HIGHLIGHTS

• Launched a new division charged with maintaining civil rights compliance, campuswide accreditation support, providing student academic resources, and managing high school pipeline programs for students demonstrating financial need.
• 52 in-person meetings with campus units to implement Iowa Board of Regents directives and ensure upcoming compliance with Iowa Code Chapter 261J by July 1, 2025.
• Launched a six-year, $6.6M John Deere Scholars with Davenport Community Schools, awarding 20 scholarships of 90% of cost for three years (60 total), and starting the John Deere Scholars College Program.
• 98.8% Harassment Prevention training completion rate of UI employees as of June 30, 2024.
• 95% of TRIO Student Support Services participants from 2023-24 persisted to 2024-25 or graduated, 13 points above the government's standard for the University of Iowa.
• 100% of UI TRIO Upward Bound students either continued in school for the next academic year, advanced to the next grade level, or graduated from secondary school with a regular diploma.
• Tiffini Stevenson Earl honored with the David J. Skorton Award for Staff Excellence in Service
• Established a campus-wide Accessibility Task Force with UI Information Technology Services to promote digital accessibility, unite all campus accessibility resources, and comply with Title II regulations by April 2026.

PATH FORWARD TASK FORCE MEETS IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS DIRECTIVES

In the Spring of 2024, the Path Forward Task Force was formed by President Barbara Wilson and provost Kevin Kregel.  Sponsored by executive officer and associate vice president Liz Tovar and dean Dan Clay, 20 members representing a cross-section of the university population assembled to evaluate university efforts and comply with the Iowa Board of Regents directives.  This was accomplished by Dec. 31, 2024. The work of the task force concluded in spring 2024 and presented to the board in April with implementation beginning summer 2024.

The Task Force listened to campus, meeting with all campus units and receiving over 100 responses guiding the formation of the new Engagement Framework focusing on the building of principles and skills to teach and practice cultural and global competency.

Changes were made to meet the requirements of each directive including:

DIRECTIVE #1: Restructure the central office

• Unit name and purpose restructured and changed
  • Staff re-organization ongoing to be completed by Jun. 1, 2025.
• Pause on all non-required state or federally mandated training and ongoing evaluation of student services.
• Working with campus units to focus on compliance with BOR directives and Iowa Code Chapter 261J. 

DIRECTIVE #2: Review all positions 

• The AVP of AOD worked with the Board of Regents and University Human Resources to review more than 70 positions by Dec. 31, 2024.
  • The review assessed whether the responsibilities support compliance with state or federal law or accreditation standards.
  • As needed, job descriptions were modified to either remove or clarify responsibilities, making sure they align with compliance or accreditation.
  • 15 full-time positions were eliminated or not filled (5 layoffs, 10 positions unfilled), resulting in a cost savings of around $850,000 that will be used to support other student success initiatives and program.
  • The remaining positions and their responsibilities align with state or federal law or accreditation standards. They have been documented and shared with the Board of Regents.

DIRECTIVE #3: All student programs and services were reviewed to ensure they are open to all 

DIRECTIVE #4: DEI Statements or required pronoun use is not required at the University of Iowa

DIRECTIVE #6: General Education categories changed

• Full implementation of the change on websites and documents is ongoing and will be completed during the 2025 academic year.

DIRECTIVE #8: Recruitment strategies are in place for fostering diverse viewpoints 

DIRECTIVE #9: Civic Education initiative in progress

• Pilot with select resident hall students is ongoing.

Note: directives 5 and 10 were completed by the Iowa Board of Regents

THE NEW DIVISION OF ACCESS, OPPORTUNITY, AND DIVERSITY (DAOD) FORMED

The Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity was formed to maintain a productive and welcoming campus culture where everyone can contribute, find community, and work toward finding common ground. We do this by ensuring compliance with federal and state laws, supporting both accreditation and research efforts across the institution, and sustaining effective pipeline recruitment programs for students. 

