The Hawkeye Life Program

Providing Student-Athletes with a Game Plan for Life

At the University of Iowa, we are committed to providing student-athletes with tools for success in the classroom, but we also are dedicated to preparing them for their paths in life. One way to help our student-athletes develop and grow, personally and professionally, is through the Hawkeye Life Program.

The Hawkeye Life Program is an all-encompassing life skills student development model that enhances the student-athlete experience and helps today's Hawkeyes engage in the world around them. The program has six pillars:

Academic success
Mid-American Energy Community Engagement
Diversity and inclusion
Health and well-being
Leadership
Career development

We need support from individuals like you to continue to provide robust experiences for our student-athletes. With your guidance and vision, Iowa's student-athletes will find success in competition, in the classroom, and in their future careers.

To help our student-athletes receive a world-class experience, we need additional support. Your philanthropy will help us continue to provide the level of support and service our Hawkeyes require. Below are some funding ideas for consideration. Many other additional funding opportunities are available within the Hawkeye Life program. Please contact Sloane Tyler, or one of our athletic development officers at 319-335-3305 for more information.

2020 Information Guide

Academic Success

Supporting an Environment of Achievement

According to the most recent NCAA annual report on academic success, Iowa’s student-athletes are graduating at an all-time high of 90 percent, which is fourth-highest in the Big Ten Conference and is highest among Iowa’s four Division I institutions. Iowa’s student-athletes also boast higher graduation rates than those who are not student-athletes, yet we know that our student-athletes must be better prepared for life after college.

To help our student-athletes receive a world-class experience, we need additional support. Your philanthropic guidance will help us continue to provide the level of support and service our Hawkeyes require.

How You Can Help

Endowed Academic Support

A gift of $1 million will create a endowed fund in support of student-athlete academic success and will allow you to name the academic success pillar. Earnings will be used, at the discretion of the associate athletics director for academic services and the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, to fund academic success initiatives.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $100,000 to $200,000 will create a named, endowed fund to support our tutoring program. Your support will further one of the most important academic services offered to our student-athletes. Last year, 45 part-time tutors and five learning assistants held and average of 1,000 tutoring appointments per month.
A gift of $115,000 will support graduate assistant positions dedicated to student retention. This support will help student-athletes receive individualized academic support, including those in our LINK program, as well as implement software programs that assist them with composing term papers via dictation and address the larger challenges faced by student-athletes AD/HD or other learning disabilities.
A gift of $25,000 will fund the GradesFirst software program for one calendar year. GradesFirst helps academic advisors, administrators, and tutors at the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center engage and support all student-athletes, with some specific applications for at-risk student-athletes.
A gift of $20,000 will allow the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center to purchase an additional 17 laptops to meet the needs of our student-athletes.
A gift of $10,000 will help support academic initiatives dedicated to the retention and graduation of black male student-athletes, who have a lower graduation rate than their white student-athlete peers.

MidAmerican Energy Community Engagement

Making an Impact in Our Communities

Giving back to the local community is an important piece of the Iowa student-athlete experience. Our intercollegiate sports teams take incredible pride in their efforts to make a difference outside of competition, and it’s something our student-athletes have been doing for more than 20 years.

Through the MidAmerican Community Engagement Pillar, an endowed fund within the Hawkeye Life Program, our student-athletes have the opportunity to excel as active role models and community leaders. Whether it’s through the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (ISACC) Day of Caring, United Way, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and more, Iowa’s student-athletes contribute, on average, more than 10,000 hours annually to communities throughout the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids Corridor.

The Hawkeye Life Program connects student-athletes with these worthwhile endeavors, and while these service projects greatly impact numerous organizations in local communities, they also help today’s Hawkeyes become tomorrow’s leaders.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $100,000 will create an endowed fund to support the ISAAC Day of Caring in perpetuity. In collaboration with United Way, all of Iowa’s intercollegiate sports teams take part in the ISAAC Day of Caring, where student-athletes help various community organizations with their most pressing needs.
A gift of $20,000 will support the Coach for College civic engagement program, which helps student-athletes travel to Vietnam to teach school aged children various academic subjects, life skills, and sports.
A gift of $10,000 will support child life tailgates at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. In collaboration with Iowa’s only children’s hospital, Hawkeye student-athletes visit with patients, provide them with small gifts, and work with them on craft projects.

Diversity and Inclusion

Embracing a Multicultural Experience

At the UI, we believe diversity and inclusion improve the campus experience for all student-athletes. Thanks to the Hawkeye Life Program, Iowa’s student-athletes are connected by a common goal of promoting social justice and creating an inclusive environment through the power of sport. We offer programming and support to underrepresented student-athletes and educational opportunities for all student-athletes about the value and importance of inclusion.

