On Wednesday, May 1st, over 25 people gathered in Gould Hall, or joined the discussion via Zoom, to discuss the topic of equity, diversity, and inclusion as part of the Dean’s Dialogue Discussion Series launched by the College of Built Environments’ new dean, Renée Cheng. Participants in the meeting comprised of faculty, students, alumni, and professional advisory group representatives from CBE’s five departments (Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate, and Urban Design & Planning) as well as from the University of Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and Urban@UW.
Dean Cheng welcomed participants to Wednesday’s meeting and began the conversation with a question: What does it mean to have a strategic approach to equity diversity and inclusion (EDI)?
If a strategy for EDI means setting specific goals, committing to a plan to achieve them and measuring progress, have we been doing this? if so, can we do better? if not, what would it look like? What are the inherent connections between EDI and the built environment? What are the teaching/learning changes we could make to better support EDI skills for our students? What research opportunities are there for measuring, tracking or projecting increased EDI in our disciplines? If we are able to start a program of training for faculty, staff and students next year, what are CBE-specific goals?
Participants in the meeting discussed the lack of diversity and representation within the built environments industries, such as architecture, development, construction, landscape architecture, and planning. These industries provide value to society and have a direct impact on human health and wellness. The conversation centered around our college’s need for a strategic approach to EDI in conjunction with the University of Washington.
You can review the discussion here (closed captioning available):
Upcoming Dean’s Dialogue Discussion Topics:
(All at 7:30 am in Architecture Hall Room 042, light breakfast will be provided)
Wed, May 15th: What would it mean if every CBE graduate, staff, faculty knew how to collaborate, really collaborate?
Wed, May 22nd: When we talk about CBE’s research having more impact, what do we mean and how do we measure it?
Please RSVP to Susanne Adamson at adamsons@uw.edu if you plan to attend any of the above sessions so that she can plan for refreshments.
OR Join the Livestream (Zoom)
Same link for all five meetings: https://washington.zoom.us/j/4073312015
Dial-up is also available:
+1 669 900 6833 US – West
+1 646 876 9923 US – East
Meeting ID: 407 331 2015