HONORING POWWOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

Dear University of Iowa Faculty, Staff, Students, and Community,

As you know, our communities continue to look different this 2021 school year as we continue to learn effective ways in which to adapt and overcome the obstacles that have been set before us since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the powwow committee has faced an unpresented number of obstacles in planning the virtual powwow this year. for this reason, out Native American Student Association's executive board has decided that it will be best to hold a new kind of online event in place of the 26th Annual University of Iowa Virtual Powwow that we hand initially hope to bring to you all.

Our biggest wish as undergraduate students is to honor and uplift the traditions of our University of Iowa community that have held over many generations, a great commitment to the creation of safe spaces and comfort for Native American students who called the University of Iowa home. In response, our executives have decided to host the first ever virtual Honoring the Powwow at the University of Iowa event on April 17th, 2021 to recognize those that have and continue to build up and support our community, despite our current distance. At this event, we will be recognizing the University of Iowa graduate(s) who have so impressively accomplished such a pivotal milestone! Please join and support our efforts that will take place on the Native American Student Association's social media platforms.

The Native American Student Association hopes that you understand the great efforts and considerations that took place for our executives to come to this very difficult decision. Our executive no longer feels that it is appropriate to host a virtual powwow given that we were unable to incorporate many aspects of the in-person annual powwow that we had hoped to keep intact when we began planning this power for this year. In taking a new perspective for the event, we hope to respect the traditions and beliefs of those who have made the past University of Iowa powwows possible as well as the many peoples our present group members come from and represent. This event has been created to respect the unprecedented hardships, changes, and limited resources our students have had to face this year. With the support of the LNACC (Latino Native American Cultural Center), NAC (Native American Council), and numerous other individuals and organizations we are excited to announce this attainable event.

Please join us on April 17^th, 2021 to remember and honor the times when our community gathered from all over for the University of Iowa's Annual Powwow. As prospects for a 2022 in person 26^th Annual Powwow are brightening, let us all continue to have patience, understanding, and hope.

President – Keely Driscoll

Vice President – Hunter Wienke

Powell student advisor – Dominique Badajoz

if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to [email protected].  

Monday, July 13, 2020

To: Bruce Harreld, President, University of Iowa

From: The Diversity Councils of the University of Iowa

JOINT OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT HARRELD: ON RESPONSIBILITY AND LEADERSHIP

Dear President Harreld,

The Diversity Councils fully support the Black Lives Matter movement and the UIowa students, staff, and faculty who give their faith, energy, and even safety to fight for social justice. We are severely disappointed and frustrated by the University of Iowa’s lack of meaningful response to the police brutality, protests, and calls from students, staff, and faculty to implement change for equity. Faculty, staff, and especially students perceive you and many other University leaders to be oblivious to the intense fear, struggle, and trauma that permeates the University of Iowa community each day. 

When it comes to social justice and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion commitments, the trust between students, staff, and faculty and the top administration at the University of Iowa has been decimated. Students in particular are traumatized, tired, and targeted. If the University truly seeks the inclusive and just future it claims to champion, our community needs to see personal, genuine commitment, and concrete, sustained action for equity. A new trust must be forged from this brokenness, and the Diversity Councils are ready and willing to be a resource for doing so.

To this end, we reiterate the question that the administrators of the Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate and Professional Student Government offered you at the beginning of June 2020: “How have not only the University of Iowa, but you yourself, contributed to the policing of lives, education, and voices of Black students on our campus?” Furthermore, we ask: How are you stepping into allyship right now? 

In the message that you and Provost Fuentes published on May 31, 2020 in response to George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing protests against the police brutality, you said that “[e]ach of us must lead change within our individual communities to actively disrupt racism (interpersonal, systemic, and societal).” It is your responsibility not only to enact this leadership that you explicitly call for, but also make it legible and relatable to the multiple individual communities of which you are a part as the president of University of Iowa, foremost being Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students. 

Importantly, you are also responsible for leading your administration both interpersonally and by example. When you do not assume this leadership, you promote dismissive attitudes such as was displayed by Dean Goddard in his comments to at-risk faculty and staff and faculty women of color at his June 1, 2020, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Town Hall. As the leader of CLAS, Dean Goddard is clearly insensitive to equity and antiracism, but his public fumble also showcases how ill-equipped top administrators are as a team. We need informed collaborative interaction by top administrators -- and this, too, is your responsibility to implement.