How You Can Help

Endowed Support for Diversity and Inclusion

A gift of $1 million will create an endowed fund in support of diversity and inclusion and will allow you to name the diversity and inclusion pillar. Earnings will be used, at the discretion of the associate athletics director for academic services and the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, to fund diversity and inclusion initiatives.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $500,000 will endow a fund in support of the Hawkeye Service Leadership program. This program will choose women and minority student-athletes with leadership potential to participate in one semester of classroom instruction, followed by a two-week leadership and service learning experience.
A gift of $250,000 will provide an endowed fund in support of the Multicultural Focus Group, a group that offers all student-athletes a safe and welcoming place to discuss issues and promote a sense of unity within Hawkeye athletics. Your support will fund programming, which includes speaker fees, transportation for off-site programming, food for meetings and gatherings, and mentoring opportunities.
A gift of $100,000 will cover salary and benefits for the two-year tenure of a diversity and inclusion coordinator, who will report to the executive director of diversity and inclusion. This could serve as a possible employment opportunity for a recent Iowa graduate. This position will serve as a liaison to minority student-athletes—including our male, black student-athletes—and provide them with resources, support, mentorship, and guidance as we work to better serve them and improve their graduation rates.
Gifts of $5,000 to $20,000 will provide opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion within the athletic department, in coordination with our campus partners, to support the Hawkeye Pledge. The Hawkeye Pledge is an inclusivity pledge endorsed and approved by our student-athletes which outlines their commitment to their fellow student-athletes and citizens.

Health and Well-Being

A Holistic Approach to Wellness

With long days of competitions and practices, film sessions, travel, strength training, and more—while managing a rigorous academic workload—UI student-athletes lead extremely busy lives. They also face unique challenges and stressors that impact their academic and athletic success, as well as their overall well-being.

The UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics aims to keep Hawkeye student-athletes healthy and safe. Through alcohol and drug education, healthy eating and body image counseling, injury recovery counseling, and more, the Hawkeye Life Program provides vital resources to help student-athletes manage stress and maintain health and wellness.

How You Can Help

Endowed Support for Health and Well-Being

A gift of $1 million will create an endowed fund in support of student-athlete health and well-being and will allow you to name this pillar. Earnings will be used, at the discretion of the associate athletics director for academic services and the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, to fund health and well-being initiatives.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $100,000 will subsidize the director of sports nutrition position. Making smart dietary choices can be challenging for any of us, but student-athletes face a particularly unique set of challenges—whether it’s helping them to balance nutrition related to performance recovery, providing improved emotional and mental support, or fostering improved sleeping habits.
An endowed gift of $50,000 to $100,000 will significantly subsidize costs of one of our refueling stations. We spend $2 million annually on student-athlete training tables, supplemental food, black cards that can be used at local restaurants, and our refueling stations.
A gift of $20,000 will support the Health and Well-Being Outreach committee. The committee creates yearly programming opportunities for student-athletes such as the De-StressFest during finals, our senior transition series, and invites special wellness-specific guest speakers. Your gift will also support year-round access to personal counseling, performance psychology services, and psychological rehabilitation after an injury.

Leadership

Today’s Hawkeyes are Tomorrow’s Leaders

Employers, now more than ever, want to hire leaders. Hawkeye student-athletes have every opportunity to become leaders among their teammates and peers. Through the Hawkeye Life Program, Iowa’s student-athletes receive formal training and preparation to meet today’s workplace and community leadership needs.

How You Can Help

Endowed Leadership Support

A gift of $1 million will create an endowed fund in support of student-athlete leadership initiatives and will allow you to name the leadership pillar. Earnings will be used, at the discretion of the associate athletics director for academic services and the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, to fund leadership programming.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $200,000 would endow a leadership academy focused on providing specific, practical real-world communication tools, analytical skills, and hands-on opportunities to grow into leadership.
A gift of $10,000 annually would cover costs associated with the Athletic Transition Seminar and the Hawkeye Life Experience, a two-semester program that enhances our academic endeavors within the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center. With the help of such courses, all Hawkeye student-athletes will have applicable tools to be leaders in their careers and their lives.
A gift of $10,000 annually would fund the Hawkeye Connections Program, which allows our student-athletes to meet with successful members of the community and build connections with mentors.
A gift of $10,000 will fund a speaker, focused on women’s leadership, to come to campus each year.
A gift of $10,000 annually could be used at the discretion of the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as an investment in teaching, training, hands-on community service, and more. ISAAC leadership would assume responsibility to present their idea for the funding to Liz Tovar, associate athletics director for academic student services, and athletics leadership for approval, as well as a follow up presentation about what was learned/accomplished once the money has been spent.

Career Development

Empowering, Preparing Student-Athletes for Strong Futures

Going pro is a dream many student-athletes aspire to achieve, but in reality, fewer than two percent of collegiate student-athletes play professionally, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That’s why the UI places a high importance on graduation rates and providing student-athletes with numerous professional development opportunities.

The Hawkeye Life Program provides student-athletes with paths to employment through nontraditional channels. While we continue to put a focus on purposeful career planning, mock interviews, and personality assessments, professional development also means providing student-athletes with opportunities to practice real-world skills in controlled situations, gain insights regarding employment trends, interact extensively with professional mentors, and navigate in a professional environment.

How You Can Help

Endowed Professional Development Support

A gift of $1 million will create an endowed fund in support of student-athlete professional development and will allow you to name the career development pillar. Earnings will be used, at the discretion of the associate athletics director for academic services and the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, to fund programming for career development.

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Funding Opportunities

A gift of $500,000 will create an endowment in support of the Hawks to Professionals (H2P) program. Your support will allow student-athletes to take part in an eight-week, paid, structured internship and job-shadowing program during the summer.
A gift of $75,000 will endow a fund to allow for two guest speakers, focused on financial management, to speak on campus each year.
A gift of $12,500 will allow us to offer a financial literacy course, designed for freshman students as they prepare to move off campus and graduating senior student-athletes transitioning out of school.