The new central office and the University of Iowa strives to accomplish the following:

• Provide educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff with the goal of cultivating leadership capabilities.
• Serve as a hub for campus partners to meet accreditation standards and compliance with Federal and State of Iowa laws.
• Develop and hone skills to manage differences.
• Support students and their success by creating a community on which they can rely.
• Meet the needs of Iowans through research, teaching, and public service

Responsibilities of the Division are as follows:

Office of Civil Rights Compliance: The Office of Civil Rights Compliance (OCRC) ensures adherence to Federal and State of Iowa laws related to bias, harassment, discrimination, disability, accessibility, equal employment opportunity, free speech, and sexual misconduct. The OCRC, in collaboration with University ITS, has formed the Accessibility Task Force to ensure compliance with new Title II digital accessibility regulations across campus. This initiative also supervises the Anti-Violence Coalition and addresses and resolves complaints related to sexual misconduct, bias, discrimination, employment, and ADA civil rights.

Office of Access and Support: The Office of Access and Support (OAS) provides campus-wide recruitment, retention, and accreditation support while enhancing skills for students at the University of Iowa. The office manages the TRIO Upward Bound, John Deere Scholars pipeline programs, and the TRIO Student Support Services program.

Communications: This division supports centralized messaging themes, brand and editorial recommendations, and amplification of college/unit narratives that promote a welcoming and respectful environment. This includes the “Journey to Unity” video series, outreach to campus units for legal compliance, website management, consistent information distribution, accreditation support, and unified messaging in coordination with campus communicators, the Office of Strategic Communication, and the Office of the Provost.

Engagement and Data: The division aids in understanding and building organization culture with campus partners through consultation and data analytics. Campus engagement aligns accreditation and compliance with laws, assist in the development of professional development linked to civil rights compliance, and measures the impact of the core focus areas in the Engagement Framework for the institution and campus units.

Voluntary Professional Development: The division offers tailored professional development to UI faculty and staff to enhance cultural competency as needed for accreditation. We are developing new resources to improve understanding, retention, and compliance with civil rights law, including third-party applications and university programs addressing campus challenges.

Academics: The division partners with collegiate units to offer academic support, skill-building, campus life mentoring, and tutoring. It manages the TRIO Student Support Services and John Deere Scholars College programs to assist UI students. The University Capital Centre's office space, managed by the division, provides study and work areas, as well as tutoring and mentorship classes year-round.

The services and programs of DAOD. 

