Transparency Page
SUMMER SEMESTER 2020
In Summer 2020, the IDEA Collective kicked off its official programming with the Long Talk – a four-part dialogue designed to begin conversations related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Topics included: (a) self (recognizing one’s own biases); (b) others (how to be an active listener); (c) the local environment (our role in cultivating change); and (d) the big picture (how student life moves from critical ideas to critical action).
Fall Semester 2020
During the Fall of 2020, the I.D.E.A. Collective met weekly to brainstorm and lay the foundation for what I.D.E.A. can tangibly look like within the Division. We established our Collective's mission, defined I.D.E.A., explored our "why", and identified 3 core areas of impact.
In December 2020, we held the Student Affairs I.D.E.A. Collective Launch & Learn, a presentation that introduced the committee, communicated our vision, and offered a platform to gather feedback from staff at various levels on how they hope to see our Division infused with I.D.E.A.
Spring Semester 2021
In January 2021, the Collective had a Spring Retreat where we reviewed the feedback from the Launch & Learn and identified both short- and long-term goals and initiatives.
Throughout the Spring 2021 semester, the Collective continued meeting weekly, working toward the large list of goals by splitting into 6 project teams that met an additional 1-2x month.
Project Teams:
- Make It Make Sense Discussion Series
- The purpose of this initiative is to create a collective learning space for staff to share individual perspectives on an article, video, opinion column, or podcast related to inclusion, diversity, equity, or access topics. We accomplish this through collectively unpacking the layers of a new or complex topic and making sense of what has been shared. We all bring a unique perspective to the conversation and these facilitated discussions will encourage staff to learn earnestly, reflect intentionally, and act responsibly and responsively.
- https://team.ufsa.ufl.edu/idea/idea-discussion-series/
- Hiring Practices
- The hiring practices working group is developing proposed division-wide hiring practices, founded in IDEA principles, designed to decrease barriers which might keep qualified candidates from learning about, interviewing for, or being hired into DSA positions. Practices we are examining include the following: mandatory training and additional resources for search committee chairs, members, and hiring authorities; utilizing equity advisors through the hiring process to promote IDEA principles; and other hiring practices including reviewing job descriptions for gendered language and exclusionary qualifications, and redacting personally identifiable information, such as name, gender, age, from the resumes of applicants.
- IDEA Organizational Audit
- We are developing a framework for departments within student affairs to audit their internal practices and processes with a focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Using the IDEA collective areas of impact – education, culture, and storytelling – we are crafting a series of prompts and assessment questions to self-evaluate current internal practices to celebrate successes and understand opportunities for improvement.
- Book Club
- Facilitation Techniques
In May 2021, we launched our Make It Make Sense Discussion Series and have the topics and dates planned out for the remainder of the year. Feel free to sign up for any of the discussions here.
Stay tuned for more updates!