This is the summit for education, business and government partnerships in diversity. Come learn about real solutions to real-life problems in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.

It is a collaboration between communities and campuses to make Iowa a more inviting place to live, work, play and learn.

Whether you are in higher education as an admissions counselor, student development, diversity educator or a teacher, or you are in business, industry, government or civic organizations, this summit will give you the tools you need to be an agent of change in your specialty. Come see how higher ed and the public and private sector can collaborate on issues of diversity and inclusion!

Join us for this year's summit on Thursday, April 29, 2010
at the Kirkwood's Center for Continuing Education at Kirkwood Community College!

Topics coming soon!

How It All Began...

Like many colleges and universities, the University of Iowa faces the issues of recruiting and retaining faculty of color. Diversity is included as one of the values and a goal of the Iowa Promise, the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan. The diversity goal is to “promote excellence in education by increasing the diversity of the faculty, staff and students.” Discussions with the campus African American Council led to the proposal of a summit of regional colleges and universities to create intentional dialogue about the recruitment, hiring and retention of African American faculty and staff.

The University of Iowa hosted the first Regional Black Faculty and Staff Summit in May, 2006, utilizing consultantswith the breadth of knowledge and expertise to advise and assist campuses to recruit, hire and retain faculty and staff of color. Vice President Charlie Nelms, then at Indiana University and Professor Linda Greene of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shared with participants an organizational model that provided strategies for increasing diversity and an action plan that could be implemented on respective campuses. (Charlie Nelms, http://www.indiana.edu/~idsa/NelmsResume.pdf and Linda Greene http://law.wisc.edu/profiles/index.php?iEmployeeID=138)

During a one-day pre-conference seminar for key University of Iowa administrators and stakeholders, consultants presented an organizational model which placed the University of Iowa in a national and regional context, identified and discussed concerns and challenges which could impede the progression of diversity as defined by the University’s strategic plan, and made recommendations for moving forward. At the summit, they shared the model with attendees from across the state in an interactive style combining keynote speeches with small group discussions and collecting the information in a final report with recommendations that was distributed to each attending institution.

Participants were invited to attend as teams representing their institution’s leadership, faculty, staff, administrators and constituent groups who could influence inclusion and equity. As change agents, they were encouraged to come to the summit committed and prepared to work on strategies and impact implementation of recommendations once returning from the summit. It was the consultant’s intention to launch a strategic focus, including a two- to three-year plan for best practices and presentations, while discussing benchmarks, finances, governance, recruitment efforts, retention efforts, and sharing of resources.

Recommendations for regional collaboration included, but were not limited to:

• The infusion of principles of diversity and equity throughout the curriculum. There could be a summer institute and “days of learning” from faculty and staff from selected disciplines throughout the year.
• A Diversity Education series led by a knowledgeable facilitator from a consortia member institution or someone from the outside. Inasmuch as many corporations now have senior diversity officers, this could prove to be a good resource.
• It seems to me that the campus climate survey is a natural. However, some of the survey questions will need to be modified to take institutional differences into consideration.
• Personally, I am quite excited about the idea of cultural competency certification, despite the dynamics involved. You may want to assemble a group of discipline-based experts and practitioners from consortia institutions to investigate this idea a bit more carefully. You should definitely consider involving persons from professional schools where cultural competence is an aspect of the curriculum, e.g., social work, education, business, criminal justice, etc.
• In the final analysis, we would encourage you and your colleagues to select an area about which people are excited; where enthusiastic champions and allies can be found

There was overwhelming support for a collaborative approach to enhancing diversity efforts in Iowa’s higher education institutions. Eight campuses committed to host the summit through the year 2011 (Iowa State University, Central College, Kirkwood Community College, Loras College, University of Dubuque, Eastern Iowa Community College District, University of Northern Iowa and University of Iowa).

In 2007, Iowa State University hosted the 2007 Regional Summit for Higher Education and Diversity. The event took on a new life. Attendance nearly doubled from the previous year. Keynote speakers for the event were national consultants, Emily L. Moore, Ph.D. and J. Herman Blake, Ph.D., http://www.elps.hs.iastate.edu/hged/moorehmpg.php In addition to the summit, a career fair was added to the event, allowing corporations, colleges, and universities to showcase their venues and recruit students.

Goals of the 2007 Regional Summit for Higher Education Regional Diversity were to:

• Explore diversity in higher education, nationally and in Iowa, and discuss implications for recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff.
• Review effective campus programs and articulate general principles of academic achievement, retention, and graduation that work in various campus environments.
• Discuss ways of creating and sustaining a positive campus environment.
• Analyze strategies in which faculty and student affairs professionals can unite in the development of comprehensive programs transforming campus academic and social life.

Outcomes of the summit reinforced continuation of institutional and community collaborations to impact climate, recruitment and retention; to share research and resources; to provide professional development opportunities for higher education diversity champions; and to partner with communities and organizations interested in diversity. While the leadership for each summit is coordinated by the hosting campus(es), representatives from each founding institution contribute to planning the summit. With encouragement from co-hosting campuses, a plan for a regional collaboration or consortium, IOWA’s IDEA, was born.

IOWA’s IDEA Founding Institutions:

• Central College
• Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
• Kirkwood Community College
• Iowa State University
• Loras College
• University of Dubuque
• University of Iowa
• University of Northern Iowa

About Iowa's IDEA

Iowa's IDEA (Impacting Diversity through Educational Alliances) is a consortium of Regent Universities, Private Colleges and Universities, and Community Colleges joining together to advocate for improved recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff.

We provide cutting-edge leadership and advocacy for environmental change, diverse communities, recruitment and retention of diverse faculty and staff, and an inclusive environment for all in Iowa's higher education system.

Updated 2/11/10:am