Dear CLAS community,

I am delighted to share with you the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Annual Report.

As you will see in the report, outstanding work is under way, and on the horizon, throughout our departments, units, classrooms, studios, and labs, where we endeavor to:

Recruit, support, and retain faculty, staff, and students of color,
Create, implement, and sustain policies and practices that advance equity for all,
Empower every individual in our college to feel included in collegiate decision-making and community-building

Developing the Leader Within You

If cultivating leadership abilities is on your list of resolutions for 2022, Professor Jennifer Nahrgang from UI’s Tippie College of Business suggests a resource that may surprise you. Rather than building those skills in a classroom or from a management text, she proposes that the best teacher may be your own experiences.

“Think about a key event that occurred in your working career,” she encourages. “One that was a really strong learning and development opportunity for you.”

Do you want to polish your leadership skills? CLAS Staff Council is a great way to do just that. Nominations open February 2, and elections are in March.

The Staff Council for College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at The University of Iowa is here for you! We are launching our Facebook page in 2022 as a new way for UI CLAS Staff to connect with us and each other.
Please like, follow, and share our page with fellow staff--and ENTER TO WIN top-notch CLAS gear to help show your staff spirit. Enter to win by Feb. 9, 2022:
https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8tOyIgQmjjuhBnU

In the liveWELL Winter 2022 Newsletter, we explore setting expectations and boundaries for work-life configurations with UI Assistant Professor, Dr. Beth Livingston and provide science based tips for creating healthy habits in the new year. We also feature more information about upcoming well-being programs including our next offerings of the Diabetes Prevention Program, 10-Week Weight Management Program, and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program.

The University of Iowa will celebrate its 175th anniversary in 2022, with special events and activities planned throughout the academic year, including special exhibits at UI Libraries and Pentacrest Museums.

The “Celebration of Excellence and Achievement among Women”, the University’s annual tribute to the accomplishments of all women at UI, recognizes outstanding scholarship, research, service, leadership and activism among undergraduate, graduate, staff and faculty women.

To all our December graduates, congratulations on your accomplishments, and all our students, you have made it! Finish strong this week, and we look forward to your return to campus. As we prepare for the winter break, our work across the university continues preparing for a busy Spring semester.

UI Learning & Development is pleased to offer a number of professional development awards for spring 2022 for-fee workshops. All UI staff members in a regular appointment, 50% time or greater, are eligible to take part in this special opportunity. The spaces available for no-cost attendance will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Dear Regent university community:
There has been a lot of attention regarding President Biden’s Executive Order 14042 on Ensuring Adequate Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors and what it means for the university.
Governor Reynolds recently signed into law HF902, which establishes additional statutory requirements for employee COVID-19 vaccination waivers in the State of Iowa.
During its meeting on Nov. 4, the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, authorized me to direct the Regent institutions to take actions I deem necessary to comply with the requirements of Federal Executive Order 14042. The Board of Regents also approved a new policy that adopts the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s broad definition of religion for the purposes of a request for accommodation or exemption from any COVID-19 employment vaccination or face-covering requirement.
The Office of the Board of Regents, in consultation with the Regent institutions, is evaluating and preparing for the impact of each of these actions.

International Programs is proud to announce the Grand Opening Celebration of the University of Iowa Passport Office, Wednesday, November 17, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. in 1111 University Capitol Centre.

Open to the public, festivities will include remarks from Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs, a ribbon-cutting, free UI luggage tags, light refreshments, and a visit from Herky, who will be applying for a passport and posing for selfies.