Making It Happen
DESIGNING AN INCLUSIVE ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Architecture is in the midst of making changes toward becoming an anti-racist and inclusive institution, discipline and profession. On the anniversary of the challenge presented to the department by our students and alumni, we mark the occasion with a progress report for the academic year of 2020-2021. There is much to do.
In July of 2020, following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and too many others, the graduate architecture students and alums circulated A Call to Action — Graduate Architecture Students and Alums requesting changes in the Department of Architecture to dismantle systemic racism in the department, the academy and the profession. The Call described the problems in our department and proposed changes.
In August of 2021, the doctoral and MS students in History, Theory and Society sent a letter to Dean Chakrabarti and Chair Chow, asking the College and Department to address the “inequality and systematic exclusion of Indigenous and Black students and faculty from the College of Environmental Design.” They too highlighted department concerns and proposed changes.
Fortuitously, Berkeley Graduate Division announced the Graduate Diversity Pilot Program directed toward combating racism and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion. During a year in which COVID-19 stretched budgets to their limits, receiving a four-year grant of $175,000 has been critical to the department’s support of students, staff and faculty that are directing change.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Department of Architecture recognizes that UC Berkeley sits on the territory of xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people, the successors of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and other familial descendants of the Verona Band.
We recognize that every member of the Berkeley community has, and continues to benefit from, the use and occupation of this land, since the institution’s founding in 1868. Consistent with our values of community, inclusion and diversity, we have a responsibility to acknowledge and make visible the university’s relationship to Native peoples.
It is vitally important that we not only recognize the history of the land on which we stand, but also, we recognize that the Muwekma Ohlone people are alive and flourishing members of the Berkeley and broader Bay Area communities today.
Read more on the Centers for Educational Justice & Community Engagement website.
- Making It Happen: Spring 2022 Highlights
- Making It Happen: Fall 2021 Highlights
- Making It Happen: Summer 2021 Highlights
- 2020-21 Highlights Report
During the Spring of 2022 the members of committee were comprised of the following: Tya Abe (M.Arch), Millicent Akayesi (M.Arch), Erica Blandon (M.Arch), Greg Castillo (Professor and Faculty Equity Advisor), Lingxiu Chong (Lecturer), Renee Chow (Professor and Department Chair), Greig Crysler (Professor), Paola Gutierrez (M.Arch), Angelina Huang (B.A.), Fiona Kaech (M.Arch), Elena Lunt (MSO), Asha Nathaniel (GSAO), Daniela Pardo Duran (M.Arch), Keith Plymale (Continuing Lecturer), Marcel Sanchez Prieto (Professor), Catherine Wang (B.A.), Mia Zinni (Lecturer).
Initiative Two: Support the Student Experience
The committee looked to expand on the support of the student experience by exploring career service opportunities. This semester, the committee focused on increasing visibility in career services and events. Specifically, the committee along with the CED Assistant Director of Career services sought to increase visibility and information on portfolio review opportunities for students. In this effort, career service updates have also been extended to include faculty members in addition to students. Career services has also reported a successful pilot portfolio review with members of AIA east bay which could be implemented again in the near future.
In addition to the efforts outlined above, the committee has also made headway on the ongoing student led event project in collaboration with ASJC fellows. This semester a survey was sent to gauge student interest in various topics, organizations, and guest speakers. Feedback from this survey allowed dedicated subgroup members to narrow down event topic selection and create a list of proposed speakers and invitees. In an effort to keep momentum throughout the summer, summer assistants will be hired to work on the project. The event will be held at the start of the Fall 2022 semester
Initiative Three: Facilitate Engagement with Social Justice Movements
NOMAS provided a presentation on current efforts the student organization is working towards and through discussion the committee and NOMAS members have identified exciting new areas of collaboration. The organization’s current efforts include seminar series, highschool outreach, and firm tours. In addition to NOMAS, Undergraduate Advising has also identified new ways to engage community fellows + CED undergraduates possibly through inviting community members to participate in introductory architecture courses. The committee will explore these ideas more in depth in the coming semester
During the Fall of 2021, the ARCH Equity Steering Committee was recomprised to include more students as part of the committee’s efforts.
