At the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, we strive for a diverse and equitable community that fosters an open, enlightened, and robust learning environment. In order to create a vital community of learning, the academy must create an environment that cultivates diversity and celebrates difference.
The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture is committed to creating a workplace in which all faculty, staff, and students are valued for their contributions to accomplishing the School's mission. We work daily to create an equitable and inclusive environment for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, age, level of physical ability, citizenship status, or socioeconomic status.
"Underpinning all that we do at the School of Architecture is a deep commitment to diversity. It guides who we are, what we teach and research, and how we change our disciplines," said Dean Michelle Addington. "Our commitment to diversity goes beyond ensuring that there is equitable participation from under-represented populations; it enables us to open up new avenues of discourse and explore unprecedented opportunities as we bring more voices, more experiences, and more knowledge to bear."
COMMITTEE FOR DIVERSITY + EQUITY
In 2008, former Dean Fritz Steiner commissioned a Diversity Task Force with the charge of gathering feedback from students, faculty, and staff, presenting a report of its findings, and drafting a strategic plan (Framework for Diversity) for addressing diversity and equity within the School. In 2015, the Committee on Diversity + Equity [CODE], a school-wide committee, was formed resulting from this feedback as an ongoing commitment to achieving greater diversity and equity within each program and the school as a whole.
SPEAKER SERIES
At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, the School of Architecture’s Committee on Diversity and Equity approved a proposal to fund and support a series of equity-focused events. The series, run by representatives from the Planning Student Organization and the Graduate School of Architecture Representative Council, encourages students to discuss, learn, and reflect on the ways in which racial injustice has manifested itself in the built environment and practitioners have confronted these truths through their personal and professional lives.
RACE & GENDER IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT INITIATIVE
In 2016, the school established an initiative to strengthen our teaching and research on the relationship between race and/or gender and the built environment. As part of the initiative, the school first established a rotating Fellow position, followed by a tenure-track faculty member who was hired in 2018, and a senior faculty member, hired in 2022. Partially funded by the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the program supports the school's exploration of critical and complex social issues in design and planning pedagogy and practice.
2022-23 CODE MEMBERS:
Todd Brown
Erlene Clark
Tara Dudley
Maggie Hansen
Junfeng Jiao
Alex Karner
Fernando Lara
Charlton Lewis
Bryan Norwood
Robert Paterson
Larry Speck
Kelsey Stine
Kimberlee Walters
Sarah Wu
NEWS
FOLLOW US
- Instagram Post@utsoa
On Friday at 12:30 p.m., visiting professor Alex Schweder @schweder1 presents his lecture “Performance Architecture” as part of our Spring 2023 Lecture Series.
Instagram Post@utsoaMore than 100 employers and dozens of students and alumni participated in @utsoacareers’ 2023 Career Fair yesterday.
A big thank you to those who joined us - Cheers to connections, new and old, and all the bright futures on the horizon!
Instagram Post@utsoaAlumnus Michael Hsu returns to campus this Wednesday, February 8 for his lecture “Generalities and Specificities,” taking place in the Goldsmith Lecture Hall at 12:30 p.m. Event details at the link in our bio.
Instagram Post@utsoaMeet Tyler Swingle, our 2022-2024 Emerging Scholar in Design Fellow, who joined the school last fall.
Instagram Post@utsoaWinter is making a rare appearance so we’re reminiscing about warmer days 🌸 Y’all stay safe out there
Instagram Post@utsoa“Hill Country Lowlands” by Mason Brown for Hope Hasbrouck and Claire Eddleman Heath’s @texas.landscape Design Studio II // 2021-2022 Design Excellence Award Winner
@masonbrow @topococo @claireeddleman
Instagram Post@utsoa“Architecture After AI” is an exhibition and complementary symposium that explores the potential of artificial intelligence platforms to revolutionize the field of architecture, from the way buildings are designed, to the conception of new forms and structures that were previously unimaginable.
Instagram Post@utsoaOn Monday, Tod Williams of Tod Williams Billie Tsien join us for our first Jessen Lecture of the semester! 5:00 p.m. in Jessen Auditorium. Event details at the link in our bio.
Instagram Post@utsoaJoin us in welcoming this semester’s slate of visiting faculty teaching at the school this spring!