Explore Representation in Higher Education
When going through the UI Presidential Portrait Gallery, it is easy to see that there has been a lack of racial and gender diversity in presidential leadership throughout most of the history of the institution. How do we explain this situation? What types of changes would need to take place to stop perpetuating this imbalance?
Activities:
1) Explore the database ERIC (education articles), by using a variety of search terms that explore this issue. For example:
2) Take a look at one or more of the readings selected below and discuss with your professors, classmates, roommates, family, and friends.
Explore the news from the University of Iowa through The Daily Iowan
http://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/
Dating back to 1868 the Daily Iowan archive provides access to digitized versions of The Daily Iowan and its predecessors: the University Reporter (1868-81), the Vidette (1879-81), the Vidette-Reporter (1881-1901) and the University Mirror (1881). The newspaper editions are full text searchable. New issues are regularly added to the site.
The search is not terribly robust, but you can type a past president's name and look through the dates to see when the articles were written. When you open up a link, use <CTRL> F to open up a way to find terms on the page more easily.
Some ideas to explore:
Picture taken from The Daily Iowan, Tuesday, December 8, 1942
Explore the campus by identifying the legacies
Going about your life around campus, has it occurred to you just how many of the buildings are named after people? The University of Iowa's past presidents are well-represented around our campus footprint in Iowa City. Take a moment to consider the following:
Explore the contemporaneous events in the lives of past presidents
America: History and Life Database
To add context to your understanding of the University's past presidents, it may be helpful to explore some of the contemporaneous events that were shaping the world. Explore past events and follow your curiosity by using the library database called America: History and Life.
Start by following these directions:
Open America: History and Life then click on the CLIO Notes in the top menu bar:
Then select the era that interests you or that corresponds to a particular past president. (Be sure to choose Next at the bottom to get the most recent dates.)
Then pick a topic and explore the events and chronology:
Now, explore anything you want to know more about by searching the database for your own topics of interest.