The 2021-2022 members include: Tya Abe (M.Arch), Millicent Akayesi (M.Arch), Erica Blandon (M.Arch), Greg Castillo (Professor and Faculty Equity Advisor), Lingxiu Chong (Lecturer), Renee Chow (Professor and Department Chair), Greig Crysler (Professor), Paola Gutierrez (M.Arch), Angelina Huang (B.A.), Fiona Kaech (M.Arch), Elena Lunt (MSO), Asha Nathaniel (GSAO), Daniela Pardo Duran (M.Arch), Keith Plymale (Continuing Lecturer), Marcel Sanchez Prieto (Professor), Catherine Wang (B.A.), Mia Zinni (Lecturer).
Initiative One: Increased representation of minorities identities and build a culture of inclusion + Initiative Two: Support the student experience + Initiative Four: Improve the ways we teach
Through the on-going efforts of many students, staff and faculty, the Department is addressing structural issues that limit diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our community, our pedagogy, and our profession. The Fall 2021 Equity Steering Committee unanimously endorsed a white paper on design studio culture and course cost template for distribution to faculty and students.
The document was shared with ARCH faculty on November 19 and shared with all students at the end of November. Our plan is for voluntary adoption by faculty on course cost additions to syllabi as well as discussion about design studio culture between students and faculty in the upcoming spring semester. “Design Studio Culture” is intended to be a living document, serving as a source of discussion between faculty and students, continually modified to reflect discussions. This document was drafted by two graduate students, Samantha Miller and Mario Devora, during the summer of 2021 with funding from the Graduate Division Diversity Pilot Program. The white paper can be found, here.
The ESC is also recommending that “Course Costs” be added to syllabi, as soon as this spring. This addition allows several things: for instructors to reflect on how to ensure equal access to resources and products for their students, for students to be able to budget for the semester and for students to apply for financial aid to cover course costs. A template is added at the end of this document and can also be found at this link. All suggestions are welcome. We ask you to read the white paper with an open mind — to look for ways that we can advance both lecture and seminar formats of teaching as well as design teaching. The Equity Steering Committee will follow up for feedback, or you can send comments – thoughts – questions to archjedi@berkeley.edu.
Initiative Three: Facilitate engagement with social justice movements
22 graduate students were announced as the inaugural Arcus Social justice Corp Fellows. The fellows make up a CED cohort who will not only dedicate themselves to supporting vulnerable communities but who also focus on creating a greater sense of belonging for all students at CED. Through programming designed for the fellows, they will ideate and iterate upon what it means to make systemic, lasting, and meaningful change though social impact design work. Among the CED recipients are four M.Arch students: Alanna Muldowney, Cypress Erbez-Benson, Mario Devora, and Vanessa Giraldo. Congratulations! Applications are currently open for those applying to CED graduate programs for Fall 2022; deadline is January 15, 2022.
Initiative Five: Revising the Department Equity Plan
This continues an on-going task that is being spearheaded by Faculty Equity Advisor, Professor Greg Castillo. In the fall, Professor Greig Crysler served as the Chief Diversity Officer for the College. He will be on sabbatical in the spring, and a new CDO will be named.
Initiative Six: Assessments
We will begin review of quantitative metrics regarding our departmental demographics again in the spring.
Spring activities to look for:
We have two active faculty searches right now. Job talks and visits are planned for February and March. Your input is appreciated! Details on how to participate from representative to feedback will be forthcoming.
During the Summer of 2021, there were continued efforts in Making It Happen, thanks to a group of graduate student researchers and faculty in the pilot pedagogy program.
Initiative One: Increased representation of minorities identities and build a culture of inclusion
- We continue to expand our network of consultants and collaborators and are excited to announce that Shalini Agrawal, Director of Pathways to Equity and Director of Public Design for Equity, will be offering two workshops with graduate students this fall. See the dates below. We plan to set up other events and workshops in the future that include undergraduates and faculty.
- The department is expanding its recruiting efforts for both lecturer and ladder-rank positions.
Initiative Two: Support the student experience
- The remote summer camp was offered to both incoming transfer students and new M.Arch students. 31 students joined, about a third undergraduates and two thirds grads, using asynchronous lectures prepared by Professor Kyle Steinfeld and with hands-on sessions led by M.Arch students Ari Bible and Adam Cutts.
- Alternatives assessments for design – M.Arch students Samantha Miller and Mario Devora spearheaded research on the teaching and assessment of design. While this could also be listed under Initiative Four, the development of a studio culture guideline emphasized wellness, particularly in the design studio. As a result of their research, three documents will be reviewed by students and faculty this fall: Studio Culture, Alternative Practices in Design Instruction, and Mid-semester Surveys.
