THE JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY + INCLUSION (JEDI) INITIATIVE
BACKGROUND
In 2017, the School of Architecture’s Inclusion + Equity Committee began work on a wide-ranging plan of action, motivated by our commitment to the university as a space for cultivating democracy, one dedicated to “the sustained, critical rethinking of our institutional policies, practices, and structures.” In June 2020, over 500 members of the School of Architecture community signed a Call to Action, urging the School of Architecture “to accept the challenge of setting a precedent for an anti-racist design pedagogy,” with a key priority of appointing an Associate Dean of Inclusion + Equity. That same summer, President Jim Ryan appointed a Racial Equity Task Force (RETF), whose final report, “Audacious Future: Commitment Required,” issued in August 2020 and endorsed by UVA’s Board of Visitors, lays out a detailed action plan for the University of Virginia. As a short term exploratory and advisory body, the Racial Equity Task Force (RETF) aligned initiatives with the University's Inclusive Excellence framework and the University's 2030 Strategic Plan to orient and embed the initiatives in our larger institutional operations.
This pivotal moment of institutional transformation presents an unparalleled opportunity to spearhead the continued co-creation and implementation of long-term solutions that are integrated into the A-School's educational mission, daily operations, and culture. The A-School has many leaders in the national conversations about JEDI topics in the field, and we are ready to invest in the institutional infrastructure needed to build on our collective strengths. The A-School aims to be a nexus of thought leadership on Justice, Democracy, and Design— cultivating and disseminating knowledge on architectural empathy, on climate justice, on cultural landscapes, and on community-driven design that help transform our professions and disciplines.
THE JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (JEDI) INITIATIVE
In July 2021, Malo A. Hutson joined the University of Virginia School of Architecture as Dean and named the JEDI Initiative as one of his key priorities for the School, building on the ongoing work by the Inclusion + Equity Committee. Through the coordinated efforts of leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni and allies, the School of Architecture is committed to the long term project of working together to build, promote and sustain a culture of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion — and to cultivate shared humanity through difference — within and beyond the University.
A-SCHOOL JEDI STRATEGIC GOALS
- Increase faculty, staff, and student diversity through recruitment and retention
- Expand student support and resources
- Enhance social justice-based pedagogy and disciplinary scholarship around issues of race, identity, culture, power, and belonging
- Build meaningful, sustainable, and supportive partnerships with neighborhoods, institutions, communities and organizations who are allies in this work
- Establish guiding metrics and a structure of reporting and communicating progress
Below you can review the status updates on the JEDI Initiative, its key strategic goals, and additional new and ongoing work contributing to achieving justice, equity, diversity and inclusion as integral to our guiding mission as a School.
GOAL 1: Double the number of underrepresented faculty by 2030
ACTIONS:
— Associate Dean JEDI
The School launched a search for an Associate Dean JEDI who will join the A-School faculty. The Associate Dean will be a key member of the Dean's Executive Team and will bring strategic and imaginative thinking to the School-wide shared JEDI project. POSITION DESCRIPTION.
Announcement of the hire of C.L. Bohannon as AD JEDI and Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture: March 2022
— Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows
The School launched a search for up to two Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows in Race, Place & Equity, part of a $5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation that supports a wide-ranging series of racial equity programs across the University (Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost).
Mellon Fellows Olanrewaju Lasisi and Ana Ozaki joined the Department of Architectural History as postdoctoral fellows in AY 23-24.
— Early Career Fellows
The School is a founding member of the national "Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative," a partnership of nine (at founding) US schools and colleges of architecture, planning, and design working collectively to nurture a diverse population of emerging scholars focused on teaching and researching the built environment to advance socio-ecological and spatial justice, equity and inclusion. Launched in Summer 2021 with continued growth each year.
The A-School hosted the DEII Summer Institute in summer 2023.
The A-School hires DEII Fellow Isaac Mangual as a Virginia Architecture Fellow for AY 23-24.
Anticipated appointment of I+E Early Career Fellow(s) at the A-School in the next 2 academic years.