• Accreditation and Grant support/compliance: The division collaborates with each campus unit to ensure compliance with requirements for accreditation and grant support related to providing a welcoming environment and experience. This effort has resulted in changes across campus for compliance with Iowa Code Chapter 261J and successful accreditation renewals.
• Accessibility Task Force: Formed in Dec. 2024, this joint committee with DAOD and ITS aims to meet new ADA Title II requirements for web and mobile app accessibility by April 2026. The task force will create and execute a strategy to ensure our digital content complies with these standards.  Effectiveness for this effort will be measured through a campus organization culture change for compliance by April 2026.
• Policy oversight: The policies below are managed by OCRC and kept up to date to meet all laws:
  • Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
  • Policy on Human Rights
  • Anti-Harassment Policy
  • Policy on Consensual Relationships Involving Students
  • Policy on Violence
  • Anti-Retaliation Policy
  • Nondiscrimination Statement
  • Accessibility Statement
• Professional development for civil rights compliance: The Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity, Office of Access and Support offers both mandatory and voluntary professional development for the campus. 
• Mandatory professional development includes Harassment Prevention Education for most faculty, regular P&S and Merit staff, medical residents/fellows, postdoctoral scholars/fellows, and graduate teaching assistants employed at 50% effort or greater. Voluntary professional development consists of various in-person and virtual application-based sessions for University of Iowa faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students. 
  • During Fiscal Year 2024, a total of 10,017 employees completed one of the approved harassment prevention courses. As of June 30, 2024, 98.8% of current covered employees were compliant with the mandate for periodic education on harassment prevention.
  • OCRC is currently reviewing the platform for this training to develop a more effective and efficient program to meet the changing needs of our employees.  The goal is to have a new solution in place by July 1, 2025.
• Reporting: OCRC handles reports of sexual harassment and misconduct, including dating/domestic violence and stalking, involving the university community. Guided by federal regulations and best practices, OCRC ensures a fair response, stops problematic behavior, prevents recurrence, and remedies effects. Prevention programs are coordinated through the Anti-violence Council and implemented campus wide. Reports are submitted timely each period.
• Prevention programs: Staff in OCRC are also tasked with providing primary prevention and awareness programs for incoming students and employees that include information on sexual harassment/sexual misconduct, bystander intervention, and risk reduction, along with information on other forms of protected-class discrimination and harassment. OCRC and Student Wellness in the Division of Student Life provide centralized oversight and monitoring of compliance with the mandatory harassment prevention education for the campus community on sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and other forms of protected-class discrimination and harassment.
• Anti-Violence Coalition: The Anti-violence Coalition (AVC) is a multidisciplinary team focused on ensuring a coordinated community response to prevention and intervention of sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. The three-year Anti-Violence Plan (AVP) includes action items that build on existing programs, policies, and resources and aligns with the 2020-2023 Office on Violence Against Women Campus Program Grant. At the core of all response actions taken by the University of Iowa is the commitment to supporting victim-survivors by respecting their rights and preferences while maintaining integrity in the due process given to all involved parties.
• The Plan focuses on prevention and education, intervention, and policy and is informed by data from the key findings of the third Speak Out Iowa campus climate survey (noted by numbers), evidence-informed efforts and practices (noted by letters), and input from members of the University of Iowa Anti-Violence Coalition (AVC), including students and other community stakeholders.
• Building Cultural and Global Competency: The division partners with University Human Resources to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws. It also builds organizational culture through the new Engagement Framework, focusing on teaching key leadership skills needed for success in our cultural and global society.  This new effort is being communicate, in-person, with campus units.  Adoption of the Engagement Framework and participation in upcoming professional development opportunities will be measured to determine its impact.

ACCESS, OPPORTUNITY, AND DIVERSITY CAMPUS REVIEW ONGOING

The Access, Opportunity and Diversity team—including Liz Tovar, Charlie Taylor and Liz Mendez-Shannon—has engaged with various university units to provide an organizational roadmap for key changes in access, opportunity and diversity. To date, the team has responded to 44 presentation requests, with more sessions scheduled for January. These sessions have fostered meaningful dialogue and collaboration, with participants engaging in recommended strategies.

One highlight is the introduction of the Engagement Framework, which focuses on cultivating leadership and enhancing global cultural competence. Additionally, the team has clarified recent updates from the Board of Regents and reviewed potential impacts of legislative changes, such as Iowa Code 261J, offering recommended programmatic procedures.

To further support these efforts, the AOD team has encouraged units to consider four critical procedures: toolkit development, decision-making approaches, group formation and webpage updates. They continue to meet with units, offering ongoing guidance and additional Q&A opportunities, and have shared a proposed timeline to facilitate continuous updates and follow-through.

In terms of accreditation support, the AOD team remains dedicated to assisting university units in assessing and refining their procedures to align with accreditation standards. This includes aiding in reviews across various colleges, notably the College of Law and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Among CLAS units, four have demonstrated commendable efforts in supporting academic excellence through committee work, curriculum design, research and grant initiatives, training and workshops, and practice internships.

Aligning with a university-wide initiative for reflection and assessment, all related voluntary trainings, including BUILD, are temporarily paused. This pause allows units the necessary space to evaluate their current efforts and ensure alignment with recommended strategies and actions.

University units have shown great responsiveness to the recommendations shared during presentations, with several actions underway. Some DEI committees have paused to reassess their missions, while others continue with a renewed purpose, focusing on accreditation-related goals. Additionally, committees and groups, such as the Charter Committee on Diversity, diversity councils, and faculty/staff groups within units, are evaluating their missions to ensure alignment with accreditation requirements.

