Iowa State University
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Iowa State University is a diverse community of people of all genders, ages, cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and abilities.

​Iowa State celebrates and advances diversity by creating a safe place in which people can express themselves freely and share their unique talents. This diversity of talents enriches our campus by fueling creativity, innovation, and success.

Diversity encompasses acceptance and respect by fostering an environment of inclusion that moves beyond simple tolerance to recognizing the richness in individual identities of people.

Diversity, therefore, is an active process that requires our continuous dedication to promote the success of present and future generations of students, faculty, and staff.
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Adopted April 5, 2011
http://www.eoc.iastate.edu/diversity

Campus Climate Response Team (CCRT)

The CCRT reports to the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion is jointly coordinated through the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Dean of Student’s Office. It serves as a university-wide strategy resource team that will develop and facilitate the implementation of appropriate responses to campus climate incidents impacting the ISU community. The newly formed CCRT Leadership Team includes representatives from the Dean of Students Office, Multicultural Student Affairs, Provosts Office, ISU Police Department, Diversity & Inclusion Office, and Office of Equal Opportunity.

Iowa State University is committed to addressing incidents that impact our campus climate, especially those that are bias-related. Through the work of the CCRT, potential gaps in ISU policies and procedures that may impede the university’s ability to minimize campus climate incidents may be addressed, increasing the likelihood of creating a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

Faculty recruitment:
ISU ADVANCE has become Iowa State’s most prominent vehicle to recruit, retain, and advance women and people of color in faculty positions. ADVANCE is known for a well-managed network, innovative research, and an integrated approach to change at all levels of the university. ADVANCE works within departments using a collaborative transformation approach to improve the work environment for all faculty members. The ISU ADVANCE program identifies cultures, practices, and structures that enhance or hinder the careers of ISU faculty, and works with faculty and administrators to transform university policies, practices, and academic culture in pursuit of a diverse and vibrant faculty in all academic disciplines.

Staff recruitment:
Iowa State University has promoted the hiring of Veterans by partnering and recruiting with Home Base Iowa (HBI) representatives to increase the number of Veterans applying and being hired, initiated the development of a Regional HERC to support attracting diversity and dual career candidates, as well as provided applicant resources, and applicant materials for hearing impaired and disability accommodation requests.

Student recruitment:
Senior search allows us to reach out to diverse test takers during their senior year of high school. 102 additional freshman applications were received for Fall 2015, including 42 from multicultural backgrounds. Multicultural students made up 41.2% of the applicant pool for senior search applications, compared to 16.9% of the overall application pool.

The Multicultural Breakfast was hosted prior to select Experience Iowa State programs, welcoming 71 students and 115 family members from diverse backgrounds in the 2015-2016 academic year.

Latino Family Visit Day, a collaboration between the Admissions Early Outreach Program and Lambda Theta Phi fraternity, welcomed 45 students and 42 family members to campus in 2015.

The Multicultural Vision program provides a full-tuition scholarship to 100 multicultural students from Iowa with demonstrated need.

Faculty and Staff support:
The Faculty and Staff Affinity Council was created to provide a representative and meaningful collaboration between faculty/staff organizations at Iowa State University with the following aims:
Provide communication and input on relevant topics to the office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
Positively contribute to the overall campus environment for faculty and staff
Positively impact diversity issues at Iowa State University

The Affinity Council promotes knowledge of and collaboration between current faculty/staff organizations, provide guidance to ISU administration on issues of diversity on campus, and encourage and mentor the formation of other faculty/staff organizations which may represent unmet needs at ISU. Other activities include involvement in university-wide diversity events and faculty and staff recruitment and orientation. Meetings are held monthly and are open to leaders of the member faculty/staff organizations or their designated substitutes.

Student support:
The Multicultural Student Affairs office advocates for and supports Iowa State University's domestic students who self-identify as African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Latinx, and/or Multiracial. The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA) provides leadership through the development of programs and services that enhance the recruitment, transition, retention and graduation of multicultural students. Working in collaboration with University partners, the office assists in fostering a campus climate that recognizes, appreciates and shares a mutual understanding of respect for all cultures in addition to supporting students' academic, cultural, personal and social development. http://www.multicultural.dso.iastate.edu/about/mission--vision--and-goals

Student Disability Resources office is a unit in the Dean of Students Office responsible for coordinating accommodations for ISU students with documented disabilities. Student Disability Resources (SDR) is dedicated to improving the educational development of students with disabilities and to enhancing understanding and support within the campus community. As Iowa State University strives to value, embrace and reflect human and intellectual diversity, Student Disability Resources strives to accomplish this through the principles of equal access and opportunity. https://www.sdr.dso.iastate.edu/resource

The Iowa State University McNair Program prepares qualified undergraduates for entry to graduate school and completion of a doctoral degree. The primary goal of McNair is to increase the attainment of PhD degrees by first-generation and underrepresented college students. McNair Scholars are afforded many opportunities during their two years of active participation including working with a professor on a research project and navigating the graduate application and admission process.

The Iowa State University McNair program is fully funded by the university through the Graduate College and the Office of the Provost. Our program still follows the same federal guidelines of all TRIO programs funded by the US Department of Education.