— JEDI Emerging Faculty Fellows
Continue to build long-term robust faculty pipelines to increase faculty diversity through JEDI Emerging Faculty Fellowships.
Exploration stage.
— JEDI Faculty Hires
Seek additional JEDI TOPS hires for both tenured and tenure-track faculty.
Continuous.
— Announcement of Andrea Roberts as Associate Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning and co-director of the Center for Cultural Landscapes, March 2022
— Announcement of Mohamed Ismail as Assistant Professor of Architecture, March 2022
GOAL 2: Review policies regarding faculty and staff hiring, wages, retention, promotion, work load, and procurement, in order to ensure equity
ACTIONS:
— Retention and Support of Faculty + Staff
Examine overall practices including recruitment, promotion, wages and tenure for faculty and staff.
Ongoing through Faculty PTR Committee.
University-wide Staff compensation analysis completed in AY 22-23
University-wide Faculty compensation analysis underway in AY 23-24
— Teaching and Service Loads for Faculty
Examine teaching and service loads across all faculty ranks.
Ongoing through Dean's Executive Team in coordination with faculty.
— Service Loads for Staff and Areas in need of Expanded Support
Examine staff work loads across units and increase staff positions to support areas needing expanded support.
Ongoing through Dean's Executive Team in coordination with staff leadership.
GOAL 3: Increase student diversity to better reflect the racial, ethnic and economic demographics of the state of Virginia
ACTIONS:
— NOMA Project Pipeline
First launched in summer 2019 by the A-School's chapter of the NOMA Project Pipeline, this ongoing pre-recruitment program provides an educational experience for low-income youth in the Charlottesville community and provides hands-on exposure to the design and planning disciplines. The Project Pipeline program also has partnered with local co-designers, such as the Public Housing Association of Resident (PHAR) to engage in design-build opportunities and will continue to build community-engaged programming each summer.
Ongoing with current partner, StarrHill; Exploring potential new partners to increase impact.
Seeking additional financial resources to build sustainable long-term support to cover staff support, youth designer stipends, materials, food, field trips.
— Robust pipelines for recruitment of underrepresented and low-income students
The A-School has recently established an MOU with the Bonner Foundation and partnerships with the McNair Scholars Program and the California Forum for Diversity to enhance our recruitment (collaborative effort between the Office of the Dean, Admission Office, Communications Office).
The A-School continues to build relationships with HBCUs, TCUs, and HSIs first established in 2020 by the DEI Outreach Task Force.
Exploration stage, Ongoing through faculty and graduate program directors in coordination with Admission Office.
The School admitted its first Bonner Scholar in spring 2022.
— Application fee waivers and travel stipends for low-income prospective students
To increase access to education for low-income prospective students, we aim to cover application fees and travel to visit the A-School for those in need.
Current MOUs and partnerships include application fee waivers.
Currently, the School covers graduate application fees and travel expenses to in-person graduate open house for those with demonstrated financial need.
Seeking additional financial resources to cover these expenses.
— JEDI-focused programming for recruitment
First hosted in 2019 by the I+E Committee in coordination with the Admission Office, open houses specifically designed for students interested in JEDI has helped to increase our BIPOC student cohort - a 24.8% increase in 2020.
JEDI Open Houses and/or Discussion Panels, etc. will continue to evolve and become embedded in the fabric of the A-School's recruitment culture.
Ongoing / Continuous.
Seeking additional financial resources to cover travel stipends for those in need to attend in-person events.
— JEDI Scholarships
In spring 2020, the A-School established two named scholarships focused on diversity, equity and inclusion
- named after Edward Wayne Barnett and Audrey Spencer-Horsley, the School's first African American graduates. Scholars were awarded in 2020 and 2021 and through a collective commitment across the School's faculty, staff, leadership boards, alumni and friends, $540,000 was raised in gifts, pledges, and University match by December 2020.
The School has expanded its goal in order to establish competitive scholarships at the graduate-level to both recruit and retain future JEDI scholars.
