University Nondiscrimination Statement
The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact the Senior Director, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, daod-ocrc@uiowa.edu.
CSD Commitment
The faculty, students and staff at The University of Iowa, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders are committed to fostering and promoting a welcoming and respectful work, academic, and/or clinical environment where people from all backgrounds and perspectives feel welcomed and appreciated. We work to engage in cultural responsivity in areas of research, teaching, and clinical practice by valuing what is unique in each encounter regardless of ability, age, marital or familial status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, national origin, or socioeconomic status. We commit to this journey by continuing to learn, listen, discuss, and make changes to increase and support all communities in our professions.
In our process of learning, we work to create opportunities and support structures for people with minoritized identities, economic disadvantages, and health care disparities.
Faculty Efforts
Towards our efforts to foster and promote a welcoming and respectful work, academic, and/or clinical environment, the faculty gathered data from anonymous surveys from former students to understand their experiences while here. These responses and other discussions within the faculty Belonging and Inclusion Committee, have resulted in the tangible changes. Below are a few of our efforts.
- Further preparation of student clinics towards the needs of clients who are non-English or multi-language speakers with our a unique certificate program to provide specific multilingual and multicutural academic and clinical training
- Utilize our Spanish conversational group to facilitate student access to a culturally and linguistically diverse client population in our clinic.
- To promote diversity and inclusion within our research labs, our faculty members in CSD and Psychological and Brain Sciences collaborated with the DeLTA Center to establish the Discover, Engage, Inspire (DEI) program and Iowa Bilingualism Hub, which provides undergraduate students with underrepresented backgrounds competitive wages to participate in research.
- Promote transparent and accessible teaching methodologies, including culturally responsive practices across the curriculum
- Further the promotion of first-generation students, providing access from all backgrounds and opportunities (the University website has some nice words about this)
- Be purposeful in discussion with Student Disability Services the best ways to accommodate our graduate students in the clinic
Encourage student body diversity with the establishment of holistic and transparent evaluation of graduate applicants
Students and faculty strive to collaborate in achieving these goals. We realize that fostering a welcoming and respectful work, academic and clinical environment will require sustained effort, and we are committed to working together.
Student Efforts
We wish to highlight our department’s outstanding student body, who are recognized as leaders in the College in promoting Belonging and Inclusion.
- In 2020, our students independently formed a weekly, virtual anti-racism meeting. This student-led and faculty attended meeting includes presentations, discussions, suggested readings, and specific advocacy actions.
- In 2021, our undergraduates obtained funding to start the TOGETHER (Targeting Our Goals for Equitable Treatment in Healthcare, Education and Research) Series. This talk series’ mission was to address the need for culturally responsive care in health professions and research to better provide care for underserved and marginalized populations. The virtual series accomplished this by creating a platform for diverse interdisciplinary speakers to present on topics relevant to addressing inequities in health. These presentations were conducted live to facilitate discussion and are archived to create free resources for future students, staff, and faculty.
- In 2022, the University of Iowa Chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association created two DEI Student Liaison positions to lead initiatives and coordinate student−faculty efforts.
- A NSSLHA DEI student liaison meets with the faculty DEI committee regularly.
Additional Resources
The CSD department has a Belonging and Inclusion Committee who are available to support students. Please reach out to us:
Philip Combiths: philip-combiths@uiowa.edu
Stephanie Fleckenstein: stephanie-fleckenstein@uiowa.edu
Louise Pinkerton: louise-pinkerton@uiowa.edu
Note, the offices, programs and organizations below are offered just for convenience and do not indicate specific affiliation to Iowa CSD.
Student and Alumni Organizations
- African American Council (AAC)
- Association of Latinos Moving Ahead (ALMA)
- Association of Multicultural Scientists (AMS)
- Black Graduate and Professional Students Association (BGAPS)
- Graduate Women in Science (GWIS)
- Latino and Native American Alumni Alliance
- University of Iowa Muslim Student Association
- Women in Science and Engineering
Student Centers
- African-American Cultural Center (Afro House)
- Asian-Pacific American Cultural Center
- Latino Native American Cultural Center
- Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC)
Campus Offices and Programs
- Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity
- Council on Disability Awareness
- Hawkeye Accessibility Ambassador Program
- International Student and Scholar Services
- Multicultural and International Student Support and Engagement (MISSE)
- Student Disability Services (SDS)
- UI First-Generation Task Force
Research Training Opportunities and Scholarships
- Iowa Sciences Academy (ISA)
- Lulu Merle Johnson Recruitment Fellowship Program
- Office of Undergraduate Research
- Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
- UI Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP)
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
- All ASHA Multicultural Constituency Groups
- ASHA Multicultural Affairs and Resources
- Asian Pacific Islander Speech-Language-Hearing Caucus
- Haitian Caucus
- Hispanic Caucus
- National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing
- Native American Caucus
- South Asian Caucus
- STEP Mentoring Program
UI Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
The University of Iowa is located on the homelands of the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe (Chippewa), Báxoǰe (Iowa), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Omāēqnomenēwak (Menominee), Myaamiaki (Miami), Nutachi (Missouri), Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Wahzhazhe (Osage), Jiwere (Otoe), Odawaa (Ottawa), Póⁿka (Ponca), Bodéwadmi/Neshnabé (Potawatomi), Meskwaki/Nemahahaki/Sakiwaki (Sac and Fox), Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda, Sahnish/Nuxbaaga/Nuweta (Three Affiliated Tribes) and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Nations. Tribal nations, Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa), Póⁿka (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), Meskwaki (Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa), and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) continue to thrive in the State of Iowa, and we continue to acknowledge them.