Alliant Energy/Erroll B. Davis, Jr., Achievement Award   Catalyst Seed Grant   Pakistan Flood Aid

Welcome!

At Iowa we understand the link between diversity and excellence in education: the University of Iowa not only accepts but embraces “our responsibility to create a welcoming environment for all members of the community.” This commitment includes underrepresented faculty, staff, and students; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered persons; persons of disadvantaged socioeconomic status; and nontraditional and international students. We are thrilled at record enrollments in first year minority students and first year international students, as well as the diversity reflected in our graduate and professional programs.

My role, as Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President, is to help advance our diversity goals in all ways possible. Working with my colleagues and friends in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity and the Center for Diversity & Enrichment, among others, our goal is to coordinate our central diversity efforts, including those related to the recruitment, retention, and success of diverse faculty, students, and staff, and ensuring a warm, welcoming, respectful, and inclusive climate where all can succeed.

In addition to overseeing the work of EOD and CDE, my office is working to provide opportunities for faculty and staff, including through the faculty and staff diversity councils, and events such as the Diversity Leaders Convocation and Faculty of Color Receptions, and programming such as the faculty mentoring workshops. Through community partnerships and our membership in Diversity Focus, we hope to connect with the larger community about important matters of diversity.

Special campus initiatives underway this year include initiatives to improve access under consideration by the Disability Planning and Action Committee, promoting a welcoming environment for veterans, and reaching out to the increasingly diverse Iowa community. These efforts are in keeping with our understanding that only by continually working to assess and improve our climate can we achieve true educational excellence.

Please consider participating in some of the programming initiatives underway, including the Catalyst Awards, Diversity Leadership Development Seminars, or by joining us at this year’s Cultural Diversity Festival or Multicultural Graduation & Recognition Banquet, or at one of the many other cultural events in our community. If you know a middle-school or high school student, you might pass on information about our many summer programs.

Finally, while we hope your experience at The University of Iowa will be a positive one, should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact my office.

Best wishes for a successful and enriching year!

Georgina Dodge, PhD
Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President