Ongoing / Continuous.
Seeking additional financial resources to cover 5 full-tuition scholarships and 5 half-tuition scholarships in- and out-of-state for graduate education.
GOAL 4: Increase staff diversity to better reflect the racial, ethnic and economic demographics of the state of Virginia
ACTIONS:
— Staff Diversity, Professional Support and Growth
University Human Resources is currently undertaking a long-term project to evaluate the job structures in place at the University to establish more clarity in career pathways. This work includes establishing a process for ensuring consistent evaluation of qualifications and experience that qualify individuals for roles beyond, or in addition to, specific degree programs.
The A-School will work in coordination with University HR to continue to evaluate hiring practices to increase diversity in staff, practices for retention and additional pathways for staff success.
Exploration Stage.
GOAL 1: Provide course material support to any A-School student in need (or in specific cases, those enrolled in A-School gateway courses)
ACTIONS:
— Course Material Support
The true cost of education at the A-School goes well beyond tuition. Many students are not able to afford the cost of materials, software, printing, or other expenses related to successful completion of their coursework. An immediate priority is to offer course material support to any A-School student in need.
Funding was offered on an as-needed basis through application during the Covid-pandemic through the CARES Act and a $100,000 School of Architecture Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund.
Material and software scholarships to support students in gateway courses such as Arch 2070_3070 (which includes 30+ students from the Meriweather Lewis Institute each year) further supports BIPOC students in need of this type of financial support.
The A-School has recently (Fall 2021) compiled data on the additional expenses students face per course in order to better establish a budget for this expense.
The School of Architecture Foundation Board's Parent Committee has established this need as its priority fundraising initiative, and have launched a campaign through the Academic Support Fund.
Students seek to benefit from the ASF through a summer 2022 application cycle for the 22-23 AY.
Immediate priority, seeking financial resources to support long-term support.
GOAL 2: Support Student Organizations
ACTIONS:
— Student Organizations Support
Student organizations focused on JEDI (NOMAS - National Organization of Minority Architecture Students and manifestA - SOA's Equity in the Built Environment) continue to be an important venue for community building, promoting a culture of equity and inclusive excellence, and providing leadership opportunities for our students.
Continue to expand budget allocation from the School to support and strengthen their community-building activities.
Provide additional NOMAS funding to sponsor networking events with alumni coordinated with the newly formed VA NOMA Chapter.
Provide dedicated faculty or staff support (small group) to manifestA and ASIA to ensure continued support of goals and activities.
— FG/LI Student Support
The development of a new FG/LI student organization is under development (Spring 2022) to support the unique needs of our first generation and low income students. Through allied support from Student Council, AIAS, and other student organizations, net proceeds from the 2022 Beaux Arts Ball (April 2022) will go towards the establishment of this organization and to the Academic Support Fund. A Town Hall to launch this initiative was held April 2022.
GOAL 3: Review policies regarding student hiring, wages, and work culture in order to ensure equity and consistent, fair practices for paid student assistantships
ACTIONS:
— Paid Student Assistantships
Student Assistantship Positions administered by the School offer A-School students paid positions in the areas of instruction, research and staff/administrative support. These serve an important role in experiential content and financial support to our students.
As a joint effort across the Office of the Dean, School-wide policies and processes (focused on consistency and equity) were established in fall 2021 to better communicate all opportunities to all students and better administer opportunities on a regular/anticipated timeline.
The establishment of a comprehensive policy document, a webpage collecting all opportunities, a weekly announcement email, and review of the policy on a yearly basis were included in this process.
Ongoing review of work culture, equity training, and additional review of wages continues between the Office of the Dean and graduate student representatives.
GOAL 4: Strengthen Advising, Mentoring, Career Development and Mental Health Support for Students
ACTIONS:
— Student Advising + Mentorship
A dedicated staff position for Student Advising was established in June 2019. The Director of Advising and Academic Support fills an essential role at the School (working with the Associate Dean of Academics) in directing all activities related to students' course enrollment, degree completion, and affairs. Additionally, faculty in all departments provide sustained academic and career mentorship.