Based on our experiences, expertise, and extensive campus conversations in recent weeks, we strongly urge you to take action on the following items: 

1. Without defense or citing a list of well-intended actions/policies that your administration is implementing, personally respond to BIPOC students and their allies who have voiced their frustrations and fears to you. If their address is public, your response should be public. Accountability, transparency, and honesty are requisite to building trust. 

For example, these are some student organizations’ concerns that we are aware of: 

• Defund and cut ties with Iowa City Police Department and Iowa State Patrol
• Provide more real time information regarding COVID-19 and how that impacts students and student workers
• Make public a concrete plan for remote and in-person learning
• Take measures to care for Black and POC student athletes 
• More transparency of senior leadership’s approach to deconstruct systemic racism
• Create an actionable plan to ensure the safety of BIPOC students, staff, and faculty, including addressing white supremacist threats
• Clearly state the measures, programing, and compensation being offered to support BIPOC students, staff, and faculty who are continuously taxed
• Support and protect International students from the ICE SEVP 6 July 2020 mandate 

2. The immediate appointment of an Interim Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion who is an existing UIowa employee, knows the culture and structure of the institution, and has built deep trust with BIPOC students and departments/units across campus. In addition, this position should be in the president's cabinet and report directly to you. The immediate need for clear and strong DEI leadership cannot be denied or put on hold any longer. 
3. Utilize the Diversity Councils’ standing in Shared Governance and actually include us in the decision-making processes that guide the institution. To wit, the updated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan mentions the Diversity Councils in numerous “completed,” “completed and ongoing,” and “in progress” actions, yet it is unclear how or that these steps have been engaged. Meet with us, listen to our insight, and tell us what you need. Diversity Council Leadership meets face-to-face quarterly; we will continue to hold a place for you and your administration to join us.

We offer our full-hearted support in turning these plans into action. The Diversity Councils’ coalition commits to continued collaboration and transparency as we work for equity. We proudly represent and advocate for hundreds of UIowa community members. We understand and embody the complexities and intersections of race, gender, culture, ability, religion, sexual orientation, immigration experience, and other social identities. Critically, we also know how race permeates through these differences. We offer our expertise and strengths to you and senior administration as willing partners in working to heal the deep wounds of mistrust, fear, and trauma in our communities. 

With sincerity and great expectations,

The Diversity Councils of the University of Iowa

African American Council

Council on Disability Awareness

Council on the Status of Women

Latinx Council

LGBTQ+ Council

Native American Council

Pan Asian Council
 

CC: Gary Barta, director of athletics 

Daniel Clay, dean of the College of Education 

John Culshaw, Jack B. King university librarian 

Tiffini Stevenson Earl, associate director and ADA coordinator, Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity; AVP DEI Incoming Co-chair

Steve Fleagle, associate vice president and chief information officer 

Montse Fuentes, executive vice president and provost

Brent Gage, associate vice president for enrollment management 

Russell Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs, AVP DEI Co-chair 

Steve Goddard, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Sarah Hansen, vice president for student life

Brooks Jackson, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine 

David Johnsen, dean of the College of Dentistry 

John Keller, associate provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate College 

Amy Kristof-Brown, interim dean of the Henry B. Tippie College of Business 

Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president for finance and operations 

Donald Letendre, dean of the College of Pharmacy 

Peter Matthes, vice president for external relations 

Bria Marcelo, director, diversity resources and strategic initiatives

Jennifer Modestou, director, equal opportunity and diversity, deputy title IX coordinator

Harriet Nembhard, dean of the College of Engineering 

Edith Parker, dean of the College of Public Health 

Nadine Petty, executive director, Center for Diversity and Enrichment; AVP DEI co-chair

Angie Reams, associate vice president of student life and dean of students

Cheryl Reardon, chief human resources officer and associate vice president; Path Forward DEI Work Group co-chair

Carroll Reasoner, vice president for legal affairs and general counsel

Martin Scholtz, vice president for research

Tanya Uden-Holman, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of the University College 

Kevin Washburn, dean of the College of Law 

Julie Zerwic, dean of College of Nursing; Path Forward DEI Work Group co-chair

** This open letter is written, delivered, and published jointly by all the Diversity Councils. Our coalition is rooted through collaboration and communal, horizontal leadership. As such, this letter stands on its own: we have no spokespeople for the document and we will not be doing individual interviews with the press. Because of our commitment to open dialogue and transparency, we will post relevant communication from the letter recipients as well as our own replies or follow-ups that we may subsequently write. All inquiries can be directed to [email protected] **