Student demonstrators in support of DEI spoke to the Iowa Board of Regents during the public forum period of their meeting on Wednesday in the Alumni Center, which also covered a wide range of topics from new majors to first-generation students.
“Not really sure why this matters, but…” Daniela Pintor-Mendoza, a student at the University of Iowa, said.
“They are an attack on the values of fairness, success, access and representation, I guess,” Pintor-Mendoza said. “DEI is not political. It is a commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to thrive. Maybe it’s just me, but…”
“A lot of people have brought up the budget incentives for restricting DEI programs or canceling DEI offices, but what really is a waste of everybody’s time and money is making university officials comb through thousands of university websites, university directives, emails, footnotes to remove language that you have decided you do not like,” Hilton said. “Not sure why we’re doing this, but…”
“What isn’t culture?” Hilton said. “Which one of you does not have culture? Who isn’t cultural? Who isn’t diverse?”
According to Hilton in the initial directive issued by the Board of Regents says that educational programs are not affected.
“So why are so many teachers fearful right now, censoring themselves, taking things out of their lesson plans or not posting their lessons for their students to view after the fact, for fear of the language you do not like being used,” Hilton said. “Seems a little weird, right? Please let our teachers know that they are not affected, and you will stand by them and anything that they are going to teach, including history and facts.”
The next Board of Regents meeting will be held at 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Alumni Center.
New majors at ISU
Three of six majors for the degrees of the future initiative were proposed at the regents meeting today, including a bachelor’s degree in digital and precision agriculture, a master’s degree in financial technology and a master’s in supply chain management.
The Associate Provost Ann Marie VanderZanDen said they would like these programs to begin in the fall of 2025, pending board approval.
Cyclone Civics
The Cyclone Civics initiative proposes a transition to a board-approved center. Provost Jason Keith introduced the Cyclone Civics initiative’s purpose.
“The original initiative was established in response to the board’s direction and will strive to offer programming in three broad areas, promoting civic literacy, including a basic understanding of American government and history, as well as our nation’s philosophical traditions, developing civic skills needed for a highly functioning democracy and creating a civic disposition where everyone understands their rights and duties as citizens,” Keith said.
The center will serve to promote civic education and free speech principles, while working with Iowa State Extension and Outreach to share programming, according to Keith.
First generation students
Sharron Evans, dean of students at Iowa State, said nearly one in five students identify as first-generation students, and nearly 9% are both low-income and first-generation students.
Evans highlighted the programs available to support these students.
TRIO Student Support Services and the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center have had a positive impact on student success, according to Evans.
“The retention rate for students participating in Hixson and TRIO exceed the average for all first-generation students,” Evans said.
Disability support
Clara Hernandez presented the role of accommodations and highlighted their process and impact on students.
“Our offices work with many students who may or may not have received accommodations in high school,” Hernandez said. “Some students come to us with new diagnoses or are experiencing barriers at the university level that they did not face in K-12, while others have had IEPs and 504’s in the past.”
Hernandez said the increasing numbers of accommodation requests emphasize the need for consistency and collaboration between all three universities, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa.