Review of additional staff support is currently underway to reflect our student numbers and needs.
— Student Mentorship by Alumni
A collaborative effort by the School's Director of Alumni Initiatives and Engagement and the Young Alumni Council. the A-School Alumni Mentorship Program provides students with a supportive network of alumni for professional advice and growth.
This program was launched in Spring 2020 and continues to evolve to best support our students.
— Career Development for Students
The School searched for a Director of Career Development who joined the staff in a leadership position and focuses on strategizing and planning for diverse career trajectories across our disciplines and creative/scholarly practices, and offering critical student support in the area of career development.
Lindsay Schiller was hired in Spring 2022 semester.
— Student Wellbeing, Mental Health and Counseling
In October 2020, the School finalized an agreement with UVA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to embed a clinician at the School to provide direct mental health support to our students. Given the need, our dedicated CAPS therapist has increased hours in 2021-2022. Additional student wellbeing support resources.
Continued ongoing review of student wellbeing is monitored on a regular basis through the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Associate Dean JEDI, in coordination with the Director of Advising and Academic Support and the Associate Dean of Academics.
— A-School Food Pantry
In response to food insecurity, an A-School Food Pantry was launched in fall 2023 and is part of a larger network of pantries across Grounds.
GOAL 1: Expand and Support Field-Changing JEDI Scholarship and Become a Leading Center for JEDI Research
ACTIONS:
— JEDI Faculty Hires
Seek additional JEDI TOPS hires for both tenured and tenure-track faculty to help develop core and expanded expertise in this area.
Cross-listed with Faculty Recruitment Strategic Goal.
Continuous.
— JEDI Emerging Faculty Fellows
Establish JEDI Emerging Faculty Fellowship Program to support early career scholars in this area.
Cross-listed with Faculty Recruitment Strategic Goal.
Exploration Stage.
— JEDI Research Support - Seed Funding / Lab
Establish JEDI Research Seed Funding for faculty. The School has numerous faculty who are currently engaged in cutting-edge JEDI research and community-engaged design that has been nationally / internationally recognized and made positive impacts. Providing dedicated funding for research to specifically support JEDI initiatives and coalescing this work with a JEDI Research Lab can attract major external funding, establish the School's leadership in this area in a more public and concerted manner, and better establish this as integral to our culture, scholarship and practice.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking financial resources to support summer JEDI Seed Research funds for faculty and the creation of a JEDI Research Lab (support for JEDI Student Research Assistants, to host workshops or invited speakers).
— JEDI Public Programs
Host an annual JEDI Symposia / Re-think current I+E Dean's Forum Lecture Series
The School has hosted four years of a highly successful Dean's Forum I+E lecture series that have brought critical JEDI perspectives and expertise to the School. Given its success, we seek to consider ways to enhance its profile as part of our curriculum and to help provide a forum for multiple speakers to discuss JEDI issues in dialogue with each other and our faculty/students. This new format also provides an opportunity for focused collaborations with other Schools, Labs, and Offices across Grounds.
In AY 23-24, our JEDI panel is led by Visiting Professor Liz Ogbu.
GOAL 2: Support Anti-Racist Design Pedagogy
ACTIONS:
— Orientation Series
Education is a foundational aspect of engendering racial equity at any University. Understanding race and racism, and structures of power and identity, that have foregrounded design disciplines and identifying productive ways to dismantle harmful practices, is a life-long process that requires ongoing learning. A School-wide orientation series, with shared readings and dynamic speakers, would empower all members of our community with courage, understanding, knowledge and skills to take effective anti-racist actions and to foster a culture of belonging and inclusion. This series would also embed JEDI in our culture in a holistic way.
Exploration stage.
— Anti-Racism Leadership Program
Faculty and staff at the A-School would benefit from a structured approach to developing understanding and accountability in relationship to all of our JEDI goals and our larger mission towards design justice. Building off of strong peer-institutions' models for leadership training and development, an Anti-Racism Leadership Program would support our faculty and staff to also take on leadership roles in JEDI areas across the broader University.
