The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences DEI Committee has worked in partnership with a student advisory committee the last two years. Under the vision and direction of our new DEI Director Liz Mendez-Shannon, the college will be reshaping this committee into the CLAS DEI Student Work Group to empower a group of our student leaders to drive change and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within our college.  

This work group will provide students with an outstanding opportunity to develop leadership skills, build community, promote student voices and perspectives, expand their peer network, and interact with collegiate DEI leaders by co-creating an inclusive community.

Eligibility

All College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply for this committee.

Students should possess the following:

• commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for all individuals in the college
• strong leadership skills, including active listening, organization, and communication
• desire to work collaboratively with a team
• vision and/or creativity to develop DEI initiatives that foster community in the college
• willingness to engage with other students in their department to bring a broader perspective to work group meetings

Term Length

Accepted students will serve a term length of one academic year. If a student would like to serve additional terms, they will need to be renominated by their department.  Students are required to attend a minimum of one work group session each month during the academic year.

Committee Composition

To ensure representation across the disciplines, the work group will be composed of up to five students from each of the following areas, totaling a maximum of 20 students:

• Arts
• Humanities
• Natural and Mathematical Sciences
• Social Sciences

Nomination Process

To nominate a student, complete this application form Gabbie McDermott (gabriella-mcdermott@uiowa.edu) by Friday, November 18, 2022. Please contact Gabbie McDermott (gabriella-mcdermott@uiowa.edu) with questions.