About

Unity Week is a campus-wide effort aligned with the UI strategic plan of each college and unit, celebrating our welcoming and inclusive culture over the past year while looking ahead at the year to come.

Unity Week 2023 will occur January 23-28, 2023. The next chapters of the Journey to Unity video series will premiere, and we will release the 2023 Campus Climate survey results.

Below are the videos and stories of Unity Week 2023.

"Talk to a person in a language they understand, it goes to their head.  Talk to a person in their language, it goes to their heart."
Nelson Mandela

Mutual Respect

Cultural Impact

Building Relationships

Working Together

Inclusivity through Accessibility

SEA Change

Iowa Edge

Understanding the Process

TOP STORIES

Top Stories

Old Cap Snow

Unity Week 2023 Note from Liz

A note from Liz Tovar to the University of Iowa campus for the start of Unity Week 2023.
trumpet statue

2022 End of Year Report

The Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DDEI), under the leadership of Dr. Liz Tovar, continue our evolution to provide leadership and resources to support our campus’s journey to unity to provide a welcoming and inclusive culture at the University of Iowa.  Check out this end-of-year report looking back at 2021-22.
Old Cap

Overwhelming majority of UI faculty, staff, students report feeling valued, engaged

2022 Campus Climate, Working at Iowa survey results also show areas for improvement
Roundtable

Creating space at the table: A DEI conversation with leadership

In late November, Sara Sanders, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Liz Mendez-Shannon, CLAS DEI director, and Liz Tovar, executive officer and associate vice president of the UI Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, gathered at Wild Bill’s Workshop in the School of Social Work to discuss unity and belonging—and how these spaces can help the college and UI make progress on DEI issues.  
Old Cap First Snow

Finance and Operations Releases 2022 DEI Action Plan Review

University of Iowa Finance and Operations released the 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan Review to highlight DEI work of the previous year.
Old Capitol with fall leaves

Cultivating Inclusive Communities

Cultivating Inclusive Communities is a University of Iowa online learning experience designed to help faculty and staff gain awareness, knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to engage across differences with integrity and empathy, effectively fostering an inclusive campus community that embraces diversity.

Providing a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment

Through the UI Strategic Plan, we will facilitate proactive campus cultural change to cultivate a more respectful, inclusive environment that embeds diversity and equity into the Iowa experience.

FEATURES

International Flags

How UI Study Abroad supports diversity, equity, and inclusion

The University of Iowa Study Abroad office is committed to diversity and inclusion in our programming, especially as spending time abroad provides an excellent opportunity to consider one's personal identity in a new cultural context.

CLAS

CLAS 2022 DEI Annual Report

The DEI Committee and college community develop a yearly plan to address the strategic priorities of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to cultivate an inclusive environment and build a supportive infrastructure within the college.

Pentacrest Drone

Accessibility Updates at Pappajohn Business Building

As a college we value an equitable and inclusive environment for all. Toward that end, the Tippie DEI Steering Committee recently took steps to ensure that the Pappajohn Business Building is as accessible as possible.

COE Smith

Lack of representation inspires Smith to pursue career as teacher

Senior chosen as College of Education Undergraduate Student Commencement Speaker

onyeche_oche_crop

Graduate Student Earns US Residency: An Account

Onyeche Oche is a PhD student and research assistant at the UI College of Pharmacy. She came to the University of Iowa in January 2020 and recently applied for and received permanent US residency.  Hoping it will help others, she recalls her experience with the process.

Jeramy Viet Military Uniform Photo

UI Pharmaceuticals Manager Retires from Air Guard After Illustrious Career

Fast planes, brotherhood, and a workplace filled with excitement. That was Jeramy Viet’s reaction as a boy in 1986 when he watched the movie Top Gun, and it ignited his desire to join the United States Air National Guard at age 17.

Amira-Nash

Nash receives grant for BIPOC student recruitment and retention

 

Amira Nash, associate director of partnerships and programs in the Baker Teacher Leader Center, received a grant from the Community Foundation of Johnson County for her project, Recruitment & Retention of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Teacher Education Students.

Aliomer, Mala

Finding the power in her voice through resiliency

In the years leading up to her commencement celebration, Malaz Aliomer faced challenging circumstances: the death of her parents in quick succession due to heart attack and cancer; the subsequent task of raising her three younger siblings; and the more recent demands of raising her own daughter with her husband.