Potential partnership opportunities with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Exploration Stage.
— JEDI Curricular Innovation Grants
It is critical that students at all levels of the curriculum are building the tools to ensure that they will bring a robust understanding of equity, inclusion, and social justice to their endeavors as students and as future professionals. Curricular innovation grants provide capacity for faculty to develop coursework in these areas.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking financial resources to support JEDI New Course Development.
— Community-Engaged Courses
Students across all A-School departments are interested in community-engaged learning and modeling ethical community partnerships. The A- School seeks to develop a school-wide ethic for such teaching, potentially one that links with the UVA President’s Council on Community Partnerships and Equity Center ethics.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking financial resources for partner compensation, student assistants, field trips, events, and programming to support collaborative and co-designed work.
GOAL 1: Support Design Justice Approach, Co-Creating with Communities
ACTIONS:
— Creatives-in-Residence Program
The A-School has much to learn from members of the broader community, and our educational endeavors would greatly be enhanced by opportunity for sustained, reciprocal learning. A Creatives-in-Residence Program is an opportunity to award a fellowship for the academic year to a local practitioner whose creative work, organizing efforts, or expertise would promote educational ties between the School and the surrounding community.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking financial resources for annual fellowship.
— Community-Engaged Courses
Students across all A-School departments are interested in community-engaged learning and modeling ethical community partnerships. The A-School seeks to develop a school-wide ethic for such teaching.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking financial resources for partner compensation, student assistants, field trips, events, and programming to support collaborative and co-designed work.
Cross-listed with Enhance JEDI Pedagogy and Disciplinary Discourse Strategic Goal.
— The Equity Center
UVA's Equity Center grew out of many years of social justice advocacy in Charlottesville and the surrounding region. Its goal is to tangibly redress racial and economic inequity in universities communities by advancing a transformative approach to the fundamental research mission, and in turn, reform institutional values, pedagogy, and operations. The A-School has many active faculty and student leaders working as part of the Equity Center including Faculty Director Associate Professor Barbara Brown Wilson and Faculty Director of Design Justice Assistant Professor Elgin Cleckley. The A-School aims to continue to support faculty and student involvement and leadership at the Center, to partner in ways with the Center that further its mission, and to use its structure as a model for building ethical community relationships.
— NOMA Project Pipeline
The A-School's chapter of the NOMA Project Pipeline is a pre-recruitment program that provides an educational experience for low-income youth in the Charlottesville community and provides hands-on exposure to the design and planning disciplines. As part of its ongoing programming, the A-School aims to continue to create meaningful and sustainable partnerships with local communities and organizations, building co-design opportunities with underserved neighborhoods.
Ongoing with current partner, NOMA; Exploring potential new partners to increase impact.
Seeking additional financial resources to build sustainable long-term support to cover staff support, youth designer stipends, materials, food, field trips.
Cross-listed with Increase Student Diversity through Recruitment and Retention Strategic Goal.
GOAL 2: Build Shared JEDI Resources and Knowledge across Peer Institutions and Allies Across Grounds
ACTIONS:
— Annual JEDI Symposia
Given the success of our I+E Dean's Forum Lecture series, we seek to consider ways to enhance the profile of our JEDI public programs by providing a forum for multiple speakers to discuss JEDI issues in dialogue with each other and our faculty/students. This new symposia format also provides an opportunity for focused collaborations with other Schools, Labs, and Offices across Grounds building more sustainable partnerships.
Exploration Stage for implementation for the 22-23 academic year.
Cross-listed with Enhance JEDI Pedagogy and Disciplinary Discourse Strategic Goal.
— Public Design for Social Justice Consortium
Build a consortium with peer public universities to share student and faculty resources to elevate the role of public institutions in defining socially just design education. Opportunity to host workshops/conference focused on youth, undergraduates.
Exploration Stage.
