CDE Newsletter

Student Leadership Workshop "Creating The UNSTOPPABLE Leader: That Is You!"

Plan to attend an interactive leadership workshop featuring Steve Birdine
C.E.O. of Affirmations In Action Diversity Educator, Motivator & Risk Taker.  The focus of the workshop will be on personal and professional empowerment.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  

Due to the increased interest from a variety of UI students and student organizations to participate in this leadership workshop, the location has been changed to the 2^nd Floor Ballroom, IMU. 

This event is open to all students.  No registration is necessary.  Refreshments will be served.

Steve Birdine is One of America’s 100 + Most Influential African-Americans [Ebony Magazine (2002-2005)] and for four years has served as the National President (Grand Polaris) of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

For More Information Contact :
Valerie Garr
College of Nursing Diversity Office
valerie-garr@uiowa.edu
319-335-7715

Students Attend TRiO Student Leadership Conference

During the last weekend of October, three University of Iowa TRiO students (two sophomores and one junior) attended the Mid America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP) TRiO Adult Student Leadership Conference in St. Charles, Illinois.  The conference provided many informative and educational sessions on achieving success and experiencing rewarding experiences in higher education.

Interactive sessions and workshops allowed students to get to meet students from other midwestern colleges and universities and to network on upcoming opportunities and common interests.  One of the Iowa students attending the conference was given an internship opportunity for this upcoming summer to do research at a medical college in Wisconsin. She will be advancing her educational experience through this research and work that is directly related to her studies at Iowa. She was thrilled as a pre-med student to learn that through such conferences she was able to demonstrate initiative to become involved and make things happen for herself. 

Thanks to TRiO and MAEOPP, students are given a chance to excel and continue making progress through programs that work.  This conference has been an annual event, and New Dimensions in Learning has always taken students to the meeting.  Stay in touch with your Center for Diversity & Enrichment multicultural coordinator to learn about opportunities as they happen.

Become a Part of Hawkeye Hometown Visits

Greetings, CDE/TRIO Students!

Fall weather is upon us, and you may be feeling the semester quickly moving forward as you are keeping busy with classes and all that student life brings your way.

Soon the holiday season will be here with the excitement of going home to join your family and friends for the Thanksgiving break and then later for the winter's semester break.

What do you do when you are home for the holidays?  Consider this:  a visit to your high school to meet with counselors and prospective students to share your personal IOWA experiences!  This activity is known as the Hawkeye Hometown Visits program and, yes, it is a hit with students.

This program is funded and organized by the Office of Admissions and invites current Iowa students to return to their high schools over winter break to talk about student life at the University of Iowa. Interested students submit an online application with their winter break availability, and the Office of Admissions does the rest.  They arrange the visit and provide the materials.

Please pass along this chance to share your Hawkeye experience.  If you or your friends are interested in participating, stop by to learn more during one of these programs:

Tuesday, November 4, or Wednesday, November 5, between 2 and 4 p.m. at the Admissions Visitors Center, Conference Room C130 Pomerantz Center.

The application deadline is November 10

Thanks.  Take care, 

Carolyn Barrientes

Informational Sessions - Opportunities in Education - Spring Course

There is still space left!

Two informational session regarding enrollment in Opportunities in Education class will be held  November 7, 2008, and November 13, 2008, in 24 Phillips Hall from noon - 1 p.m. Lunch will be served.  You must RSVP by October 31, 2008, to cde@uiowa.edu .  Seating is limited to 15 students.  If you are interested in teaching, this is an excellent class to find out more about teaching.

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with others in the teaching profession through Opportunities in Education. This course combines practical information with active learning experiences.

Among the many benefits, students will receive mentoring from Teacher Education Program faculty, participate in panel discussions, prepare for the Praxis exam, learn how to apply to the Teacher Education Program, and explore the many opportunities available for diverse students in the teaching profession.

To obtain course approval, please contact Dr. Greg Hamot at (319) 335-5382.