Within the Division of Access, Opportunity and Diversity, efforts are ongoing to design innovative training programs and workshops aimed at fostering a welcoming campus environment. This includes initiatives focused on civil rights education and community-building, with an emphasis on creating a supportive atmosphere for all using an engagement framework.

ACCESSIBILITY TASK FORCE FORMED TO MEETING TITLE II COMPLIANCE

The University of Iowa has created an Accessibility Task Force to comply with a new U.S. Department of Justice rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, requiring accessible web content and mobile apps by April 24, 2026.

The Accessibility Task Force, sponsored by Steve Fleagle, associate vice president and chief information officer of Information Technology Services (ITS), and Liz Tovar, executive officer and associate vice president of the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity (DAOD), aims to ensure all digital content and systems are accessible to everyone. This effort is not merely about compliance but about creating a path forward for inclusive access to information and services.

The task force is identifying and prioritizing digital systems and content based on usage, accessibility, and resources, implementing a remediation process following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA standards. They provided training, conducted ongoing testing, and collaborated with third-party vendors to ensure compliance. An exception process for specific content types was established, along with regular audits and updates to university policies to maintain accessibility. Clear communication, regular reporting, and securing necessary resources have been essential to achieving these goals.

The task force, co-chaired by Maggie Jesse, executive director of the Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology, and Tiffini Stevenson Earl, senior director of the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and ADA coordinator, includes the following members:

• Mirra Anson, director, student academic success and strategic initiatives, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
• Kirk Corey, director of policy and user services, Information Security and Policy Office, ITS
• Karmen Dillon, executive IT director, Application Services, UI Health Care
• Eddie Etsey, associate athletics director, Technology and Data Analytics, Department of Athletics
• Erin Feltes, deputy counsel, Office of General Counsel
• Ethan Fry, senior application developer, UI Health Care
• Brandon Mills, senior IT director, Division of Student Life
• Michael O'Neill, director of web strategy, Office of Strategic Communication
• Rakesh Rao, associate director, Facilities and Management Technology and Data
• Maureen Schafer, assistant provost and director, Academic Advising Center
• Charlie Taylor, chief of staff and communications, DAOD
• Mike Venzon, director, Student Disability Services, Division of Student Life
• Mike Weaver, associate director of operations, Office of the Vice President for Research
• T.M. Weissenberger, digital accessibility coordinator, Security Office, ITS
• Mike Frangi, director, Project Management, ITS

As the task force begins its work, UI faculty and staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new regulations and understand how they could affect day-to-day work at the university. Steps include educating themselves about the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, Level AA, assessing digital content and systems, seeking training on digital accessibility, collaborating with colleagues, and providing feedback to report any accessibility issues and suggest improvements.

The University of Iowa remains committed to creating an accessible digital environment and looks forward to continuing this important work in the coming year.

WORKING AT IOWA / CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEY MERGER 

In 2023, University Human Resources and the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity partnered to integrate the Campus Climate Survey with the Working at Iowa Survey. This collaboration led to the addition of five new questions to the 2024 Working at Iowa Survey, focusing on belonging and capturing a holistic view of the employee experience. The questions explored themes such as authenticity at work, having a voice in decision-making, feeling valued, and the university's commitment to a welcoming environment.

The survey, conducted in October 2024, was open to faculty and staff at the University of Iowa and received a 63% response rate. The new survey items showed positive results, with 88% of respondents feeling valued by their teams and able to be their authentic selves at work. Additionally, 86% considered that the university provides a welcoming and respectful environment, 80% reported having a voice in their unit’s decision-making, and 77% felt valued as individuals at the university.

The campus-wide survey results and recommendations for action planning will be released in January 2025, accompanied by new action planning toolkits.