Seeking additional financial resources to cover travel for summer workshops/conference, application fee waivers; potential JEDI scholarships, JEDI faculty fellows.
— Dean's Equity and Inclusion Initiative
The School is a founding member of the national "Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative," a partnership of nine US schools and colleges of architecture, planning, and design working collectively to nurture a diverse population of emerging scholars focused on teaching and researching the built environment to advance socio-ecological and spatial justice, equity and inclusion. Launched in Summer 2021.
Cross-listed with Increase Faculty Diversity through Recruitment and Retention Strategic Goal.
GOAL 1: Strategic Priorities — Benchmarking and Developing Implementation Plans
ACTIONS:
— JEDI Benchmarking + Implementation Plans
The Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives, in collaboration with the Dean's Executive Team, is working to benchmark our goals and successes in relationship to peer institutions. As part of this process, a JEDI Action Plan (with key action items included on this webpage) has been developed.
A faculty "implementation" team has been appointed to begin lay out the a detailed plan for implementation that includes short and long-term measures towards each goal.
Implementation Phase.
Peer Institution Benchmarking Data Collection underway - to continue through 21-22 Academic Year.
JEDI Action Plan outlined.
JEDI Implementation Team to commence by end of fall 2021 semester - to develop actionable steps through mid-Spring 2022 semester.
GOAL 2: Celebrate JEDI through A-School Communications
ACTIONS:
— A-School JEDI News and Outreach
Integrating JEDI into the culture of our School is an integral part of our communications strategy. Utilizing our bi-monthly newsletter, our website and social media platforms, JEDI research, stories, courses and projects are highlighted to ensure that our mission is communicated in an integrated and holistic way.
Implementation Phase.
Continue to develop higher-level stories (written and multi-media) to share on cutting-edge JEDI pedagogy and research to raise our profile in this area.
Continue to seek media platforms and venues to expand our audience outreach to build allies in this area.
GOAL #3 Establish a Structure of Reporting
ACTIONS:
— JEDI Reports
Build bi-yearly JEDI reports to coordinate with Action Plans to provide updates on progress.
Implementation Phase.
The University of Virginia has been shaped by a fundamental contradiction between the democratic ideals on which it was founded and the reality that, for well over a century, the educational experience it offered was available only to a restricted and decidedly exclusive population of economically privileged, socially elite, white men. At the same time, our institution was built upon and its daily operation was made possible by the labor of many who were excluded from its classrooms and its privileges, including enslaved laborers, women, and men of lower socio-economic standing.
The School of Architecture has witnessed considerable transformations since its initial founding in 1919 as the McIntire School of Fine Arts. Linda Harris Michael (Class of 1959) was one of a small group of professors' daughters admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences before UVA went co-ed. However, she really wanted to study in the School of Architecture, which required any female students to have two years of academic credit and be at least 20 years of age. Undeterred, the 17-year-old Harris took 60 credits over the course of one academic year and two summers and joined the Architecture School at age 18, the age requirement waived because of her strong academic record. She was the only woman in her class.
In the early 1970s, the first African American were admitted into the School of Architecture’s programs. Women matriculated as first-year students in the university in 1970 when it went co-ed, the same year that three women earned master’s degrees in the School of Architecture: Anne Carter Lee (Master of Architectural History) Virginia B. Overton McLean (Master of Planning), and Patricia Turney Garris (Master of Planning). Two years later, Edward Wayne Barnett became the first African American to earn a degree in School (Bachelor of Science in Architecture, 1972). Audrey Spencer-Horsley was the first female African American to graduate from the School with a bachelor degree in city planning in 1975. Since the early-mid 1970s, the composition of the A-School community has changed dramatically, and our four departments now oversee multiple programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. As we mark the beginning of the University of Virginia’s third century and the School of Architecture’s centennial, this is a critical moment for action, not least because our institution has been thrust onto the front lines of the most pressing challenges facing our society today, including ethno-nationalism, sexual violence, racism, white supremacy, and religious persecution. In this context, we embrace our institutional privilege as a responsibility.