CAP Accomplishments in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: 2020-22

1. Grow our JEDI scholarship fund to be able to increase equity of access to our programs.
2. Establish greater connections with and recruit from middle and high school students with an intentional focus on disadvantaged, minority, and students of color.
3. Establish greater connections with and recruit from community colleges with an intentional focus on disadvantaged, minority, and students of color.
4. Foster an environment that promotes a non-tolerance policy on overt racism as well as more subtle forms of racism such as microaggressions.
5. Create and celebrate a culture of inclusion.

1. Update curricula and syllabi to make justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion a cornerstone of education at CAP.
2. Ensure that courses focus on diversity and inclusion, taking into account geography, culture, class, gender, and race when selecting precedents, field-trips, readings, projects, assignments, and travel.
3. Integrate cultural competency skills and knowledge into all curricula.
4. Encourage faculty to embrace discussions grounded in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
5. Enhance pedagogical training focused on supporting faculty as they incorporate these values into their classrooms.
6. Offer flexible program delivery, such as enhanced on-line and hybrid course delivery, to make our programs more accessible.
7. Expand the types of credentials we offer, working with industry to understand what certificates and other skills-based offerings would be valuable, to allow more people to benefit from higher education.
8. Make respectful community engagement practices a core skill that is delivered across all curricula, with particular emphasis on working as professionals in communities that are not our own.
9. Work with community partners to help drive studios and other assignments toward relevant sets of design challenges which address issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
10. Support and encourage advocacy aligned with professional roles.

1. Intentionally recruit and hire faculty and staff with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences at all ranks.
2. Continue to diversify search committees, keeping an eye to equitable distribution of service loads.
3. Ensure that all search committee members are trained on avoiding bias in their evaluations of candidates.
4. Intentionally recruit lecturers and adjunct faculty with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences
5. Intentionally recruit guest lecturers, guest reviewers, community partners, and other non-academic contributions to educational delivery with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences
6. Foster an environment that promotes a non-tolerance policy on overt racism as well as more subtle forms of racism such as microaggressions
7. Support faculty and staff with training on microempowerments and their role in overcoming histories of overt racism and sexism

1. Actively connect with professional organizations diversity and inclusion committees and efforts.
2. Actively connect with professional organizations that do not have diversity and inclusion committees or efforts and support them in starting them.
3. Establish CAP as a resource that can assist allied professional organizations and firms in achieving their goals related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

1. Research and implement best practices in providing for diverse spatial needs.
2. Consider cost of materials and access to technology when establishing coursework expectations.
3. Provide learning and working environments that support different learning and working styles.

1. Host a robust, informative, and regularly updated CAP JEDI webpage.
2. Make our CAP JEDI Statement and CAP JEDI Action Plan public.
3. Present regular publicly available forums for feedback regarding JEDI issues within CAP.
4. Showcase our JEDI focused work and student projects to the public and to professional communities.
5. Provide for a way for people to provide feedback regarding CAP JEDI issues which can be anonymous as the person providing feedback desires.
6. Host a calendar of CAP, CU Denver, and Community events that are relevant to issues of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

The Subcommittee on Calendar Administration will work with CAP Communications and other entities on campus to develop a calendar resource that makes as many JEDI related trainings, activities, and other resources easily accessible to the CAP community as possible.  We will develop a resource list from which to connect to events this term as well as develop a submittal process for anyone in the CAP community to suggest events to include on our CAP JEDI calendar.  This submittal process will be available before the fall semester of 2021.

***10.19.21 Update***
This subcommittee has been on hold while the new calendar interface for the college and the university was being prepared.  It is now easier to add items to the calendar and manage different calendars, so this work can now begin in earnest.

The vision for Subcommittee 2 is to identify existing JEDI efforts on campus and within the city, and to integrate our efforts with those to the degree possible.  Our main goal for the Spring of 2021 is to identify existing efforts in our community, make and build initial connections/relationships with our target groups and to develop a strategy for how those relationships will lead to future collaborations, whether on existing efforts or new ones. Our current focus groups are 1.CAP organizations and initiatives; 2. other CU Denver departments/organizations; and 3. Outside organizations in the greater Denver area/community.

***10.19.21 Update***
The JEDI Integration Team identifies existing JEDI efforts within CAP, the CU Denver campus and within the community and integrates our efforts with those to the degree possible. The Team’s past accomplishments/projects included compiling and adding JEDI-related organizations, events and resources to the JEDI website and coordinating a JEDI workshop on Speaking Up As an Aly in July 2021. Upcoming projects include helping coordinate lectures and workshops for Spring 2022, and assisting with the planning of the CAP JEDI Symposium in 2022.

