Academic honors – Daily Gate City

Academic Achievement Report: Upper Iowa University’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary: Summer 2025 Dean’s List

Upper Iowa University (UIU) has released its Dean’s List for the Summer 2025 semester, recognizing undergraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance. This recognition aligns directly with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on education, economic growth, and equality.

Criteria for Academic Excellence

To be included on the Dean’s List, students were required to meet the following standards:

1. Earned a minimum 3.50 Grade Point Average (GPA) for the semester.
2. Maintained full-time enrollment status.

Direct Impact on SDG 4: Quality Education

The Dean’s List initiative is a core component of UIU’s commitment to SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. By formally acknowledging high-achieving students, the university:

• Promotes a culture of academic excellence and dedication.
• Provides a benchmark for quality educational outcomes.
• Encourages students to pursue higher levels of learning and skill acquisition.

Case Study in Achievement: Jalen Smith

An exemplary honoree is Jalen Smith, a Management major from Dallas City, Illinois. Smith’s achievement highlights the successful application of UIU’s educational framework.

Contribution to Broader Sustainable Development Goals

The academic success of students like Jalen Smith has a cascading effect on other key SDGs:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: By excelling in a Management program, students are being equipped with the necessary skills to foster innovation and contribute to sustainable economic growth. Their future roles will support the goal of achieving full, productive employment and decent work for all.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Access to quality higher education and recognition based on merit are fundamental to reducing inequalities. By honoring students who meet its high academic standards, UIU reinforces a system that provides opportunities for advancement regardless of background.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article is exclusively focused on higher education, specifically recognizing a student’s academic achievement at Upper Iowa University. This directly aligns with the core objective of SDG 4, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

   • The article highlights a student, Jalen Smith, who is enrolled at Upper Iowa University, a form of tertiary education. The announcement of a “Dean’s List” and the requirement of a “minimum 3.50 GPA” point to the “quality” aspect of this target. The student’s enrollment as a “full-time student” demonstrates access to this level of education.

2. Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

   • The article specifies that the honored student is a “Management major.” This field of study is directly aimed at providing relevant skills for employment and management roles in the workforce, aligning with the goal of equipping students for decent jobs.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator: Enrollment in Tertiary Education

   • The article states that Jalen Smith is “enrolled as a full-time student” at Upper Iowa University. This serves as a direct, individual-level indicator of participation in tertiary education, which is a key component of measuring progress towards Target 4.3.

2. Indicator: Academic Achievement and Quality

   • The article mentions specific metrics of quality and achievement: being named to the “Dean’s List” and earning a “minimum 3.50 GPA.” These are explicit indicators used by the educational institution to measure high levels of academic performance, reflecting the “quality” dimension of Target 4.3.

3. Indicator: Acquisition of Job-Relevant Skills

   • The student’s status as a “Management major” is an implied indicator for Target 4.4. It signifies that the student is actively acquiring a specific set of skills recognized as relevant for employment and career development in business and organizational leadership.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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