Student Success

STUDENT SUCCESS at the University of Iowa

At the University of Iowa, we are committed to providing opportunities for ALL students - to get into college, to thrive while on campus, and to be prepared for successful careers in a constantly changing global society. Ensuring all students succeed requires a university-wide approach that recognizes a student’s educational journey does not distinguish between the social, emotional, financial, or intellectual aspects of their experience.

While all colleges and universities change lives, state universities fulfill a very specific role of upholding education as a shared and public good. UI has an admissions rate of 86% and, unlike many institutions, strives to admit all students who meet our core academic requirements while also keeping tuition among the lowest of our Big 10 peers.

Together, with the help of generous donors and partners, we can strengthen the ground conditions for student success in three important ways: Support students’ basic needs Create programs to help first generation students build community and academic self-efficacy Expand opportunities for experiential learning

BASIC NEEDS The Office of the Dean of Students has a long-standing commitment to supporting the health and well-being of all UI students. Providing support for students’ basic needs allows them to concentrate on their studies, build social connections, maintain health, and achieve their academic goals.

BASIC NEEDS PRIORITIES The Food Pantry at Iowa The Food Pantry at Iowa provides a vital service to the UI community by making healthy food and supplies affordable and accessible. Every year, the pantry experiences an increase in the number of users. In order to maintain our commitment and operate at a level that meets needs, we must grow our annual budget from $100k to $180k.

Emergency Fund + $200k-300k annually to students to help During Covid, we distributed roughly cover financial emergencies and catastrophic events that might have + prevented them from continuing their education. The Emergency Fund has dwindled since the height of the pandemic while student needs have continued to grow. The average student request is $700.

For All of the Above: Outright ............................................................................ any amount Endowment ...................................................................... $100,000+

FOOD PANTRY The Food Pantry provides nutritious food and necessities for University of Iowa students, faculty, and staff and works to fight food insecurity through education and advocacy. In 2023, it moved to a more central location in the Iowa Memorial Union. Increased visibility and more flexible hours of operation have made this vital program more accessible.

“I’m so thankful for the Food Pantry at Iowa! I was in a tough financial spot and not having to buy groceries for a few days helped a lot with the stress. They had great healthy food options and a lot of variety, too. The volunteers were all very kind and helpful! Thank you for all that you do for the University of Iowa community!”

LBS DISTRIBUTED PER SCHOOL YEAR

77,835 | 2022-2023 80,476 | 2021-2022 70,901 | 2020-2021

1 IN 3 STUDENTS EXPERIENCE FOOD INSECURITY NATIONWIDE

EMERGENCY FUND The student emergency fund supports University of Iowa students who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency or catastrophic event which would otherwise prevent them from continuing their education at the University of Iowa.

TOP REASONS

FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS HEALTH RELATED CHALLENGES EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES UNEXPECTED EVENTS FAMILY EMERGENCIES HOUSING RELATED ISSUES LACK OF SUPPORT OR COVERAGE

FY23

$221,491 AWARDED

FIRST GEN HAWKS First Gen Hawks (FGH) is a program dedicated to improving the sense of belonging and increasing the retention and graduation rates of first-generation college students at the University of Iowa. FGH students participate in experiential learning courses and receive hands-on academic coaching and peer mentoring to facilitate their academic and social adjustment to college.

FIRST GEN HAWKS PRIORITIES First Gen Hawks Program Fund One in five students at Iowa are first generation. We must grow the number of students we serve annually from 150 to 300 students per cohort and expand FGH programming to both freshmen and sophomores. Total annual cost for programming for these two cohorts with 600 students total is $1 million. Gifts to support the FGH Program Fund can be directed as follows:

+ Outright ............................................................................ any amount Endowment ...................................................................... $250,000+ +

First Gen Hawk Scholarships Financial barriers are often experienced by first-generation students – and FGH scholarships can help cover unmet financial need during their four years on campus. With the reduced stress of financing college, students can dedicate more time and energy to the experiential learning components of the program while they pursue their degrees and work toward graduation.

Endowment ...................................................................... $250,000+ .

FIRST GEN HAWKS Outcomes First-year students who participated in the FGH program were substantially more likely to continue their education into the second year at Iowa. Participants also reported higher GPAs and greater Dean’s List participation as compared to peer groups.

First Gen Comparison All First Hawks Group* Years Retained from Fall ‘21 - ‘22

90%

80%

89%

* FGH Comparison group consists of all first-generation students who are not in a support program

“As a First Gen Hawk, I am creating a legacy for my family and breaking the barriers brought before us.”

First Gen Hawk student participant

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING The University of Iowa is committed to providing every student with transformative educational experiences through connections with worldclass scholars and opportunities for learning both in and out of the classroom. Scholarships and awards reduce barriers to participation.

Philanthropy can help change the scale and scope of impact.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PRIORITIES Earn, Learn, Grow® Scholarships The Division of Student Life is the largest student employer on campus.

Through its mentored campus employment program, Earn, Learn, Grow®, it aims to provide jobs and scholarships of $1,000 - $4,000 to students who participate.

Sport & Rec Management Scholarships & Experiential Learning Awards UISRM awards $30k annually in need-based financial aid to 25-30 of its 600 students. It also provides awards to help fund field trips and experiential learning courses that prepare students for industry. These experiences include fees that range from $150 to $2,500 per student to cover travel, housing, and programming expenses.

+

School of Journalism & Mass Communication + to offer unique courses that are SJMC leverages its faculty and alumni network taught on campus and complimented by off-campus experiences with industry partners like the NHL. SJMC also provides need-based and merit awards to support internships and study abroad. These student experiences are funded by private philanthropy.

For All of the Above: Outright ............................................................................ any amount Endowment ...................................................................... $100,000+ .

EARN, LEARN, G.R.O.W.® The Earn, Learn, GROW® (Guided Reflection on Work) program pairs on-campus employment opportunities within the Division of Student Life with supervisor-mentors who help students connect the skills and knowledge they are gaining in the classroom with the work they are doing, and vice versa. In addition to job earnings, the program aims to provide a scholarship to participating students.

Employment during college helps contribute to student success when meaningful connections between learning in the classroom and learning on the job are made evident.

SPORT & REC MANAGEMENT The University of Iowa Sport and Recreation Management program (UISRM) has become one of the largest in the country with 500+ undergraduate majors and 50+ master's students. It is a leader in providing students varied experiential learning offerings and requiring substantial experiential credit hours to graduate. UISRM’s focus on practical experience and industry connections helps support its 92% post-graduation job placement/grad school rate.

“I have a lot more knowledge of what I want to do and what I don’t want. It gives me an edge.

Because of opportunities like these, things that I could have never seen myself doing are now things that I’m thinking about.”

Giana Spilotro, participant in the UISRM experiential learning course with NASCAR Chicago Street Race

STUDENT FOCUSED. INSDUSTRY CENTERED.

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM The School of Journalism and Mass Communication believes that the best journalism and media education is deeply rooted in the liberal arts. Such an education teaches students to think critically and holistically and is dedicated to the craft of writing. As we embrace all forms of writing moving online, our goal is to become known as the pre-eminent multimedia storytelling school in the Midwest.

ADAM KEMPENAAR

A PIONEER IN SPORTS AND FILM PODCASTING HOLDS A JOINT FACULTY APPOINTMENT WITH SRM AND SJMC AND IS INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF DIGITAL CREATORS.

Angela Greenwald Assistant Vice President Main Campus Development

Office: 319-467-3376 Cell: 919-358-5162

Angela.Greenwald@foriowa.org

One West Park Road Iowa City, IA 52242

FORIOWA.ORG