JOHN DEERE SCHOLARS PROGRAM LAUNCHED

The John Deere Scholars Program is a need-based initiative designed to prepare high school students from Davenport Community for the University of Iowa. It offers scholarships to 20 qualifying seniors per year, totaling 60 students throughout the program's duration. This initiative is funded by a $6.6 million commitment from the John Deere Foundation. The scholarships will cover 90% of the annual cost for four years, provided students remain eligible each year. The program includes a High School Program with dedicated staff in Davenport to prepare students for college, the scholarships themselves, and a college program offering mentorship, academic, and internship support for the scholarship recipients. 

The 2024 mid-year recap of the John Deere Scholars program highlights the impressive progress and impact made so far. Katie Licht, High School Program Director and former counselor at Davenport North, has positively influenced over 180 students, averaging more than 300 individual engagements per month to prepare them for college. Program Director Dr. Cassandra Gordon-Fletcher is overseeing the scholarship selection process and developing the college program set to launch in Fall 2025. The program is a transformative opportunity for Davenport high school students, thanks to John Deere's support.

In terms of high school engagements, the numbers have been steadily increasing: 205 in September, 231 in October, 248 in November, and a significant 593 in December, as students worked on college and scholarship applications. Key events included a welcome event on Sept. 30, where University of Iowa (UI) staff introduced the program to 98 students in Davenport, and a campus visit on Nov. 13, where 70 students and their families toured the UI campus, attended a welcome presentation, and visited Kinnick Stadium. Additionally, 19 students were recognized at the John Deere Quad Cities Showdown on Nov. 15, and 95 high school juniors and seniors participated in an Academic Exploration Day on Dec. 16, where UI faculty and staff discussed admissions, summer opportunities, and academic programs.

Upcoming key dates include the selection of award winners on Jan. 25, "Next Steps" presentations for new UI students on Feb. 27, one-on-one sessions with UI Admissions for Scott County students in March, "Announcement Day" in March, a leadership event in April, the John Deere Scholars Banquet on May 13, and end-of-year celebrations at each high school on May 20.

The program has seen 184 participating students, just shy of the goal of 200. The average student engagements per month have reached 319, far exceeding the goal of 100. Seventy students applied to Iowa, surpassing the goal of 60, with 55 accepted, exceeding the goal of 50. Additionally, 41 students completed scholarship applications, surpassing the goal of 35, and 25 finalists have been selected for 20 awards, with the selection to be made on Jan. 25.

ALLIANT ENERGY AWARD /ERROLL B. DAVIS, JR. ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 

The Alliant Energy/Erroll B. Davis, Jr. Achievement Award recognizes academic excellence in business or engineering, leadership in campus and community organizations, and future career potential. Open to students with financial need, this annual award is coordinated by UI for all three regent universities. This year, $20,000 was awarded to four students Julissa Martinez, marketing and Sraaika Vaddadi, finance and business from the University of Iowa and Mayar Elamin, aerospace engineering and Raghuram Guddati, software engineering from Iowa State University. Out of 14 applicants, ten were viable candidates, and the highlighted recipients received $5,000 each. A luncheon in Iowa City celebrated the University of Iowa awardees, while the Iowa State celebration will be in Spring 2025.

IOWA EDGE 

The Iowa Edge program is a dynamic four-year mentorship initiative is open to all students with an emphasis on assisting those from under-resourced schools, first-generation college attendees, or transfer students.  The Fall 2024 cohort of Iowa Edge students include 97 students, with 75% of them Iowa residents and 64% being first-generation students.  Iowa Edge students are highly engaged, with 85% Strongly or agreeing that they made friends with Iowa Edge participants and 91% Strongly or Agreeing that they felt like they belonged on our campus following the completion of the program.

TRIO STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES 

Last year, TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), a federally funded program, served 350 degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University of Iowa. Of these, 72% were low-income, potential first-generation college graduates, or had a disability, exceeding the required 67%. Additionally, 64% of participants with a disability were also low-income, surpassing the 33% requirement. All students had an identified academic need.

TRIO SSS is funded by a U.S. Department of Education TRIO grant amounting to $430,098, currently in its fifth and final year of a five-year funding cycle. An application has been submitted to continue funding for another five years.