The vision for Subcommittee 3 is to facilitate JEDI related student panel discussions. The panels will start in the Fall of 2021 and are intended to continue at a frequency of 1-3 panels per term.  The overarching goal for the Spring of 2021 is to identify panel topics along with potential student and guest speakers through outreach in the CAP community and student organizations. We will organize one or more panel discussions in the fall of 2021 based on the feedback, stated interests, and needs of our campus community. We will set dates and solicit commitments for those panels prior to Fall 2021. 

***10.19.21 Update***
Over the past year, the Student Panels JEDI working group has surveyed the students, staff, and faculty at CAP to determine which topics within diversity and inclusion are most interesting for potential upcoming student panels. With those topics in mind, the group is currently working towards collaborating with larger CAP symposium and speaker efforts to support meaningful events that will increase education and conversation.

The Syllabi and Curricula subcommittee is working on developing resources and guidance to support faculty and students in integrating and responding to JEDI concerns and opportunities and develop syllabi and curricula that affirm and foster the great value we find in diverse perspectives and backgrounds. In order to achieve syllabi and curricula that are inclusive, not only will we be focused on providing a resource for faculty and administrators that focuses on the content of what is taught but also on the way that the content is taught prior to the fall semester of 2021.

***10.19.21 Update***
The Syllabi/Curricula JEDI workgroup has begun collecting a list of relevant, JEDI-focused articles, books, and media with the goal of making these easily accessible to CAP faculty for possible inclusion in their courses.  We are working toward a strategy to actively improve the inclusion of JEDI/equity/non-dominant perspectives in courses throughout the college.

The Survey and Support subcommittee will develop a survey for the CAP community that focuses on a different information set than the many surveys that have come out.  We want to know three things.  First, what JEDI actions are individuals personally going to take this semester?  Second, what JEDI actions would they like to undertake but don’t feel they have the resources or information to perform? Lastly, what resources would help them in their individual efforts to support JEDI evolution in their personal work, in their professions, and at CAP?  We will send this survey out during the spring 2021 semester and prepare a report for the CAP JEDI Working Group before the fall semester of 2021.

***10.19.21 Update***
This subcommittee decided to place itself on hold given the large number of surveys that had gone out throughout the college and university about similar topics.  It will reconvene if the need arises.

The objective of the JEDI Performance Evaluations working group is to research, via current literature and precedent, as well as through informal conversations with stakeholders at various levels, meaningful and realistic opportunities to foster accountability among college administration, faculty and staff for issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through the annual review process. Working group members will engage with college administration to implement recommendations based on research findings.  We will be generating recommendations for implementation in the 2021/2022 academic year.

***10.19.21 Update***
The Performance Evaluations Subcommittee reviewed language proposals for including JEDI efforts and issues within annual and other performance reviews throughout the college. This language was approved by the JEDI Working Group and distributed to all individuals in the college who are responsible for conducting performance reviews.  This subcommittee’s work is complete for now.

The mentorship subcommittee believes that connecting students to mentors within the professional design community is important particularly for under-represented populations in our professions.  This committee will work closely with Rachel Brown, Director of Professional Development and Internships, to support and expand her ongoing mentorship program.  By reaching out to and recruiting more diverse local practitioners during the Spring semester of 2021 and beyond, we will help students connect and engage with professionals who have similar backgrounds and experiences as their own. We will also work on finding ways to allow students to connect with mentors with whom they identify without making assumptions about how identity impacts their choices.  In addition, we will research and provide resources for all mentors in our mentorship program on mentoring students with identities that are diverse from their own.

***10.19.21 Update***
The JEDI Mentorship Subcommittee has worked in collaboration with the Director of Professional Development + Internships to re-launch the CAP Mentorship Program. The new program includes an online interface that allows mentors and mentees to develop profiles specific to their education, interests and areas of expertise; mentees choose the mentor with whom they want to connect based on those profiles.

JEDI provided support in the development of the mentor and mentee profile questionnaire so that students can select mentors with whom they identify. The subcommittee is also assisting in the recruitment of mentors that are reflective of our diverse student body.

Anna Bierbrauer, Claire Bulik, Jazmyn Dennard, Isra Fakhruddin, Alex Hardesty, Emma Hundsdorfer, Adison Petti, & Aletha Spang

1. Calendar Administration

• Currently working on the website functionality to tag events on a calendar of JEDI events that will live on the CAP JEDI Webpage.

2. JEDI Effort Integrations

• Working on how to add a variety of JEDI resources to the current CAP JEDI Webpage. Resources will be updated quarterly with three categories: CU Denver CAP, CU Denver, and Denver Metro Area.

3. Student Panels

• The Student Panels group is sending a survey to gauge the interest of students with JEDI Topics. Survey results will be reconciled by spring break and will guide panel topics for the 2021-22 AY. The goal is to have one to three panels per semester, starting with one panel this fall adding more in the future.

