Iowa State University adding chief diversity officer

IOWA CITY - Iowa State University, among other equity-geared initiatives, is hiring a chief diversity officer based on concerns and recommendations identified through its most comprehensive diversity audit ever.

ISU President Steven Leath reported on efforts to find a chief diversity officer during last week's Board of Regents meeting. Leath told the board that Iowa State is acting on a variety of diversity-related suggestions after a consulting firm last year took stock of existing programs and initiatives and proposed ways to improve.

When Leath announced the study in March 2013, he said Iowa State is more diverse than ever but has the responsibility to 'build upon past successes and ensure that we strive every day to create an environment that is as welcoming as possible to all people - regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.”

Jerlando Jackson, founder of The Jackson Consulting Firm based in Madison, Wis., led the inventory and audit of the ISU campus and identified a list of 'good practices” and recommendations.

The firm praised Iowa State for having a 'robust and effective” institutional infrastructure in place for attracting diverse students and employees, creating a supportive climate for diversity, and forming 'transformational” employee groups based on affinity characteristics.

Recommendations included providing incentives for colleges and departments to increase student and staff diversity, like offering resources for targeted hires, promoting diversity-related awards, and using visiting scholars and administrators to expose diverse candidates to Iowa State.

The firm also advised conducting an institutional-wide policy review to hone the university's commitment to diversity, focusing equally on retention and promotion of diverse groups, and working with the larger community to assess and meet the social needs of divers groups on campus.

Jackson suggested investing in a chief diversity officer, making sure the central administration reflects the diversity expected on campus, and including the voice of diverse groups in future hires of senior administration.

Iowa State in fall 2013 reported 44 percent of its total enrolled students were women, and more than one in five students identified either as a minority or international student - 22.5 percent, according to the Office of the Registrar. U.S. minority enrollment alone accounted for 11 percent of total ISU enrollment last year, and the university reports its minority enrollment has met or exceeded the Board of Regents' goal of 8.5 percent for seven consecutive years.

According to the audit's findings, Iowa State added about 100 minority employees from 2003 to 2013, increasing the percent of its total workforce from 11.1 percent to 12.5 percent. It's percentage of female employees has grown from 48.8 percent in 2003 to 50.2 percent in 2013, according to the report.

A separate recent study looking at the 'status of women at Iowa State University” found that the proportion of women faculty at all levels of the tenure track has grown from 25.9 percent to 31.2 percent since 2002. And women now hold six of nine university dean positions.

But, according to the study, women comprise only 43.4 percent of undergraduates at ISU - well below the national average of 57 percent. And the university has no modified duty policy for the arrival of a child or care of elderly dependents, the study reported.