"DON'T GET BUSTED"--Presentation by Student Legal Services on October 15

Student Legal Services to Offer Information on Criminal Laws at Free Presentation

Greg Bal, supervising attorney for University of Iowa Student Legal Services, will offer a free presentation, "Don't Get Busted," at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 15, in Macbride Hall.

Bal will provide information on the criminal laws in Iowa and Iowa City, as well as a person’s constitutional rights and how to assert them during an encounter with the police.

Friday After Class

Friday, October 17
Speaker: Mercedes Bern-Klug, PhD, MSW, MA, School of Social Work
3:45 - 5:00 PM
Wild Bill's Coffee Shop, North Hall

Students, please come and spend time with the FAC group at Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop.  You’ll have the chance to ask the professors whatever questions you’d like. We’re confident you will come from the event with some comment(s) that will resonate with you for some time.

Some bonus benefits to students from connections made in earlier FAC presentations have included employment, a part in a play, and some real encouragement and inspiration. Come participate and find out what yours may be!

Going Green Career Center Road Trip

Are you passionate about the environment and "going green"? Considering a career that will help the earth? Learn more about careers and organizations' environmental efforts from these three great employers: Pella Corporation, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Office of Energy Independence, as well as the Center for Sustainable Communities.

Sign up online by visiting www.careers.uiowa.edu and click on "Consider Iowa Road Trip" under Announcements.

Pre-Trip Information Session:  All attendees are required to attend the information session Monday, November 3, at noon or Tuesday, November 4, at 5 PM.  Both will be held in C310 Pomerantz Center.  You will learn about professional dress requirements, researching the companies, questions to ask of employers, as well as a review of the itinerary for the day.

Sponsored by Consider Iowa and Pomerantz Career Center.

AL RITMO . . . EVERYONE WELCOME

Latino Heritage Month Celebration

Live Band:  Quinto Son (Latin, Jazz, and Folk Music)

Fee salsa lessons, UI step show, raffle

When:  Sunday, October 12, 2008
Time:  4 to 7 p.m.
Where:  Hubbard Park

Sponsors:  Center for Diversity & Enrichment, UI Student Government, Advanced O & P Solutions, Best Buy

Hosted by:  Sigma Lambda Beta and ALMA (Association of Latinos Moving Ahead)

Unique Summer Job Experience Available

Be an Orientation 2009 Staff Member

Orientation Services is looking for friendly, responsible, and self-motivated students to introduce new students and parents to The University of Iowa. 

As an Orientation Student Advisor or Parent Program Assistant, you will…

• help new students make a successful transition to Iowa; 
• work collaboratively with your peers, the Orientation staff, and other related offices; 
• develop valuable communication, presentation, and professional skills to enhance your resume 

Elective credit is available for training sessions held during the spring semester. Programs will take place in late spring, summer, and the following academic year. Salary is $3,200 and free housing is available during the summer programs with additional duties assigned. 

Applications will be available at Orientation Services, 116 Calvin Hall; Center for Diversity and Enrichment, 24 Phillips Hall; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center; the Afro-American Cultural Center; the Latino Native American Cultural Center; the Asian Pacific American Cultural Center; the Campus Information Center in the University Capital Center; and all residence hall front desks. Applications (which include a typed personal statement) are due by 4 p.m. on Monday, November 3, in Orientation Services, 116 Calvin Hall. For more information, call 335-1497.

Decoding the Discipline: GeoScience

Think about this:  Digging in the dirt or playing with rocks with the sky above you as the ceiling might be something you would do in a career in GeoScience.  Come explore the unknown, discover the new, and imagine the possibilities.  All open majors, students rethinking their majors, and inquisitive students are especially welcome.

Join us on Wednesday, October 29, from 4-5:15 PM in room 125 Trowbridge Hall. Here's an opportunity to meet two professors passionate about their discipline, GeoScience. Professors Jane Gilotti and Bill C. McClelland will make you feel excited and intrigued about GeoScience and how you may be a good fit for this area of study. What's more, they describe GeoScience as a discipline where there are many jobs, the pay is high, and a place you can really be part of a team.