4. Syllabi and Curricula

• Create a webpage for readings on race, equity, and justice readings as a resource co-created by the JEDI working group, faculty members, and students. Suggestions will be solicited in APA format with DOI from faculty, staff, and students, and they will be added to the references gathered.
• In association with these sources, over the 21-22 AY the Syllabi and Curricula would like to host a series of JEDI reading club.

5. Survey and Support

• This has been rescheduled for late summer/early fall given that we had quite a number of surveys this last semester.

6. Performance Evaluations

• We will have recommendations for both faculty and for staff review processes to College Leadership for consideration by the end of summer.

7. Mentorship

• The Mentorships subcommittee is working with broader mentorship efforts within the college as our mentoring process is being greatly expanded.

1. Calendar Administration

• The calendar will be calibrated within the next few weeks. Calendar tags are being negotiated to ensure we have JEDI events on the JEDI Webpage and the CAP Calendar. The goal is also to pull CU Denver JEDI events to show on our JEDI calendar. We will need to decide what goes on our calendar and what will considering the opportunities at the local and state level are abundant.

2. JEDI Effort Integration

• JEDI Effort Integration has been compiling JEDI resources. The group is working with Khi Johnson to add the recourses to the CAP JEDI Webpage.
• The JEDI Working Group will pilot a training on how to be an effective ally with the potential of opening the training more widely at CAP.

3. Student Panels

• The Student Panels group is aiming to plan two panels per semester. A survey was sent to students, and the leading preferred topics were Environmental Justice and Gentrification. One panel will occur this fall and one will occur spring 2022.
• Fall Queer Space Symposium is coming this fall. The Student Panels group plans to collaborate with the event to support and assist in growing the opportunity.

4. Syllabi and Curricula

• Resource compilation is underway. The resources will be branched into faculty resources and general JEDI community resources on our website.
• Reading group around CAP specific fields coming in fall 2021.

5. Survey and Support

• No update at this time.
• A survey will roll out on the second week of August 2021.

6. Performance Evaluations

• The Performance Evaluations subgroup is working at the campus level on expectations for annual reviews for faculty and staff. Language is forthcoming for the JEDI working group’s review. The goal is to have resources out by the end of the summer to be utilized in the next annual review process.

7. Mentorship

• The Mentorship group has grown from Adam Wagoner to one additional student, and they have begun setting goals forward for the group. The group will work with Rachel Brown on mentorship opportunities as well.

Welcome

• Jody welcomes all and notes regular JEDI Forums will take place moving forward. All attendees are invited to join the JEDI Leadership team.

   

  Website Review

• The CAP JEDI website is displayed for review. The website will be modified with an overhaul soon. Progress reports will be added to our website for review.
  • Feedback:
    • Add ASLA and APA to allied organizations.  
• CAP JEDI Action Plan is reviewed. Goals and Action items are open for discussion or feedback. Questions are also welcome. Attendees are encouraged to add items if they feel any are missing.
  • Feedback and questions:
  • Louise Bordelon: it’s a called an action plan, but there are goals listed, but wondered if the document could be called strategic goals. Following these goals, are we going to develop a plan of how to achieve these? Jody Beck responds, yes. There will be actions and more so a call to action.
  • Xiomara Amaro: Wondered the same as Louise Bordelon. Xiomara stated that it would be helpful to clarify that there is a group of goals with actions on achieving the goals listed.
  • Katie Finnigan: How would mental and physical disabilities fall under diversity and inclusion?
    • Mental and physical disabilities are not called out directly, but we can modify them to include them specifically.
  • Addison Petti: Seconds Katie’s remarks as we are a planning school of spaces
  • Louise Bordelon: The term Leadership Team sounds intimidating and not very inviting to students. Perhaps it would be good to rename to something that may draw more students in.
    • Ideas brainstormed: Working group, Stewards, JEDI Collaborative, Co-facilitators.
  • Louise Bordelon: It would be beneficial if this team could promote and embrace some of the efforts, such as Marty Egan’s.  Binding together and making sure our inclusiveness efforts are also including all diverse populations. It would be helpful for the JEDI team to promote such efforts.
    • The team has some plans to work towards these efforts.
  • Kyle Danforth: Feedback portal: it may be good to be transparent to let students know that they have resources such as the Office of Equity.
    • The JEDI Leadership group is still working on this as the JEDI Leadership group must be clear that they are mandatory reporters but not scare folks away.
  • Ann Komora: Is there a way to have folks complete a self-survey on our website for people to determine and understand one’s level of implicant bias awareness? Having an interactive feature may be a way for people to interact with our page rather than just reading our site.
  • Katie Finnigan: Suggests having EDI facilitators come in to facilitate workshops for CAP.
  • Alyssa White: Pull in CU Denver’s sociology program for creation of implicant bias awareness testing.
  • Addison Petti: We have to be interdisciplinary, particularly with those disciplines that do JEDI work better or more deeply than our fields. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is forging a phenomenal example right now, directly across the street from CAP. They are addressing issues that directly intersect with Architecture and Planning. Part of this is recognizing where CAP can act as an ally/accomplice by supporting exceptional work where it already manifests rather than assuming we must take an original lead to succeed vs following the lead of other experts’ colleagues at CU.
  • Alyssa White: Suggests and Executive board for the JEDI Leadership team to have roles assigned more clearly.

