Our vision

To create and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Division of Student Life that fosters student, staff, and faculty success.

DEI Action Plan

As the Division of Student Life (DSL) at the University of Iowa, we must acknowledge that our organization is a representation of our larger society which has historically privileged many as well as equally disenfranchised and marginalized others. The time is ripe to begin to live our espoused value of excellence through diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Our broader campus has gone through an interactive process and established a diversity, equity, and inclusion action plan for the entire campus.

We have outlined three goals and a variety of strategies that can guide the Division of Student Life to more fully realizing its possibility and responsibility to create an equitable and inclusive organization. We want to be leaders in showing how engaging authentically across cultural differences only strengthens an organization and results in a better experience for all. The DSL DEI Action Plan is in alignment with the mission and strategic plan of the Division of Student Life.

  • Goal 1: Identify and revise inequitable policies, practices, and programs in order to create a culture where healing, equitable, and sustained change will happen
  • Goal 2: Create a sustainable structure to support the DSL as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization
  • Goal 3: Implement strong, genuine, and consistently communicated culturally inclusive practices that reinforce of Division of Student Life values

View the full plan with updates.

Selected DSL DEI Action Plan Updates:

The DEI Action Plan is updated at the end of the fall semester and spring semester.

  • Dr. Maria Bruno was hired to fill the new Executive Director of Belonging and Inclusion position in October 2019.
  • Spring 2020 DEI Implementation Team begins to meet regularly.
  • University Housing and Dining included a question regarding “sense of belonging” in the RA talks in spring 2020, and created a Residence Education Student DEI Task Force was created.
  • The “Safety and Support” link on all ICON course sites under “Student Tools” was moved to the top of the navigation bar. This provides links to the Division of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, the Office of the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator, University Counseling Services, etc.
  • Created a rubric for employees that outlines specific work behaviors for each level of the diversity, equity, and inclusion universal competency in fall 2020.
  • Recruited and held initial meeting with participants in the first IDEA pilot group. The IDEA initiative supports supervisors in having regular DEI conversations with their employees. Training sessions were held in January and the pilot began in spring 2021. Pilot supervisors participate in monthly meetings and a wrap-up mini-retreat at the end of the semester.

Updates from the DEI Action Plan will be shared regularly with staff in the Division of Student Life and the broader UI community. View the DEI Action Plan communication plan.