If this sounds appealing to you, send your RSVP to ndil@uiowa.edu.

Diversity Dialogue Circles Being Offered

Our country is becoming more diverse everyday and the ability to understand differing points of view is becoming a cultural and social necessity. Participating in a Diversity Dialogue Circle will help participants become well-rounded individuals with ability to discuss sensitive topics with intelligence and understanding.

Diversity Dialogue Circles offer participants a safe environment to dialogue about diversity (race, sexuality, religion). The circles provide an opportunity to participate in a discussion in which participants seek mutual understanding, rather than trying to convince each other, come to agreement or reach a solution. There are few spaces in our society where we have the chance to dialogue about controversial issues and Diversity Dialogue Circles offer a rare space to do so.

I have had the opportunity to train several dynamic diversity dialogue leaders this semester. However, we need participants. Circles meet once a week for an hour for six weeks. Circles are open to all community members.

Diversity Dialogue Circles Available:
October 14 through November 18
October 15 through November 19
October 16 through November 20

If you have any questions please contact: Christy Clark University of Iowa Women’s Resource and Action Center christy-clark@uiowa.edu (319) 331-0838

Mexican Papel Picado and Paper Flower Workshop

Tuesday, October 7
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC)
308 Melrose Avenue

Two artists will conduct a workshop for University of Iowa students.  Senora Herminia Albarran Romero, a National Endowment for the Arts recipient, noted altarista, and renowned for her traditional manner of making papel picado, will be one of the leaders.  The other is Patricia Rodriguez, a respected Latina artist, who organized and supervised the Mujeres Muralistas during the 1970s in the San Francisco area.

Ms. Rodriguez is one of the California artists that were at the forefront of the Latino art movement in the mid-twentieth century. Ms. Rodriguez is currently in charge of the gallery at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco. The visit by the two artists will coincide with the celebration of the Dia De Los Muertos exhibit in the main exhibit area of the Main Library at The University of Iowa campus.

The two artists will show traditional folk arts of papel picado, making paper flowers by hand. The art of creating papel picado with scissors and making paper flowers by hand are traditional Mexican arts that are being lost. Generations of Mexicans were taught these arts, which were handed down in families. With the advent of technology and stencils, the traditional method of creating papel picado with scissors has largely been forgotten. However, with the growing Latino population and the resulting interest in Dia de los Muertos, teaching these skills to students will help revive the cultural traditions of many Latinos.

For more information contact Gabriela Rivera.

The Tenth Annual Strengthening and Valuing Latino/a Communities in Iowa Conference

The Tenth Annual Strengthening and Valuing Latino/a Communities in Iowa conference will take place on Saturday, October 11, at Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference is coordinated by a statewide volunteer planning committee and The University of Iowa School of Social Work. It is made possible through the generous support of numerous sponsors and many other local and state organizations.

A preconference Professional Development Training Institute, geared primarily to professionals in education, social services, community development and advocacy, is held on Friday, October 10. The Youth Summit, also held on Friday, features workshops and cultural programs designed for junior and senior high school students.

The Strengthening and Valuing Latino/a Communities in Iowa conference is an opportunity to explore the changing demographics and dynamics of Latina/o communities in Iowa, as well as the responsiveness of policy makers, business leaders, and community-based organizations to the fastest growing population in Iowa. The conference has grown to be a cherished gathering of Latinos and non-Latinos, a place to emphasize culture as a strength, and provide networking opportunities for Latino/a leaders who live and work in Iowa.

For additional information and registration, please contact the University of Iowa School of Social Work at 319-335-1273 (voice mail) or via email at latino-conference@uiowa.edu; or you can visit the website http://www.uiowa.edu/~socialwk/LatinoConference2008.html.