrators Friday morning revealed they’re in the early stages of investigating whether a public-private utilities partnership — such as at Ohio State University, which sold its energy to the highest bidder in 2017 — makes sense here.“The UI is committed to delivering on our mission of education and research excellence,” UI President Bruce Harreld said in a statement.