Intro to Demands
The university must do more to not only get people of color on campus, but ensure that
they graduate at the same rate as their white counterparts. In order to create a more
equitable campus we need the university to actively work on the following initiatives.
Police Department Multicultural Liaison Officer:
The Iowa State Police Department assigned the title of Multicultural Liaison Officer to
three police officers on November 19, in accordance with our recommendation. Since
then, the officers have not defined their roles. While we continue to work with the Police
Department, we feel that in order for this initiative to be fulfilled, the Multicultural Liaison
Officers must have a defined role and a working, solid, relationship with students of color
on this campus and in the Ames community.
Mandatory Diversity Course:
While Iowa State currently enforces both an international and US diversity requirement
for degree completion, we find that this is not sufficient to address racism on this
campus. These approved courses often neglect intersectionality and are not uniformly
assessed, meaning some people could pass a course by correctly guessing on multiple
choice exams rather than engaging in meaningful dialogue. This course will educate
students on the history of racism, sexism, and homophobia in the United States and on
the structures of privilege that continue to perpetuate such systems today. Once this
literacy is established, students will be asked how they can challenge oppressive
systems in order to make the campus and the country more inclusive for marginalized
groups.
Diverse Faculty and Staff:
There are very few people of color in higher administration. We demand a concerted
effort to bring diverse talent to this university and across colleges. And that spaces for
those individuals to honor their identities and feel safe in their positions.
Concerning Financial Assistance for Minoritized Students
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs is meant to advocate for and support
minoritized students on campus. We all benefit from their social and academic initiatives
but many of us need financial support too. The university should actively support
students by promoting scholarships that would reduce the financial burden on students.
Genuine and Increased Visibility
Greater visibility means seeing genuine representation of ourselves amongst the Iowa
State community. We demand greater representation amongst university administration,
faculty, alumni, and students. We demand genuine representation in advertising for ISU
such as
i Family Weekend involvement with a $500 travel credit
ii Flags of other countries in our free speech zone
iii Event(s) that serve to introduce students to diversity (MLOs and MSA)
v Diverse (people of color) faculty and staff
Larger Multicultural Center (orig. Latino Cultural Center)
As the number of students of color enrolled at Iowa State increases, there an increasing
need for resources and safe spaces. We demand the creation of larger Multicultural
Center on ISU’s central campus. This will be a place where students of color feel
comfortable expressing themselves or their culture. Neither El Centro nor the Current
Multicultural center do enough to empower the current student population, and the
recent proposals to extend those spaces are not sufficient to fulfill the needs of
students.