Welcome from Liz Mendez-Shannon, Director of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity

Welcome from Liz Mendez-Shannon, Director of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity

We invite you to explore how the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) fosters a sense of community through our commitment to access, opportunity, and diversity. Please navigate this page to learn how we are fostering a more welcoming and respectful community and empowering our students, faculty, and staff with the skills to lead in a culturally and globally diverse society and workforce.

Access, opportunity, and diversity in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The principles of access, opportunity, and diversity are fundamental to the mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa, as we conduct our work in the context of the whole of humanity.

  • In our teaching, we encourage exploration, inquiry, and the questioning of the many facets of human experience and understanding.
  • In our research, scholarship, and creativity, we generate new knowledge and perspectives, while reflecting and shaping the cultures and societies in which we live.
  • In our service to Iowans, we partner with communities to address critical challenges and foster leadership in a global context.

By embracing this vision together, we are laying a strong foundation that empowers all Hawkeyes to succeed and lead in a diverse and ever-changing world.

With a commitment to meeting accreditation requirements, upholding the professional code of ethics, and aligning with Higher Learning Commission standards throughout CLAS, we strive to maintain the highest standards of integrity and excellence.

Student cultural houses

The Afro House is a safe space for Black students, where they can feel welcomed and at home.

Afro House-advised student groups

Asian Pacific American Cultural Center (APACC) is a space for affirming and healing student identities affiliated with the center, and a space for fellowship and community building.

Latin Native American Cultural Center (LNACC) fosters a sense of belonging, where students can authentically engage with their personal, academic, cultural, emotional, and spiritual identities in a safe, trusting, loving, non-competitive, non-judgmental, yet challenging space.

Pride House supports student success and holistic wellness by providing a nurturing and affirming space for our LGBTQ students.

Events

Hubbard Scholars Study Tables

Monday, December 2, 2024 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Pappajohn Business Building
An opportunity to network and study with other Black men across campus.
Building our Global Community: Developing Your Intercultural Insight (Part 1) promotional image

Building our Global Community: Developing Your Intercultural Insight (Part 1)

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 10:30am to 11:30am
Virtual
Instructors: Pauline Beazer James, Senior Advisor, International Student and Scholar Services, and Shuhui Lin, International Education Program and Student Affairs Advisor, International Student and Scholar Services      Description: In this two-part interactive class, participants will learn about developing their intercultural insights by exploring the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). The IDI generates an individual profile of “worldview orientation to commonalities and differences...
Engaging Across Cultures: Engaging Multilingual Learners Across Disciplines promotional image

Engaging Across Cultures: Engaging Multilingual Learners Across Disciplines

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 3:30pm to 5:00pm
Virtual
Instructors: Katherine Beydler, PhD, Associate Director, Center for Teaching, and Tamar Bernfeld, PhD, Assistant Director, Center for Teaching Description: This session will focus on how to consider and include the perspective of students with English as an additional language in all classrooms. We will invite participants to reflect on their own experiences to inform our conversation and discuss how to accommodate the needs of diverse learner backgrounds. Participants who attend this session...
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