Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will continue to advance the DEI Action Plan in coming year

To reach the goals outlined in the Excellence through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan, the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will continue to work on critical tasks and collaborate with campus partners, such as the Office of the Provost and the Path Forward DEI Collaboration Committee. In the coming year, these groups will focus on the following goals:

• Creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable campus environment
• Recruiting, retaining, and advancing a diverse campus community of faculty, staff, and students
• Integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the university’s core academic mission of teaching, research, and service
• Enhancing campus wide diversity, equity, and inclusion accountability, effectiveness, and collaboration

Progress on these goals, priorities, and programs set to launch in the coming year was outlined during the annual update on diversity, equity, and inclusion presented on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The presentation was given by Montserrat Fuentes, executive vice president and provost and professor of statistics and actuarial science and biostatistics.

“This university’s mission cannot succeed without careful attention to what voices we bring to the table and how we treat each other,” says Fuentes. “As leaders in education, research, medicine, and service, our actions affect the lives of Iowans and people all over the world. We must break down barriers, challenge preconceptions, and commit to working together with welcoming arms and open minds. Our ability to foster equity and inclusion will determine our collective success.”

Fuentes also shared the following updates during her address:

• Increasing retention and success
  • The Hawkeye First-Generation Initiative will use research-supported practices to promote academic engagement and help first-gen students build relationships with mentors during their first year.
  • Veteran and military-affiliated student support services will become unified under Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support and move to Calvin Hall in fall 2020.
  • The Student Disability Services program was reviewed in 2019 and will move to the first floor of the University Capitol Centre in fall 2020.
  • The Office of the Provost will launch the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program to draw a diverse cohort of postdoctoral fellows to campus and serve as a pipeline to recruit tenure-track faculty positions.
• Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • The UI cultural centers will expand programming.
  • Through the UI’s participation in the American Talent Initiative, the university will continue to improve recruitment and retention of high-ability low-income students.
  • The Path to Distinction program will integrate research-informed best practices regarding diversity and equity into key faculty recruitment processes in four academic departments in the coming year.
  • The Office of the Provost will launch the UI Distinguished Professorship, a prestigious recognition accompanied by funding to support research, creative engagement, or teaching activities for outstanding UI scholars.
  • The Distinction through Diversity Fund will recruit and retain outstanding underrepresented minority (URM) tenure-track faculty and undergraduates.
  • The Staff Diversity Opportunity Program will assist in hiring and developing diverse talent.
  • New training for creating welcoming classrooms, equitable faculty searches, and unbiased, equitable university messaging will be deployed.
  • Five new staff positions in the Graduate College, the Division of Student Life, the Office of the Provost, the Carver College of Medicine, and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will support increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their respective areas.
• Increasing leadership training and success
  • The university will offer training with a strong diversity, equity, and inclusion component to supervisors, DEOs, and senior leaders and will offer a Big Ten New Dean Training Program.
  • The UI will host the Big Ten senior diversity officers for a campus visit in March.
  • The search for an associate vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion will launch in April.