NCORE-ISCORE Project

Team Leaders smiling at the camera while sitting at a conference table

The NCORE-ISCORE Project was created to support Iowa State University’s diversity efforts. The project provides an opportunity for ISU students, staff, and faculty to engage in positive interactions and dialogue and includes participating in two conferences: NCORE—a national conference geared towards building multicultural relations and ISCORE—ISU’s local initiative designed to provide an ongoing platform of sharing and applying new knowledge through presentations and workshops.

Each year, Iowa State University supports an interdisciplinary delegation of students and professionals from across colleges and divisions in attending the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). Students and professionals bring new knowledge gained both personally and professionally from their NCORE experience back to the campus community.

NCORE Scholars: Students are selected as NCORE scholars and attend pre-departure meetings in the spring. They attend NCORE in May. In the fall, the students complete research projects in U ST 321. In spring they use their research to plan and present at ISCORE.

Project Team Leaders: Team leaders work directly with students before, during and after NCORE and assist in their research and presentation at ISCORE the following spring.

NCORE-ISCORE Student Ambassadors: Student alumni of the NCORE-ISCORE Project can continue to be active in the mission by working for the NCORE-ISCORE Office as peer educators, using their experience to create change on campus, and being spokespeople for the project.

The NCORE-ISCORE Professional Development Academy is a professional and personal development program designed to strengthen dialogic skills and allow participants to engage in productive interpersonal conversations related to equity, diversity, and inclusion on campus – with a focus on race and ethnicity. Faculty and staff who are attending NCORE for their 1st or 2nd time may apply for the academy. This 20-person academy includes a series of small-group dialogue sessions prior to, during and following the NCORE Conference.

NCORE-ISCORE Professional Development Network is for faculty and staff who have attended NCORE in the past or for those who will not be participating in the academy. Network members will have the opportunity to choose a learning partner or be paired with a learning partner to reflect upon NCORE-ISCORE and create a personal development action plan related to NCORE-ISCORE ideals.