-
- The College has supported the establishment of a student chapter of NOMAS.
-
Initiative Three: Facilitate engagement with social justice movements
- The Department is committed to building long-term partnerships with local community groups. This engagement dovetails with the establishment of the first cohort of Arcus Social justice Corp fellows this fall. During the summer, M.Arch student Trevor Carrasco worked with Marcel Sanchez Prieto to develop a growing list of potential local partners.
Initiative Four: Improve the ways we teach
- Some of the faculty that participated in the pilot pedagogical assessment program were assigned graduate student researchers to continue course development over the summer. During the fall, we will be reflecting on the specific changes that were made. A special thanks to M.Arch students Lucy Wang and Elaine Forbush who helped in the development of the syllabi for ARCH 201 and ARCH 207B.
-
- With the help of doctoral student Alberto Sanchez Sanchez two important teaching documents were shared with faculty and GSIs: A DEI Reading List and Assessing our Teaching. The latter summarizes the questions that emerged from the discussions of the subgroups of the assessment.
Initiative Five: Revising the Department Equity Plan
- This is an on-going task that is being spearheaded by Faculty Equity Advisor, Professor Greg Castillo. Professor Neyran Turan will serve as the second departmental Faculty Equity Advisor. The College also now has a Chief Diversity Officer, Professor Greig Crysler as well as a Graduate Diversity Officer, Asha Nathaniel.
Initiative Six: Assessments
- Thanks to the work of M.Arch student Fiona Käech, we now have a database that can be updated from year to year as a start of quantitative metrics regarding our departmental demographics. You can review the initial pdf here; we plan to develop this graphically for future reports.
Initiative Seven: Communication
- We now have a dedicated email address for your comments and feedback: Archjedi@berkelely.edu.
There are many events taking place this fall, please join.
- Calls have gone out for faculty and students to join the Equity Steering Committee. We’ll be announcing the 2021-2022 members soon.
- Fall lecture series: We have many great speakers who engage in social justice work.
- Shalini Agrawal, Director of Pathways to Equity and Director of Public Design for Equity, will be offering two workshops with graduate students this fall. More information and sign up are forthcoming.
- October 7, 7:00: Disrupting Systems of Inequity: Identity Awareness
Our assumptions, perspectives and practices are well established by a dominant Western European culture and impacts where we source from in knowledge-building and knowledge-sharing. For architects, it means that the current education and profession have been complicit in centering the histories, experiences, practices and needs of some but not others, especially those communities most impacted by these oversights. The repercussions of this exclusion directly influence how we practice and risk perpetuating historical, systemic and racial injustices. We can lean into self-awareness to disrupt established systems of inequity that are reinforced in our culture and society. How might we reconcile our role as professionals with our identities and lived experiences to bring an empathetic understanding of inclusionary practices - October 21, 7:00: Disrupting Systems of Inequity: Facilitating Inclusive Collaboration
Architects rely on practices of collaboration and engagement to design spaces of inclusion and belonging. These skills are core to better, sustainable and inclusive design solutions. Yet there are limited pedagogical and professional practice models that provide frameworks to balance good intentions with good design without understanding the inherent power in the process and privilege of our role. Without this acknowledgment, we risk perpetuating systemic inequities. How might we go beyond good intentions and develop self-awareness when facilitating collaborations?
Spring activities to look for:
-
-
- We have two active faculty searches right now. Job talks and visits are planned for early spring. Your input is appreciated! Details on how to participate from representative to feedback will be forthcoming.
- JPF03154 Assistant Professor- Architecture and Urbanism https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03154
- JPF03153 Assistant Professor– Material and Technologies in Architectural Design https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF03153
- We have two active faculty searches right now. Job talks and visits are planned for early spring. Your input is appreciated! Details on how to participate from representative to feedback will be forthcoming.
-
In Fall 2020, an Equity Steering Committee (ESC) was established in the fall with faculty and staff committee members volunteering and a call sent out for student representation. This committee was tasked to address the initiatives listed below.
