As colleges and universities across Iowa are being encouraged, or even required, to restructure or eliminate diversity, equity, inclusion and justice programs, Drake University is expanding and promoting its efforts.
Drake officials say the university is continuing its decade-long work of expanding DEI efforts on campus with a new initiative to foster a greater sense of belonging and improve the well-being of students, staff and faculty, called “Bulldogs Belong: Resilient and Thriving.”
Provost Sue Mattison said students as well as faculty have been heavily involved in the development of this program, which will launch this fall and will provide more opportunities for mentorship, community building and support for students in need.
“Drake students are probably the most engaged students I’ve ever met, and I feel they’ll be appreciative of how we are trying to serve them in the best possible way,” Mattison said. “That would be my hope.”
“Bulldogs Belong” encompasses a series of initiatives aimed at different aspects of the university, according to a news release. Much of the programming is aimed at first- and second-year students, including the revitalization of the university’s First Year Seminar Program and development of a second-year experience through the Office of Student Affairs.
AmeriCorps funding will go to creating a new position to lead a first-generation student mentorship program, and additional support will be provided to the American Talent Initiative to create a success coaching program for first-generation and limited-income students.
The National Coalition Building Institute — an international organization that provides DEI training for various schools, colleges and businesses — will help maintain a group of at least 25 university leaders trained in bias incident response, the release stated, who will offer programming and be available for support when a “bias incident” occurs.
Mental health resources on campus will also be expanded under the program.
The university named Terrance Pendleton the associate provost for campus equity and inclusion after he came into the role on an interim basis in 2023 with the departure of former associate provost Jennifer Harvey. Also an associate professor of mathematics, Pendleton oversees projects focused on “creating a culture of inclusion that sees diversity of identities, backgrounds, and ideas as fundamental to the excellence and success of Drake as an institution,” according to a news release. He will have a three-year term in the role.
Some of the programs he manages are the Unity Roundtable, a student-led governing body that involves student organizations like the Coalition of Black Students, Rainbow Union and Middle East Peace and Prosperity Alliance, campus incident response and the National Coalition Building Institute partnership.
Mattison said the associate provost in the last year has led initiatives that improved supports for students and improved campus climate during an especially challenging time for higher education.
“While our office helps to establish and grow DEIJ initiatives, the reality is that DEIJ work is a collective commitment across our institution. It takes all of us, and together we can make a difference,” Pendleton said in a news release. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with students, faculty, and staff as we work together in growing an inclusive campus climate, where every member of the Drake community experiences a sense of true belonging.”
Mattison said the associate provost position was created around 2017 as part of the university’s push to improve DEI efforts on campus. The role, as well as other programs, were pitched to the Higher Learning Commission in the early 2010s during its 10-year accreditation process as part of a “quality initiative,” where universities can propose ideas that address large challenges with an impact that can be felt across campus.
It was through this initiative that the university also developed a diversity statement and worked to build DEI infrastructure in units throughout the college. The Bulldogs Belong program was the latest proposal as part of this initiative, Mattison said.
DEI efforts reviewed, shuttered by state schools
Public higher education institutions in Iowa have been reviewing and restructuring DEI offices and initiatives at the behest of state lawmakers in past months, from state universities to community colleges.
Directives from the Iowa Board of Regents have required state universities to review all DEI positions and offices and eliminate any “unnecessary” areas, ensure all services are open to all students and explore ways to encourage diversity of thought and perspective. At the board’s April meeting, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa announced they would close down their DEI offices and the University of Iowa would restructure its office to focus on compliance with law and accreditation.
Recommendations from Community Colleges for Iowa included reviewing DEI positions and offices and adjusting them if found to not be necessary for accreditation or compliance with the law, and ensuring that no applicant or employee be required to show proof of their commitment to a certain ideology or political viewpoint. The organization went over law and accreditation standards and developed the recommendations after hearing concerns from state lawmakers.
When asked whether Mattison or others at Drake have concerns about a possible negative reaction from state lawmakers, Mattison said the reasoning why university leaders felt the need to further their efforts was the most important part in deciding whether to do so. It would be a “disservice” to students to not give them the tools to understand different world cultures and thoughts different from their own, she said, and not helping students be successful after graduation would only hurt the university down the line.
“We’re teaching them how to think, and it’s the opposite of telling them what to think,” Mattison said. “It’s giving them the opportunity to see a bigger picture and make their own value judgments, and it’s challenging when our colleagues at state institutions have not been able to fulfill what I know is a priority on every one of those institutions’ campuses.”
Brooklyn Draisey is a Report for America corps member covering higher education for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this story first appeared.