Raise awareness of resources for sexual-assault victims

The University of Iowa administration deserves credit for the work it has done to provide services for victims of sexual assaults and to take action against the high rates of sexual assault currently present at the UI.  Sexual-assault services on campus include the Office of Sexual Misconduct and the Hawk Alert system. However, students are not adequately being made aware of the resources available to them on campus. It is imperative that this changes immediately; victims of sexual assault have the right to easily accessible information regarding where they can seek help if they choose to do so. Victims have been through enough; they should not have to tell their story over and over again while trying to reach the appropriate office that fits their specific needs.

As first-year students, we were completely unaware of the services the university provides to victims of sexual assault. Even after being on campus for almost an entire year, we only know about these services because we actively sought out information about the different programs the university provides. After talking to hundreds of students about this issue, we quickly discovered we were not alone; an overwhelming majority of students we talked to did not know about these resources. This week, we will present President Bruce Harreld with signatures from roughly 200 UI students who all urge the university to publicize sexual-assault services.

The petition we will turn in reads: We, the undersigned students, demand more access to sexual health services for Hawkeyes of all ages. Students are not readily being provided with information about the resources available to them if they or a friend need counseling or medical services because of sexual violence and health. For the benefit of student health and wellness, these resources must be easily accessible to all who attend the UI. We demand that the campus administration immediately increase both awareness of and actual access to comprehensive sexual-health services to students.

We look forward to working with Harreld and the rest of the UI administration on this issue.

Logina Mostafa and Alexandria Yakes

Strengthen the heart of the university

Every past president of the UI has deemed the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to be the “heart” of our institution. So did the Legislature that established the university, defining its mission by statute as providing a “liberal education and thorough knowledge of the different branches of literature and the arts and sciences, with their varied applications.” At a minimum, the statute requires that “[The University of Iowa] shall include colleges of liberal arts, law, medicine.”

From the university’s beginning to the present, the vast majority of our incoming undergraduates have concentrated their studies in liberal-arts departments and programs. Most of the undergraduates in other colleges also take courses in the liberal-arts school.

As a member of the American Association of Universities (an organization of the 62 leading private and public research universities of the United States and Canada), the UI prides itself on the ability of its students to profit from the teaching and mentorship of research-active tenured and tenure-track faculty. The opportunity to gain firsthand research and artistic experience from leading experts represents the true “added value” of a UI degree; indeed, 25 percent of our undergraduates currently engage in faculty-mentored research.

Unfortunately, over the past 20 years, dwindling state financial support has caused the liberal-arts college to decrease by 70 the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty at the same time that undergraduate enrollments have soared by nearly 5,500 students. To help contend with these conflicting trends, liberal arts has had to hire increasing numbers of adjunct and temporary faculty.

These individuals provide excellent classroom instruction, but they are not in a position to provide the research and artistic experience that is necessary for many of our students to succeed in their post-baccalaureate training and careers.

It is thus essential for the success of our students that our new strategic plan include hiring more research-active tenured and tenure-track faculty in the liberal-arts college.

Ed Wasserman (Psychological and Brain Science), Katherine Tachau (History), Frank Durham (Journalism & Mass Communication), members of the Faculty Council.

Nielsen for Iowa House

I support Amy Nielsen for the Iowa House in District 77.  Amy will be a true champion in restoring “Education as a Foundation” as a true Iowa value, and Amy will work collaboratively with all levels of government in working toward commonsense solutions.

Amy has been involved in education in many grass-roots ways.  She started the first (and largest) Walking School Bus in Johnson County in 2012.  Amy also is currently active on the Iowa City School District Community Education District-wide Advisory Council and is head of the School District Equity Advisory Committee.  The bottom line is Amy understands education and the challenges we face.  She will be a great advocate for education in Des Moines.

As the mayor of North Liberty, Amy has demonstrated the ability to work collaboratively with all levels of government.  With her understanding of local government, Amy will serve Johnson County well by seeking input from residents to ensure our voices are heard in Des Moines.  This collaborative approach will deliver commonsense solutions.

Please join me in supporting Amy Nielsen for Iowa House.

Chris Lynch