The College of Design is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff from all backgrounds. Through our community initiatives and institutional planning, the College of Design intentionally creates opportunities that increase access and enhance the student experience.

College of Design Fellow for Diversity

Working closely with the dean’s office and college leadership team, the College of Design Dean’s Fellow for Diversity plays a significant role in designing and leading strategic initiatives, including implementing the College’s Diversity Action Plan. The position leads the college's Equity and Inclusion Committee and manages an annual budget of $5,000 to support diversity and inclusion projects and initiatives.

Equity and Inclusion Committee

The College of Design Equity and Inclusion Committee implements and updates the College of Design Diversity Action Plan, and is charged with reviewing and maintaining policies and practices affecting equity, inclusion, and diversity in the College of Design.

Equity and Inclusion Committee

Diversity Action Plan

The College of Design Diversity Action Plan was developed with input from community members across the college. The plan provides 25 tactics for the next 3 years, as well as 3 university tactics.

Featured Diversity Initiatives

Justice and Equity Design Initiative (JEDI)

In 2019, the College of Design launched a program for self-identified underrepresented faculty of color and allies called the Justice and Equity Design Initiative (JEDI), which supports and highlights research on equity issues within the design disciplines. A JEDI writing and creative practice retreat that focused on creating a supportive network for faculty of color and allies took place in September 2019.

Design for Spatial Justice Initiative

The School of Architecture & Environment's Design for Spatial Justice Initiative brings in a cohort of emerging and distinguished design scholars who engage communities within and outside of the university in their scholarship at the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, sexuality, and economic inequality.

Deans’ Equity and Inclusion Initiative

The University of Oregon College of Design and eight other leading U.S. colleges and schools of architecture, planning, and design have co-founded the Deans' Equity and Inclusion Initiative to work together 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. There are now 29 members institutions who support a fellowship program, summer institute, and other efforts.