The 10 deans of architecture, design and construction programs in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) recently issued a joint impact statement in support of diversity, equity and inclusion in their programs.
The statement was printed in the October 2020 issue of INSIGHT into Diversity journal. (see page 55)
“We commit to designing a better world, one of authentic diversity, equity and inclusion,” the statement begins, adding:
- “We commit to progress that has an equitable impact for everyone in our communities. And we commit to expanding our efforts in our larger communities to bring accelerated and lasting change.”
- “We commit to taking the time to reflect and assess, to better understand our own histories, to learn from our failures and to identify what needs to be done on our journey forward.”
- “We will continue to hear, understand, and respond to the experiences and the ideas for meaningful change, expressed by our students, faculty, staff and alumni, so we can work together to design and construct a better, fully diverse, richly inclusive, sustaining future.”
- “We commit to self-examination of intercultural competence, to creating intergenerational frameworks for awareness and response and to building structures for lasting progress in student recruitment, enrollment and placement, in faculty and staff diversity, and in curricular character and depth.”
- “We are guided by the solidarity of our opposition to racism and our commitment to change.”
- “We commit to authentic action that makes our education more available to underrepresented students, which will enrich the academic experience for all students and ultimately broaden diversity in the professions.”
The 10 universities in the SEC that have Architecture, Design and Construction programs include: the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Missouri, the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University.
According to its website, INSIGHT Into Diversity is the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education today.