2020-2021 members included: Tathya Abe (M.Arch), Michael Alvarez (B.A), Greg Castillo (Professor and Faculty Equity Advisor), Jaime Chan (M.Arch and GSR), Renee Chow (Professor and Department Chair), Margaret Crawford (Professor), Greig Crysler (Professor and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs), Sarah Fullerton (CED Director of Communications), Paz Gutierrez (Professor), Fiona Kaech (M.Arch), Elena Lunt (MSO), Asha Nathaniel (GSAO), Keith Plymale (Continuing Lecturer), Marcel Sanchez Prieto (Professor), and Yasaman Yavaribajestani (Ph.D).
Initiative One: Increased representation of minoritized identities
Advance diversity among community members, including students, faculty, staff, visiting lecturers, visiting critics, and colloquium speakers by re-imagining and investing in diversity efforts in outreach, admissions, and recruiting. Expand our definitions of community within and beyond the Department.
- A diversity of perspectives was increased through invitations to visiting critics for design reviews as well as guest lecturers in our colloquia.
- A list of consultants and trainers in anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is in development.
- Admissions readers for all degrees attended two implicit bias workshops led by Lisa Walker, a senior consultant with the Equity Consulting Group and former director of equity and inclusion at UC Berkeley. The first session was prior to admissions to raise awareness, and the second session was held after admissions to review if changes were needed. As a result, M.Arch applications will not require GREs for a second year, with an assessment of our ability to recruit greater diversity next spring. In addition, admission prompts were revised. M.AAD readings will also be revised.
- There is still much work in this area for the next three years. Tasks include developing more ways to increase diversity particularly in M.AAD and M.S/PhD program as well as developing better outreach and recruitment to diversify our graduate and undergrad student body; inviting speakers who engage in social justice work, universal accessibility and equity in the built environment; developing anti-racist and inclusive competencies; and better diversifying our ladder rank faculty and lecturers.
Initiative Two: Support the Student Experience
Balanced wellness, sound mental health, and a sense of belonging to community are crucial to the positive student experience. The Department of Architecture plans to both expand and improve visibility of existing services as well as develop new partnerships, workshops, and engagement opportunities to contribute to our students’ experiences within CED. With these additions to the student experience, we hope to create a more balanced and holistic environment for our students.
- The pandemic year was tremendously difficult on all our students. The isolation and lack of connection was palpable. The department offered Covid-19 funding to graduate students based on basic needs of food, rent, and access to technology.
- Ph.D fellowships were increased for all incoming and continuing doctoral students — an additional year of funding has been budgeted, for a total of five years with a stipend that matches the Graduate Division multi-year award. We continue to work with CED DA+R to look for philanthropic donations to increase our doctoral fellowships.
- A remote summer camp will be offered introducing Rhino and Illustrator, the major software platforms of the design studios. This optional workshop will be offered at no cost to transfer students who are not always prepared in these tools at their community colleges and to incoming M.Arch students with no background in this software.
- On-going work includes a student-led event, supported by CED diversity grant funding; introducing implicit bias workshops for senate and non senate Faculty and GSIs for fall 2021 and to all graduate students in spring of 2022; developing balanced wellness strategies — particularly in the design studio; strategic support of basic needs; development of mental health resources with the Campus and College; and developing mentoring programs — particularly with alumni and practitioners of color.
Initiative Three: Facilitate Engagement with Social Justice Movements
Architecture institutions across the country have been called on by their students to address the systemic biases that exist within their departments and end the apathy and disengagement of architecture, its practitioners and students. The Architecture Department plans to expand opportunities for students to engage with organizations addressing social justice in their work, particularly around the Bay Area.
- The Department is committed to building long-term partnerships with non-profit and local community groups. This requires that we listen, build trust, and discover what it is that we as a department and individuals can offer. An ESC sub-group explored different modes of engagement from courses, to service days, to internships. The group also proposed different scales of engagement from the entire department, to smaller cohorts, to individuals. There was enthusiasm for a day/weekend of service in which the entire department including faculty and students contribute, either physically or intellectually, our collective efforts to a need. This could include activities like a creek clean-up, a design-build project, or a design charrette.
- Last, the recent announcement of the Arcus Social Justice Corps has important overlaps with initiatives in this area. We look forward to collaborating with the Fellows.