     

     

    CAP JEDI Leadership Team commitments for this semester

• We will have a JEDI specific calendar operating on the JEDI page.
  • Katie Finnigan: For our calendar, can we add workshops/speakers/community leader talks/other organizations as education opportunity highlights? Ones that may already be taking place? If not taking place, perhaps we can focus some panels on these topics.
• We will identify existing JEDI efforts on campus and within the city and integrate our efforts with those to the degree possible.
• We will facilitate a gathering of student leaders to identify issues/topics/concerns around which to organize one or more panel discussions in the fall of 2021.  We will set dates and get commitments for those panels.
  • There may be topics where professionals are brought in to address topics. There may also be panels of student leaders covering topics. In both cases, JEDI Leadership could facilitate.
• We will distribute a framework for syllabi and curricula to respond to JEDI issues and convene a group of faculty to workshop our proposal over the summer.
• We will distribute an anonymous survey that asks what individual actions people will commit to and what support they need as individuals to help guide further action.
• We will work with all college leadership to integrate an evaluation of JEDI efforts in all performance evaluations for 2021.

   

  General feedback:

• Amplify the current mentorship program that Rachel Brown organizes to include opportunities for people to find a mentor they can identify with more closely.
• Add specific resources to our JEDI website for specific student backgrounds. For example, links to international students impacted by the travel ban. Give students a way to connect to the issues they are seeing and feeling. 

   

  Three students joined the CAP JEDI Leadership team.

1. Over the last two months, we have raised more than $525,000 for a new CAP JEDI Fund thanks to generous contributions from our CAP community. This fund will be applied to scholarships, Visiting Faculty, and more.  

We are extremely grateful to Penni Hudis, PhD whose gift of $250,000 in memory of her late husband, CAP alumnus Ira Fink, PhD will support the JEDI initiative.

We also extend our deep appreciation to distinguished alumnus and CAP Advisory Board Chair David Tryba who has committed $25,000 on behalf of Tryba Associates and has challenged 10 other Denver architecture firms to contribute as well.

2. Staff: We are hiring a new Recruiter to focus specifically on reaching out to middle and high school students, pending approval. Many thanks to Jo Vandenburg, Stephanie Kelly, and Jodi Stock for serving on the Search Committee. Distinguished CAP alumnus Terry Ware has graciously volunteered to serve on this committee as well, and to provide outreach assistance to the new recruiter once on board.

3. Faculty: For the 2020-21 academic year, a number of stellar new faculty members in the Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture Departments will significantly enhance the diversity of our faculty. We are also launching searches for three new tenure-track positions – two for Architecture and one for Planning – pending approval. In addition, a new Visiting Faculty position will bring to the college professors whose work advances justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

4. CAP Advisory Board: Five esteemed new members are adding greater diversity to our board: Flory Hamstra (co-founder of NOMA5280, CAP M Arch alumna) Joey Carasquillo (AMD, Architect) Eugene Howard (City of Denver, CAP Master of Planning alumnus) Sue Powers (Urban Ventures CEO, Planner) Dominic Weilminster (Stantec, CAP M Arch alumnus). 

5. Sharing and Listening to develop the ACTION Plan: We’ve had a number of important conversations for sharing and listening, and these conversations are continuing. We greatly appreciate the feedback received on the JEDI Worksheet that was distributed to everyone and is informing the CAP JEDI ACTION Plan. 

6. John Henderson Exhibition: In partnership with History Colorado, the college will be hosting an exhibition on the work of John Henderson, the first licensed Black architect in Colorado. One student will be selected to receive a History Colorado Fellowship for the Fall 2020 semester to assist (remotely) with cataloging the Henderson Collection and curating the exhibition. The application for this Fellowship will be distributed shortly.

• American Indian Student Services 
• Asian American Student Services 
• Black Student Services 
• Latinx Student Services 
• Undocumented Student Services 

LGBTQ Student Resource Center

• Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Faculty and Staff Group  
• Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) Faculty and Staff Group  
• Black Staff and Faculty Affinity (BSFA) Group 
• Auraria Native Alliance 
• CU Native Alliance  
• CU Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Alumni Association  

Faculty Assembly Committees

Safe Zone LGBTQ+ Training 

• For Safe Zone Training, contact Ed Cannon, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Education and Human Development. Email address: Edward.Cannon@ucdenver.edu. Phone: 303-315-6336.