Meeting the Needs of Our Students

Students are our lifeblood. They come to us from all over the state, country, and world, and they need support in different ways, whether it be in the classroom or in their daily lives. That’s why at IUP, we use student centeredness as our North Star: it guides us in everything we do, because their success is our success.

But we aren’t student centered if we don’t create an environment in which everyone feels welcomed, safe, and cared for. When we look at our future, we see a place where all potential students––regardless of sex, race, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, pronoun choice, military status, or any other identifying trait––know their needs will be met and they will be supported throughout their academic journey.

We’ve been working on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for a while now, and we will continue to do so in the future. This is a journey toward equality, not a destination at which we will arrive. Through programming and support services, as well as inclusive initiatives such as the rainbow sidewalk, we will continue to make IUP a place where our differences are not what separate us, but instead what bring us together.

In the IUP of the future, our students will know that in some areas, help will find them before they seek it. To be truly student centered, we must find ways to be proactive so our students can succeed without falling behind. While most universities have some form of student help office, we’re working to redesign our infrastructure to support student success as a unique part of the IUP experience that every student has access to. It’s another way in which IUP puts its students and their needs center stage.

INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS: A Proactive Approach

Rather than wait until a student asks for help to flourish, we envision a student success infrastructure that will proactively support every student. We picture a system in which faculty members, who know the students best, can connect them with helpful resources at the first sign of struggles, whether it be in the classroom or with any stressors they may have during their IUP journey. Trained and qualified staff members will help the students at the first cause for concern so they don’t fall behind and risk losing progress toward graduation.

RAINBOW SIDEWALK: A Journey of Inclusion

Completed in the summer of 2022, IUP’s rainbow sidewalk is a visible symbol of our commitment to making everyone feel welcome on campus. It was suggested by students from the LGBTQIA+ community who said the campus needed more artwork to represent all genders and identities and to provide a sense of belonging and home. It’s the design of Tedd Cogar, senior assessment coordinator and LGBTQIA Support, based on the Philadelphia Pride flag and the Progressive Pride flag, along with components of others. He said the colors “represent the diversity of our IUP family, where everyone has a place.”