Initiative Four: Improve the ways we teach
The acknowledgment of systemic racism in architecture and the decolonization of academia must be embedded within an overall redesign of the pedagogical approach of the department. It is critical that the architecture department as a whole engages in self-reflective discussion about white-supremacy culture and how it manifests within individuals, the academic environment, and in the greater systems in which we operate. Developing this awareness and sensitivity are necessary complements to pedagogical redesign and the eventual transformation of both the academy and the profession of architecture.
- The first event toward raising awareness and sensitivity within our pedagogical environment was a two-day workshop with guest speakers who are re-shaping architectural education by advancing new models of social justice and equity in the academy and the built environment. An all-department symposium was held in January of 2021. Titled “How It Happens: New Directions in Architectural Education,” our keynote speaker was Lesley Lokko, renowned educator, architect and writer. Panelists included Elgin Cleckley (Assistant Professor at UVA and principal of _mpathic design), Janet McGaw (Associate Professor at University of Melbourne), and Quilian Riano (Associate Director of the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative at Kent State University). Each speaker discussed how change happened in their context, describing the frameworks and strategies each speaker employed to build anti-racist models of architectural education. We learned about new schools and pedagogies in South Africa, Australia, and the U.S. to include constituencies that had previously been omitted in architectural education.
- In the spring of 21, a pilot pedagogical assessment project began. The assessment is an on-going exercise to increase faculty awareness around issues of racism and power dynamics as well as how they are manifest in our teaching. Short term goals are to raise awareness of racial equity, raise awareness of radicalized pattern; raise awareness of racial consequences of our actions, even if well intended; raise awareness of microaggressions; raise awareness of our agency as faculty to produce racial equity; develop frameworks for discussing race in the classroom and across the student experience; and expand department teaching to be more inclusive and welcoming. Three key areas of pilot assessment include: course climate and forms of student evaluation in relation to equity, well-being, and inclusivity; conceptual content of the course in relation to race and equity; and, articulation of relations between course sequences.The courses and faculty selected were based on entry level sequences for two of our degree programs, the B.A in architecture and the M.Arch. Thus the third year of the B.A includes faculty that lead ARCH 100A and 100B, ARCH 170A/B and ARCH 130. These are the courses in which our freshmen and transfer admits meet. The first year of the M.Arch includes instructors of ARCH 200A/B and ARCH 270. And the second year of the M.Arch where Option 3 and Option 2 students meet includes instructors of ARCH 201 and 207B.Cohorts will continue to meet over the summer in parallel with individual course development. The group is preparing a shared reading list for all faculty and GSIs to be distributed mid-summer as well as documenting emerging practices to share with colleagues mid-summer. Course development funding is being offered by the department. Plans are also being made for a January 2022 symposium, The Crit, inviting guests to further department discussions around design assessment.
- On-going goals include: continue assessing our programs and courses, moving beyond the piloted courses; develop annual faculty training on equity and inclusion; and continue changing design pedagogy through discussions with students. Since most architectural canons are rooted in Western traditions, several cohorts discussed the challenge of having students both know the canon within its time and context, understanding its limitations, and learning about a diversity of perspectives. Articulating new frameworks for this kind of teaching will be a real contribution to our field, both for architectural humanities and architectural design.
Initiative Five: Revising the Department Equity Plan
-
- In parallel to the work developed by the Equity Steering Committee, “The Department of Architecture Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (2019 draft)” is being updated to reflect our new department initiatives. A faculty climate survey was completed in the spring of 2021, and we have reached out to partner with the Equity and Inclusion staff.
- In addition, the Department will be adding a second Faculty Equity Advisor to be sure that all searches, hiring, and admissions can be attended by an advisor. The terms will be on a two-year basis, with a new FEA rotating in every year.
Initiative Six: Assessments
-
- With the assistance of a graduate student researcher, we will develop quantitative assessment metrics starting with our historical demographics and adding our current profile.
- In addition, we will be monitoring qualitative assessment through the student exit surveys, the development of mid-semester design studio surveys, and syllabi changes.
- We are planning for a Year Three External Equity Assessment, a holistic assessment of the department in the spring of 2023 to be conducted by peer reviewers from a consortium of schools that are also developing new anti-racist models of education.
Initiative Seven: Communication
-
- Develop a website to communicate goals and actions.
- Develop forums and other modes to invite input from students and faculty.
- Develop semester and yearly reports.
If you have made it to the end of this update, the department very much welcomes your thoughts, questions and proposals for our activities. Please feel free to send them to archchair@berkeley.edu.
