In June, University of Iowa Staff Council reaffirmed its commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across campus. We pledged to advocate alongside those who are impacted by racism and other forms of inequities and to take action when their voices are being silenced, and we have been working to make good on this commitment.

In an effort to act quickly but intentionally, we have spent the past month educating ourselves about DEI efforts and concerns on campus, listening to the concerns of councilors and staff, and identifying actions we can take or influence.

Areas of influence and actions to be taken this council year will be released later in August when our committees have finalized their goals and are expected to incorporate the following themes:

• Improving our internal processes and expanding membership to support diversity and be more inclusive
• Partnering with diversity councils and other shared governance groups on DEI initiatives
• Prioritizing the use of Staff Council funds to support DEI initiatives across campus
• Advocating for Human Resources policies that enhance DEI, including allowing release time for trainings and assisting departments in incorporating DEI in recruiting, hiring, and retention
• Increasing councilors’ awareness and understanding of DEI topics
• Revising our communications and tools with respect to principles of DEI

 Please return to this website for further updates and share your questions, thoughts, and concerns. You can share these with your representatives or directly to the Staff Council inbox - staff-council@uiowa.edu.