CAMPUS VIDEO

Hawkeye Athletics Town Hall

Hawkeye Athletics leads Diversity and Inclusion Forum

B1G Life Series: Iowa Student-Athletes visit Selma to Montgomery

EVENTS

register_to_vote_african_american_1960s_signMLK., Jr. Celebration of Human Rights Events

"Ukraine: War and Resistance" photo exhibit promotional image

"Ukraine: War and Resistance" photo exhibit

Monday, March 20 to Sunday, April 2, 2023 (all day)
Phillips Hall
With the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, a cohort of Fulbright photographers, both Ukrainian and American, found themselves at the epicenter of momentous events, equipped with their ultimate weapon, their cameras. They managed to capture the tragic and heroic, devastating, and hopeful moments of present life in Ukraine. These photos were exhibited for the first time in fall 2022 at the Vinnytsia Museum of Art, Ukraine.  The University of Iowa is proud to host the "Ukraine: War and...
Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City promotional image

Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City

Monday, March 20, 2023 9:00am to 6:00pm
University of Iowa Main Library
Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City is the Spring 2023 exhibition in the Main Library Gallery.
BUILD: A Closer Look at Race in the U.S promotional image

BUILD: A Closer Look at Race in the U.S

Monday, March 20, 2023 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Virtual
The Building University of Iowa Leadership for Diversity (BUILD) initiative is an opportunity for UI faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students to gain strategic knowledge and skills to contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. By completing a series of workshops, participants will earn a certificate demonstrating their commitment as leaders to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and classroom. To get session details and register for UI campus courses, log...

Activists Play Too: Jeopardy!

Monday, March 20, 2023 7:00pm
Join us as we kick off our week of events with a game of Jeopardy centered on Latinx and Native history and activism. We will have snacks, community, and perhaps an opportunity for prizes! Catch you there.
"Ukraine: War and Resistance" photo exhibit promotional image

"Ukraine: War and Resistance" photo exhibit

Tuesday, March 21 to Sunday, April 2, 2023 (all day)
Phillips Hall
With the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, a cohort of Fulbright photographers, both Ukrainian and American, found themselves at the epicenter of momentous events, equipped with their ultimate weapon, their cameras. They managed to capture the tragic and heroic, devastating, and hopeful moments of present life in Ukraine. These photos were exhibited for the first time in fall 2022 at the Vinnytsia Museum of Art, Ukraine.  The University of Iowa is proud to host the "Ukraine: War and...
Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City promotional image

Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 9:00am to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Main Library
Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City is the Spring 2023 exhibition in the Main Library Gallery.
Discover Study Abroad promotional image

Discover Study Abroad

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 12:30pm
Virtual
Would you like to study abroad during your time at the University of Iowa, but don't know where to start? Attend our weekly Virtual Discover Study Abroad info sessions to learn how study abroad works and find the right international opportunity for you!
BUILD: Beyond the Numbers promotional image

BUILD: Beyond the Numbers

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Virtual
The Building University of Iowa Leadership for Diversity (BUILD) initiative is an opportunity for UI faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students to gain strategic knowledge and skills to contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. By completing a series of workshops, participants will earn a certificate demonstrating their commitment as leaders to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and classroom. To get session details and register for UI campus courses, log...
War and Resistance: An Evening of Poetry to Promote Peace and Democracy promotional image

War and Resistance: An Evening of Poetry to Promote Peace and Democracy

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Phillips Hall
UI International Programs and the UI Center for Language and Culture Learning invite you to "War and Resistance: An Evening of Poetry to Promote Peace and Democracy," on Tuesday, March 21, from 5 - 6:30 p.m., in 120 Phillips Hall.

Create Your Own Flame: Candle Making

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 6:00pm
What does a candle symbolize for you? Join us as we talk through the significance of candles and get hands on with a candle making workshop!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Happy Unity Week! Studying abroad is a powerful experience all students should be able to access. Learn how we're...

Posted by University of Iowa International Programs on Monday, January 23, 2023

The emerging civil rights movement in the United States took center stage at the University of Iowa on a November night...

Posted by University of Iowa on Monday, January 16, 2023

Inspiring future leaders in analytics. The Women in Analytics and Leadership Conference provides students the chance to...

Posted by Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa on Thursday, October 13, 2022

Today kicks off Unity Week, a campus-wide celebration of our welcoming and inclusive culture across the University of...

Posted by Hancher on Monday, January 23, 2023

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