The program boasts a 95% persistence rate from the 2023-24 academic year to the 2024-25 academic year, or participants earning a bachelor's degree at the University of Iowa, which is 13 percentage points higher than the negotiated government standard for the university. In terms of academic standing, 93% of enrolled SSS participants maintained the performance level required to stay in good academic standing, which is eight percentage points above the negotiated standard for the university.

Graduation rates for new SSS participants in the 2018-19 cohort stood at 77%, with participants earning a bachelor’s degree within six years. This rate is eight percentage points higher than the negotiated government standard for the University of Iowa.

TRIO UPWARD BOUND 

Last year, TRIO Upward Bound (UB) served 127 students from Columbus Community High School, Muscatine High School, and West Liberty High School in Iowa. Out of these students, 67% were low-income and potential first-generation college graduates.

TRIO UB is supported by a United States Department of Education TRIO grant amounting to $656,337. The program is currently in its third year of a five-year funding cycle.

At the end of the last school year in May 2024, 78% of UB participants had a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a four-point scale. This figure is 22 percentage points above the negotiated government standard for the program’s service area.

In terms of retention and graduation, 100% of project participants either continued in school for the next academic year, advanced to the next grade level, or graduated from secondary school with a regular diploma. This rate exceeds the negotiated government standard for the program’s service area by eight percentage points.

Regarding postsecondary enrollment, 69% of current and former UB students who graduated from high school during the year with a regular diploma enrolled in a postsecondary education program by the fall term immediately following graduation. This rate is 17 percentage points higher than the negotiated government standard for the program’s service area.

In recruiting, eight UB 2024 graduates enrolled as degree-seeking students at the University of Iowa. These students subsequently became participants in the UI TRIO Student Support Services program.

Lastly, 36% of participants who enrolled in a postsecondary education program by the fall term immediately following high school graduation attained either an associate or bachelor’s degree within six years of graduating from high school. This completion rate is nine percentage points above the negotiated government standard for the program’s service area.

ANTI-VIOLENCE PLAN PROGRESS 

Anti-Violence Coalition: The Anti-violence Coalition (AVC) is a multidisciplinary team focused on ensuring a coordinated community response to prevention and intervention of sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. The three-year Anti-Violence Plan (AVP) includes action items that build on existing programs, policies, and resources and aligns with the 2020-2023 Office on Violence Against Women Campus Program Grant. At the core of all response actions taken by the University of Iowa is the commitment to supporting victim-survivors by respecting their rights and preferences while maintaining integrity in the due process given to all involved parties.

The Plan focuses on prevention and education, intervention, and policy and is informed by data from the key findings of the third Speak Out Iowa campus climate survey (noted by numbers), evidence-informed efforts and practices (noted by letters), and input from members of the University of Iowa Anti-Violence Coalition (AVC), including students and other community stakeholders.

TIFFINI STEVENSON EARL HONORED WITH THE DAVID J. SKORTON AWARD FOR STAFF EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion congratulates Tiffini Stevenson Earl, director of equity investigations and ADA coordinator in the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, as the recipient of the 2024 David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service to the University of Iowa.

The David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award in Service to the University of Iowa is given annually to individuals who have made significant contributions and have shown exceptional imagination and dedication to improving the university community. Service must include activities of high quality in staff governance, committee work, policy improvement, program creation, and more, outside normal job responsibilities.

“We could not be prouder of Tiffini as she is recognized as the David J. Skorton Staff Excellence Award honoree for 2024,” stated Liz Tovar, executive officer and associate vice president of the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity. “Her dedication to our university is fueled by her passion to care for all our students, faculty, and staff.”

Tiffini’s work at the University of Iowa is as personal as it is professional. A mother of five children (Kendra, Kenya, Keonna, Kacie, and Kareem), it was Earl’s daughter, Keonna, who gave her a deeper insight into what it was like to attend the University of Iowa with a disability. Keonna was born with cerebral palsy and overcame cancer at age 14.