CDEI October 2021 Update from the Chair
The CDEI is designed to advance ASEE’s vision for widespread, inclusive, and equitable environments in engineering, academia, and industry that embrace individual differences and leverage diversity for a better engineered tomorrow. I am honored to serve as the CDEI Chair for 2021-2022, and especially during the ASEE Year of Impact on Racial Equity. Apart from the exciting things that CDEI already does as part of its routine efforts to advance DEI within engineering education, this year’s 3-pronged initiative is bound to lead to impacts we couldn’t have imagined beforehand.
In the spirit of building on Liz’s promise to make CDEI more transparent, I plan to continue sharing CDEI-related updates from the Chair’s perspective approximately every 6 weeks. Announcements about “just-in-time” events will be posted in the news section of CDEI’s Group on the ASEE Hub and listed at the bottom of these updates. Since I am one that never gets tired of good mantras, I’ll conclude with an inspirational quote designed to motivate us to keep fighting for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive engineering.
CDEI Committee Updates & Invitations to Partner
CDEI Chairs
Each of us are championing one of the three pillars that make up the Year of Impact on Racial Equity. One pillar is focused on inviting engineering and engineering technology students who serve as leaders of local chapters of engineering professional societies to embark on a 90-day equity challenge; the virtual kick-off will take place on MLK Day (Jan 17, 2022). Teams will use the engineering design process to identify and begin to solve an equity issue within their chapter; prizes will be awarded to teams that make the most progress. Another pillar focuses on engineering faculty and administrators, aiming to revisit policies that influence who gets to be/remain an engineering student and/or faculty member. There are 8-subcommittees associated with this effort. The final pillar is focused on increasing the participation of Black and Brown children in existing P-12 engineering outreach efforts; parents and guardians of P-12 learners are the focus of this effort. Task forces have been formed for each of the pillars and efforts are underway to advance each pillar’s goals. Please visit this website for more information about the pillars, and how you can get involved.
Lastly, we’re writing a series of articles that will be featured in the ASEE Prism magazine related to racial equity, in general, or the YIRE, in particular. Please check them out in your monthly issue of Prism.
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Communications Committee Update
The team is brainstorming how to generate the content (blogs, tweets, etc.), and engage with the YIRE.
Professional Development Committee Update
Please consider submitting a proposal to facilitate a workshop on a topic that fosters the ASEE vision of widespread, inclusive, and equitable environments in engineering, academia, and industry that embrace individual differences and leverage diversity for a better engineered tomorrow. Proposals for the annual conference are due 11/8. For Virtual Workshops, 12/1. Learn more.
Strategic Planning & Assessment Committee Update
They had a workshop during the ASEE annual conference around listening and identifying ideas to incorporate informal conversations that can inform the way strategic plans are developed. Now, they are in the process of scheduling meetings for this semester which will be focused on updating the CDEI Strategic Plan.
ASEE Headquarters Update
ASEE hosted a wiki-edit-a-thon on LGBTQ+ Representation in STEM (https://lgbtq.asee.org/wiki-edit-a-thon/)
An Open Invite
We invite all members to advance the mission of CDEI through participation on one or more of the Committees: Awards, Communication, Conference Planning, Policy/Letters, Professional Development and Strategic Planning & Assessment. Please visit this website for more information on how to get involved: https://diversity.asee.org/deicommittee/get-involved/. Thank you for your enduring commitment to this work, both on your campuses and through participation in CDEI efforts.
Recent Announcements Posted on ASEE HUB
- Join the Dialogue: https://aseehub.asee.org/groups/blogpost/view/147/130/144
- Save the Date for CYBR-MSI: https://aseehub.asee.org/groups/blogpost/view/147/130/142
- Successfully Navigate the Legal Landscape to Achieve DEI Goals: https://aseehub.asee.org/groups/blogpost/view/147/130/141
- Call for Entries: 2021 GEDC Diversity Award for Engineering Education: https://aseehub.asee.org/groups/blogpost/view/147/130/140
Closing on an inspirational note
As we engage in efforts to make engineering education and the engineering profession better for everyone, we will find ourselves at critical junctures of decision-making or action where self-doubt may speak louder in our ears than words of confidence. In times like these, I’m reminded of my favorite quote by Erin Hanson:
What if I fall?’ Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?
Take care,
Jeremi